Written by Acorn Sales Company, manufacturing stamps and seals since 1964 · Reviewed by Holly R, VP of Sales and Marketing at Acorn Sales, against the North Dakota State Board of Architecture and N.D.C.C. § 43-03-22 on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
The date blanks are an element of the stamp, not something you write beside it. Section 8-06-01-02 lists four contents for a North Dakota architect stamp, and the third is the literal string “DATE:__/__/____”. The die has to carry the label and the blanks, and you fill them when you sign. Order a stamp without them and you have a non-conforming device even if the name, number and legend are perfect.
The stamp is between one and one-half and two inches in diameter, and you pick the figure inside that band. Alongside the date line it carries your name as licensed, your license number and the legend LICENSED ARCHITECT - STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA. A landscape architect takes LICENSED LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT - STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA instead, and the rest of the rule is identical for both.
The other thing to plan for is the drawing set. Section 8-06-01-03 stamps each final drawing sheet and gives an index-page concession only for project manuals and specifications. Architects used to sealing a title sheet and moving on will be short a stamp on every sheet.
North Dakota architect seal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | North Dakota rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes | N.D.C.C. § 43-03-22 |
| Required elements | Your name as licensed, Your license number, DATE:__/__/____ and LICENSED ARCHITECT - STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA | N.D. Admin. Code § 8-06-01-02 |
| Size and shape | No less than one and one-half inches and no more than two inches in diameter. | N.D. Admin. Code § 8-06-01-02 |
| Device allowed | Three formats, all named and all legal: “The format of the stamp may be a rubber stamp, an embosser, or a digital image.” An embosser is therefore permitted for the required stamp here, which is a real difference from states that require the instrument to reproduce. | N.D. Admin. Code § 8-06-01-02 |
| Signature and date | Sign across the stamp and date the signing. | N.D. Admin. Code § 8-06-01-03 |
| What must be sealed | All documents prepared by the licensee to be used for construction or as technical submissions. | N.D. Admin. Code § 8-06-01-03 |
| Electronic seal | A digital image of the stamp is an approved format under 8-06-01-02, and the rule then withholds the convenience where it matters most. | N.D. Admin. Code §§ 8-06-01-02, 8-06-01-03 |
| Renewal and lapse | Not addressed. Chapter 8-06-01 says nothing about what becomes of the stamp on expiration, suspension, revocation or retirement, and nothing about whether a license number changes. The sources here are chapter 8-06-01. | N.D. Admin. Code ch. 8-06-01 (silent) |
| Firm requirements | No certificate of authorization. | N.D.C.C. §§ 43-03-10(1), 43-03-22 |
| Regulator | The North Dakota State Board of Architecture | N.D. Admin. Code ch. 8-06-01, Architect’s or Landscape Architect’s Stamp, sections 8-06-01-01 through 8-06-01-03, effective January 1, 2014, read from the official rule PDF at ndlegis.gov |
Is a seal required in North Dakota?
The statute makes the board require it and the rule says when. N.D.C.C. § 43-03-22 provides that at the time of issuance of the certificate of registration “the board shall require the certificate holder to acquire, at the certificate holder’s expense, a stamp or indicia to be used by the certificate holder in the conduct of the certificate holder’s practice and to be impressed upon drawings, plans, and other documents prepared by the certificate holder,” and directs the board to adopt rules on the technical requirements of the stamp and the signature. Those rules are N.D. Admin. Code ch. 8-06-01, whose section 8-06-01-03 applies the stamp to “all documents prepared by the licensed architect or landscape architect to be used for construction or technical submissions.”
What must appear on the seal
- Your name as licensed
- Your license number
- DATE:__/__/____
- LICENSED ARCHITECT - STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA
The date line is part of the stamp, not an afterthought. Section 8-06-01-02 lists “DATE:__/__/____” among the required contents, so a die cut without the blanks is short an element even though the rule elsewhere requires a written date of signing. The legend is prescribed in full: LICENSED ARCHITECT - STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA. A landscape architect takes LICENSED LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT - STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA instead; the rest of the rule is identical for both. Nothing provides for a firm name, a discipline line or an expiration date, and the rule puts procurement on you: “Licensees are responsible for obtaining their own stamp.”
Size and shape
No less than one and one-half inches and no more than two inches in diameter. Section 8-06-01-02 states it as a band: “Each licensed architect’s or landscape architect’s stamp shall be no less than one and one-half inches and no more than two inches in diameter.” You choose the figure inside the band. That is not the same band as the North Dakota engineer and land surveyor seal, which is fixed at an outer circle of one and three-quarter inches and an inner circle of one and one-quarter inches under N.D. Admin. Code § 28-02.1-08-02.
Embosser, rubber stamp or digital
Three formats, all named and all legal: “The format of the stamp may be a rubber stamp, an embosser, or a digital image.” An embosser is therefore permitted for the required stamp here, which is a real difference from states that require the instrument to reproduce. The safe buy is a rubber or self-inking stamp inside the one and one-half to two inch band, because the original signature has to be written across the face of each imprint and an embossed impression will not carry that on a copied set.
Signing and dating
Sign across the stamp and date the signing. Section 8-06-01-03 requires that “The original signature of the licensed architect or landscape architect named on the stamp shall appear across the face of each original stamp imprint, along with the date of signing.” The digital route carries a wet-ink condition for permits: documents bearing a digital stamp submitted for a building permit require “a wet signature and date written over the digital stamp.” A signed and dated stamp is prima facie evidence that the technical submission was prepared by or under the responsible control of the individual named on it, and an unsigned or undated imprint therefore buys nothing.
The date blanks are an element of the stamp, and every final drawing sheet gets one
Section 8-06-01-02 lists four contents for a North Dakota architect’s stamp, and the third is the literal string “DATE:__/__/____”. It is not a suggestion and it is not satisfied by writing a date next to the stamp. The die has to carry the label and the blanks, and you fill them when you sign. Order a stamp without them and you have a non-conforming device even if the name, number and legend are perfect.
Which documents must be sealed
All documents prepared by the licensee to be used for construction or as technical submissions. Section 8-06-01-03 sets placement by document class: on construction documents, each final drawing sheet and the cover, title, certification or index page of project manuals and specifications; on technical submissions, each final design drawing and the cover, title, certification or index page; on letters, at the end of the letter in the area of the letter’s salutation. Note the absence of a title-sheet shortcut for drawings: each final drawing sheet is stamped, and the index-page concession runs to project manuals and specifications, not to the drawing set.
Electronic and digital seals
A digital image of the stamp is an approved format under 8-06-01-02, and the rule then withholds the convenience where it matters most. Section 8-06-01-03 requires that documents carrying a digital stamp and submitted for a building permit bear “a wet signature and date written over the digital stamp.” The rule names no certificate authority, no cryptographic standard and no verification process, so this is a wet-ink backstop rather than a digital-signature regime. Confirm format with the permitting authority.
Renewal, lapse and retirement
Not addressed. Chapter 8-06-01 says nothing about what becomes of the stamp on expiration, suspension, revocation or retirement, and nothing about whether a license number changes. The sources here are chapter 8-06-01 in full and N.D.C.C. §§ 43-03-22 and 43-03-23. Because the number is cut into the die and the legend names the state, treat a lapse as making the device unusable rather than as leaving it valid.
Firm requirements
No certificate of authorization. N.D.C.C. ch. 43-03 creates none for architecture or landscape architecture and prescribes no firm stamp or firm number on the document. What it does impose is a membership rule for partnerships: § 43-03-10(1) requires that in a copartnership of architects “each member of the partnership shall hold a certificate of registration to practice.” Compare the engineering and surveying side of the state, where N.D.C.C. § 43-19.1-27(6) requires a certificate of commercial practice for an organization.
What to check before you order
Order a circular stamp between one and one-half and two inches in diameter carrying your name as licensed, your license number, the line DATE:__/__/____ and the legend LICENSED ARCHITECT - STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA. All four are required contents, including the date blanks. A rubber stamp, an embosser or a digital image is permitted, and a rubber or self-inking stamp is the practical choice because your original signature has to be written across the face of each imprint along with the date of signing. Stamp each final drawing sheet, the cover or index page of each project manual and set of specifications, and the end of any letter. If you submit a digitally stamped document for a building permit, add a wet signature and date over the digital stamp.
Browse architect stamps and seals.
Frequently asked questions
Is an architect stamp required in North Dakota?
Yes, and it is required at the moment of registration. N.D.C.C. § 43-03-22 provides that at the time of issuance of the certificate the board “shall require the certificate holder to acquire, at the certificate holder’s expense, a stamp or indicia to be used by the certificate holder in the conduct of the certificate holder’s practice and to be impressed upon drawings, plans, and other documents prepared by the certificate holder.” Section 8-06-01-03 applies the stamp to all documents prepared by the licensed architect or landscape architect to be used for construction or technical submissions.
What has to appear on a North Dakota architect stamp?
Four contents under 8-06-01-02: your name as licensed, your license number, the line “DATE:__/__/____” and the legend LICENSED ARCHITECT - STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA. Nothing provides for a firm name, a discipline line or an expiration date, and the rule puts procurement on you: “Licensees are responsible for obtaining their own stamp.”
What size is a North Dakota architect stamp?
A band: “Each licensed architect’s or landscape architect’s stamp shall be no less than one and one-half inches and no more than two inches in diameter.” You choose the figure inside it. That is not the North Dakota engineer and land surveyor specification, which is fixed at an outer circle of one and three-quarter inches and an inner circle of one and one-quarter inches under § 28-02.1-08-02.
Can I use an embosser in North Dakota?
Yes. Section 8-06-01-02 names three formats: “The format of the stamp may be a rubber stamp, an embosser, or a digital image.” An embosser is permitted for the required stamp here, which is a real difference from states that require the instrument to reproduce. A rubber or self-inking stamp inside the band is still the practical choice, because your original signature has to be written across the face of each imprint and an embossed impression will not carry that on a copied set.
Where do the signature and date go in North Dakota?
Across the stamp. Section 8-06-01-03 requires that “The original signature of the licensed architect or landscape architect named on the stamp shall appear across the face of each original stamp imprint, along with the date of signing.” A signed and dated stamp is prima facie evidence that the technical submission was prepared by or under the responsible control of the individual named on it, so an unsigned or undated imprint buys nothing.
Where does the stamp go on a North Dakota set?
By document class under 8-06-01-03. On construction documents, each final drawing sheet and the cover, title, certification or index page of project manuals and specifications. On technical submissions, each final design drawing and the cover, title, certification or index page. On letters, at the end of the letter in the area of the letter’s salutation. Note the absence of a title-sheet shortcut for drawings.
Can I use a digital stamp on a North Dakota permit set?
You can, but not on its own. A digital image of the stamp is an approved format under 8-06-01-02, and then 8-06-01-03 withholds the convenience where it matters most: documents carrying a digital stamp and submitted for a building permit require “a wet signature and date written over the digital stamp.” The rule names no certificate authority, no cryptographic standard and no verification process, so this is a wet-ink backstop rather than a digital-signature regime. Keep a physical stamp and a pen whatever the office workflow looks like, and confirm format with the permitting authority.
What happens to my North Dakota stamp if my license lapses?
Chapter 8-06-01 says nothing about what becomes of the stamp on expiration, suspension, revocation or retirement, and nothing about whether a license number changes. Chapter 8-06-01 in full and N.D.C.C. §§ 43-03-22 and 43-03-23 read the same way. Because the number is cut into the die and the legend names the state, treat a lapse as making the device unusable rather than as leaving it valid.
Does a North Dakota architecture firm need a certificate?
No. N.D.C.C. ch. 43-03 creates no certificate of authorization for architecture or landscape architecture and prescribes no firm stamp or firm number on the document. What it does impose is a membership rule for partnerships: § 43-03-10(1) requires that in a copartnership of architects “each member of the partnership shall hold a certificate of registration to practice.” The engineering and surveying side of the state is different, with § 43-19.1-27(6) requiring a certificate of commercial practice for an organization.
