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 New Mexico Board of Examiners for Architects and 16.30.3.18(B) NMAC on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
One seal to a sheet, and only one name on the seal. Rule 16.30.3.18(B)(3) says it in a line: “Placing of multiple architectural seals on plans, specifications or reports shall not be permitted.” The architect of record seals, signs and dates all construction drawings, specifications and reports prepared by or under that architect’s supervision, and assumes full responsibility for them. A consulting architect does not add a second architectural seal to the set. Subsection (A) closes the other end of the same idea: “In no event shall the seal contain more than one name of an architect.”
The geometry is exact rather than a range. Two concentric circles, the outer one and three-quarter inches in diameter and the inner one and one-quarter inches, with STATE OF NEW MEXICO in the upper annular space, REGISTERED ARCHITECT in the lower, and your name and registration number inside the inner circle.
The address is the third thing that catches people. Rule 16.30.3.18(B)(1) requires the name and address of the architect on the sealed page, not on the seal. That line belongs in the title block, and a supplier who cuts the address into the die produces a non-conforming seal.
New Mexico architect seal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | New Mexico rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes | 16.30.3.18(B) NMAC |
| Required elements | STATE OF NEW MEXICO in the upper annular space, REGISTERED ARCHITECT in the lower annular space, Your name inside the inner circle and Your registration number inside the inner circle | 16.30.3.18(A) NMAC |
| Size and shape | Two concentric circles, outer circle one and three-quarter inches in diameter, inner circle one and one-quarter inches. | 16.30.3.18(A) NMAC |
| Device allowed | The rule does not specify a device type. | 16.30.3.18(B)(1) NMAC |
| Signature and date | Seal, signature and date travel together and the address travels with them. | 16.30.3.18(B)(1) NMAC |
| What must be sealed | Each original sheet of construction drawings, each cover sheet of specifications submitted for permitting, and reports prepared by or under the responsible charge of an individual architect. | 16.30.3.18(B)(1), (2), (5), (6) NMAC |
| Electronic seal | An electronically generated seal, signature and date are permitted outright, with three conditions and an authentication requirement. | 16.30.3.18(B)(1) NMAC |
| Renewal and lapse | Certificates expire December 31 under 16.30.3.13. | 16.30.3.13, 16.30.3.14, 16.30.3.15 NMAC |
| Firm requirements | Not addressed. Chapter 16.30 NMAC sets no certificate of authorization, no firm registration and no firm number on the document. The sources here are parts 16.30.1 through 16.30.6. The individual seal does all the work. | 16.30.3 NMAC (no certificate of authorization provision) |
| Regulator | The New Mexico Board of Examiners for Architects | 16.30.3 NMAC, Registration and Renewal, Duplicate Certificates, Seal Specifications and Document Identification, effective September 26, 2023, sections 16.30.3.13 through 16.30.3.18, read in full from the New Mexico State Records and Archives administrative code site, together with 16.30.1 NMAC and 16.30.6 NMAC |
Is a seal required in New Mexico?
The duty sits in the statute and the board rule fixes the mechanics. Rule 16.30.3.18(B)(2) restates the Architectural Act: under Subsection A of Section 61-15-7 NMSA 1978, “all plans, specifications, plats and reports prepared by an architect or under the architect’s responsible charge shall be signed and sealed by that architect, including all plans and specifications prepared by the architect or under the architect’s responsible charge on work described in project exemptions, under Section 61-15-9 NMSA 1978.” The rule then supplies the document-by-document trigger in 16.30.3.18(B)(1).
What must appear on the seal
- STATE OF NEW MEXICO in the upper annular space
- REGISTERED ARCHITECT in the lower annular space
- Your name inside the inner circle
- Your registration number inside the inner circle
One name and one name only. Rule 16.30.3.18(A) ends the element list with a flat prohibition: “In no event shall the seal contain more than one name of an architect.” So a partnership plate, a two-principal die or a firm legend on the face is wrong. The layout is also fixed rather than suggested: two concentric circles, the two legends split between the upper and lower halves of the annular space, the name and number inside the inner circle. Nothing else belongs there. Do not carry over the New Mexico surveyor artwork from 16.39.5.11(C), which is a three-ring design with different wording, or the landscape architect legend from 16.44.1.11(B).
Size and shape
Two concentric circles, outer circle one and three-quarter inches in diameter, inner circle one and one-quarter inches. Rule 16.30.3.18(A) gives exact figures, not a range: “The seal shall have two concentric circles with the outer circle measuring one and three-quarter inches in diameter and the inner circle being one and one-quarter inches in diameter.”
Embosser, rubber stamp or digital
The rule does not specify a device type. Rule 16.30.3.18(B)(1) speaks of the “imprint of the seal” and then says a registrant “may apply a seal, signature and date of signature by hand” or “may affix an electronically-generated seal, signature, and date of signature.” Nothing distinguishes an inked stamp from an embosser, and nothing forbids either. The sources here are 16.30.3.18 in full and parts 16.30.1 through 16.30.6. The safe buy is a self-inking or rubber stamp cut to the exact two-circle geometry, because the imprint has to survive reproduction on a permit set.
Signing and dating
Seal, signature and date travel together and the address travels with them. Rule 16.30.3.18(B)(1) requires each sealed page to bear “the imprint of the seal with the signature of that architect and the date of the signature closely aligned to the seal,” and adds that “The name and address of the architect must also appear on the sealed page.” Closely aligned, not across, so signing over the impression is not required. An electronic signature is allowed only where the registrant uses a secure method of affixation, authorizes no other person to affix it, and the registrant and client have agreed to conduct transactions by electronic means.
One seal to a sheet, and only one name on the seal
Rule 16.30.3.18(B)(3) says it in one line: “Placing of multiple architectural seals on plans, specifications or reports shall not be permitted.” The architect-of-record seals, signs and dates all construction drawings, specifications and reports prepared by or under that architect’s supervision, and in doing so assumes full responsibility for them. New Mexico does not run the multi-seal, note-under-each-seal pattern that surveyors use under 16.39.5.11(F) and that many other states use for architects. A consulting architect does not add a second architectural seal to the set.
Which documents must be sealed
Each original sheet of construction drawings, each cover sheet of specifications submitted for permitting, and reports prepared by or under the responsible charge of an individual architect. The statutory sweep in 16.30.3.18(B)(2) is wider and reaches plans, specifications, plats and reports, expressly including work that falls under the project exemptions of Section 61-15-9 NMSA 1978. Rule 16.30.3.18(B)(5) adds that architectural and engineering seals are both required for any subsequent and physically linked construction to a project which, seen together with the original construction, would have required both. Rule 16.30.3.18(B)(6) makes a legally applied seal and signature “a permanent part of construction documents” that may not be removed for non-payment of fees or other civil action.
Electronic and digital seals
An electronically generated seal, signature and date are permitted outright, with three conditions and an authentication requirement. Rule 16.30.3.18(B)(1) requires a secure method of affixation, no delegation of the affixing, and agreement between registrant and client to transact electronically, and then provides that documents signed with an electronic signature “shall employ an authentication procedure to ensure the validity of the electronic signature.” The board names no certificate authority and no vendor technology.
Renewal, lapse and retirement
Certificates expire December 31 under 16.30.3.13. A registration expired one month or less is renewed on the registration fee plus a fifty dollar late fee; longer than one month adds a penalty of one year’s registration fee for each year expired, capped at three times the annual fee, a notarized reinstatement affidavit and make-up continuing education. Rule 16.30.3.14(C) is the hard stop: a certificate lapsed more than three years requires an NCARB certificate and a fresh application. Architect emeritus status under 16.30.3.15 is defined by the seal, since retired means the architect “no longer stamps and certifies construction documents with his or her seal for projects located in New Mexico.” Not addressed: whether the registration number changes on reinstatement, and whether the seal must be destroyed or surrendered. Checked 16.30.3 in full.
Firm requirements
Not addressed. Chapter 16.30 NMAC sets no certificate of authorization, no firm registration and no firm number on the document. The sources here are parts 16.30.1 through 16.30.6. The individual seal does all the work, and 16.30.3.18(A) bars more than one architect’s name on it, so there is no route to a firm device. Compare the surveying side, where 16.39.5.10(E) requires a business entity and its professional surveyor in responsible charge to file a signed affidavit with the board within thirty days.
What to check before you order
Order a circular device with two concentric circles, the outer exactly one and three-quarter inches in diameter and the inner exactly one and one-quarter inches. Put STATE OF NEW MEXICO in the upper part of the ring and REGISTERED ARCHITECT in the lower part, and put your name and registration number inside the inner circle. Your name is the only name that may appear on it. Leave the address off the die and put it in the title block instead. The rule does not specify whether the device is inked or embossed, so a rubber or self-inking stamp is the safe buy for permit sets, where the imprint has to reproduce. Seal, sign and date each original sheet of construction drawings, the cover sheet of specifications going in for permit, and reports, with the date closely aligned to the seal.
Browse architect stamps and seals.
- Everything You Need for Your New Mexico Architect Stamp Order
- New Mexico Architect Seal Stamping: What You Need to Know
Frequently asked questions
Is an architect seal required in New Mexico?
Yes, and it reaches exempt work too. Rule 16.30.3.18(B)(2) restates the Architectural Act: under Subsection A of Section 61-15-7 NMSA 1978, “all plans, specifications, plats and reports prepared by an architect or under the architect’s responsible charge shall be signed and sealed by that architect, including all plans and specifications prepared by the architect or under the architect’s responsible charge on work described in project exemptions, under Section 61-15-9 NMSA 1978.”
What has to appear on a New Mexico architect seal?
Four elements under 16.30.3.18(A): STATE OF NEW MEXICO in the upper annular space, REGISTERED ARCHITECT in the lower annular space, and your name and registration number inside the inner circle. Nothing else belongs there. Do not carry over the New Mexico surveyor artwork from 16.39.5.11(C), a three-ring design with different wording, or the landscape architect legend from 16.44.1.11(B).
What size is a New Mexico architect seal?
Exact figures, not a range: “The seal shall have two concentric circles with the outer circle measuring one and three-quarter inches in diameter and the inner circle being one and one-quarter inches in diameter.”
Can I use an embosser in New Mexico?
The rule does not specify a device type. Rule 16.30.3.18(B)(1) speaks of the “imprint of the seal” and says a registrant “may apply a seal, signature and date of signature by hand” or “may affix an electronically-generated seal, signature, and date of signature.” Nothing distinguishes an inked stamp from an embosser and nothing forbids either, across 16.30.3.18 in full and parts 16.30.1 through 16.30.6. A self-inking or rubber stamp cut to the exact two-circle geometry is the safe buy, because the imprint has to survive reproduction on a permit set.
Where do the signature and date go in New Mexico?
Closely aligned to the seal, not across it. Rule 16.30.3.18(B)(1) requires each sealed page to bear “the imprint of the seal with the signature of that architect and the date of the signature closely aligned to the seal,” and adds that “The name and address of the architect must also appear on the sealed page.”
Which documents have to be sealed in New Mexico?
Each original sheet of construction drawings, each cover sheet of specifications submitted for permitting, and reports prepared by or under the responsible charge of an individual architect. The statutory sweep in (B)(2) is wider and reaches plans, specifications, plats and reports, expressly including work under the project exemptions of Section 61-15-9. Rule 16.30.3.18(B)(5) adds that architectural and engineering seals are both required for any subsequent and physically linked construction to a project which, seen together with the original construction, would have required both.
Can a sealed New Mexico document be unsealed later?
No. Rule 16.30.3.18(B)(6) makes a legally applied seal and signature “a permanent part of construction documents” that may not be removed for non-payment of fees or other civil action.
What does New Mexico require for an electronic seal?
An electronically generated seal, signature and date are permitted outright, with three conditions and an authentication requirement. Rule 16.30.3.18(B)(1) requires a secure method of affixation, no delegation of the affixing, and agreement between registrant and client to transact electronically, and then provides that documents signed with an electronic signature “shall employ an authentication procedure to ensure the validity of the electronic signature.” The board names no certificate authority and no vendor technology.
What happens if my New Mexico registration expires?
Certificates expire December 31 under 16.30.3.13. A registration expired one month or less is renewed on the registration fee plus a fifty dollar late fee; longer than one month adds a penalty of one year’s registration fee for each year expired, capped at three times the annual fee, a notarized reinstatement affidavit and make-up continuing education. Rule 16.30.3.14(C) is the hard stop: a certificate lapsed more than three years requires an NCARB certificate and a fresh application. Whether the registration number changes on reinstatement, and whether the seal must be destroyed or surrendered, is not stated in 16.30.3.
What is architect emeritus status in New Mexico?
It is defined by the seal. Under 16.30.3.15, retired means the architect “no longer stamps and certifies construction documents with his or her seal for projects located in New Mexico.”
Does a New Mexico architecture firm get a seal?
No. Chapter 16.30 NMAC sets no certificate of authorization, no firm registration and no firm number on the document, across parts 16.30.1 through 16.30.6. The individual seal does all the work, and 16.30.3.18(A) bars more than one architect’s name on it, so there is no route to a firm device. The surveying side is different: 16.39.5.10(E) requires a business entity and its professional surveyor in responsible charge to file a signed affidavit with the board within thirty days.
