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 Carolina Board of Landscape Architects and N.C. Gen. Stat. § 89A-2(c) on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
Send a CAD file and the seal has to come off it. Rule 21 NCAC 26.0207(f) requires documents transmitted electronically to a client or a governmental agency to “have the computer-generated seal removed from the original file, unless signed with a digital signature as defined in Paragraph (g) of this Rule,” and to carry instead a legend naming the sealer, the license number and the date of sealing, stating that “This medium shall not be considered a certified document,” and saying where hardcopy originals may be obtained. Subsection (g) exempts a scan that cannot be altered and expressly catches CAD, vector and similar easily edited files. A normal office workflow therefore needs two output paths.
The signature placement is prescriptive. Rule.0207(c): “The individual’s seal or facsimile thereof shall have the landscape architect’s original signature across its face and the effective date shall be indicated below or elsewhere on the document.” Across the face for the signature, flexible for the date. Size the die so your signature can run over it while the number stays readable, because North Carolina states no diameter anywhere in G.S. 89A-2 or 21 NCAC 26.
The legend uses the abbreviation the statute uses: “N.C. Registered Landscape Architect,” not North Carolina Registered Landscape Architect. Do not import the 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inch figure from 21 NCAC 02.0206, which belongs to the architecture board.
North Carolina landscape architect seal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | North Carolina rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 89A-2(c) |
| Required elements | Your name as registered, Your certificate number and N.C. Registered Landscape Architect | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 89A-2(c) |
| Size and shape | Not addressed. No diameter appears in G.S. 89A-2 or anywhere in 21 NCAC 26. The sources here are the full rule list of 21 NCAC 26 and the text of 21 NCAC 26.0207, Application of Professional Seal, and G.S. ch. 89A in. | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 89A-2(c) (silent) |
| Device allowed | The rule contemplates a seal or a facsimile of it, and 21 NCAC 26.0207(f) states that “Electronically transmitted documents and electronic seals shall be allowed.” The safe buy is an inked stamp. | 21 N.C. Admin. Code 26.0207(c), (f) |
| Signature and date | Signature across the face, with the effective date on the document. | 21 N.C. Admin. Code 26.0207(c), (d) |
| What must be sealed | Rule 21 NCAC 26.0207(a) lists four categories: drawings and specifications prepared for public agency approval; drawings and specifications issued for the purpose of bidding, negotiation or construction; reports of technical nature; and letters and certificates of professional opinion. | 21 N.C. Admin. Code 26.0207(a), (b), (e) |
| Electronic seal | Electronic seals are allowed, but the default is stripping. | 21 N.C. Admin. Code 26.0207(f), (g), (h) |
| Renewal and lapse | G.S. 89A-2(c) limits the seal to the period while the registrant’s certificate is in full force and effect. | N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 89A-2(c), 89A-5 |
| Firm requirements | Applicable, and it has its own seal. | 21 N.C. Admin. Code 26.0207(a),.0206,.0314,.0315 |
| Regulator | The North Carolina Board of Landscape Architects | N.C. Gen. Stat. ch. 89A, principally §§ 89A-2(c), 89A-5 and 89A-7, read from the North Carolina General Assembly |
Is a seal required in North Carolina?
G.S. 89A-2(c) creates the device: “Each landscape architect shall, upon registration, obtain a seal of the design authorized by the Board, bearing the name of the registrant, number of certificate and the legend ‘N.C. Registered Landscape Architect’. Such seal may be used only while the registrant’s certificate is in full force and effect.” The same subsection adds a limit that matters on multidiscipline sheets: nothing in the chapter authorizes the use or acceptance of a landscape architect seal instead of, or as a substitute for, the seal of an architect, engineer or land surveyor. Rule 21 NCAC 26.0207 then says which documents get it.
What must appear on the seal
- Your name as registered
- Your certificate number
- N.C. Registered Landscape Architect
Three elements, and the legend is spelled with the abbreviation the statute uses: “N.C. Registered Landscape Architect”, not North Carolina Registered Landscape Architect. The Board authorizes the design, so the layout comes from the Board’s artwork. A landscape architectural corporation seal is a separate device referenced in 21 NCAC 26.0207(a), not a variant of yours. No firm name belongs on the individual face and no expiration date.
Size and shape
Not addressed. No diameter appears in G.S. 89A-2 or anywhere in 21 NCAC 26. The sources here are the full rule list of 21 NCAC 26 and the text of 21 NCAC 26.0207, Application of Professional Seal, and G.S. ch. 89A in full. Do not import the 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inch figure from 21 NCAC 02.0206, which belongs to the architecture board.
Embosser, rubber stamp or digital
The rule contemplates a seal or a facsimile of it, and 21 NCAC 26.0207(f) states that “Electronically transmitted documents and electronic seals shall be allowed.” The safe buy is an inked stamp, because.0207(c) requires your original signature across the face of the seal and that has to reproduce on the copies a public agency or contractor works from.
Signing and dating
Signature across the face, with the effective date on the document. Rule 21 NCAC 26.0207(c) provides that “The individual’s seal or facsimile thereof shall have the landscape architect’s original signature across its face and the effective date shall be indicated below or elsewhere on the document.” So the placement is prescriptive for the signature and flexible for the date. Subsection (d) adds that where a document is co authored with a licensed design professional of another discipline, the landscape architect shall indicate by notation each portion for which the landscape architect is responsible.
Send a CAD file and the seal has to come off it
Rule 21 NCAC 26.0207(f) reverses the instinct of most design offices. Documents transmitted electronically to a client or a governmental agency must have the computer generated seal removed from the original file unless they carry a conforming digital signature, and the file must instead carry a specific legend naming the sealer, the license number and the date of sealing and stating that the medium is not a certified document. Subsection (g) exempts a scan that cannot be altered and expressly catches CAD, vector and similar easily edited files, defining easy editing as a file made of separate elements that can be modified or deleted in part or in whole.
Which documents must be sealed
Rule 21 NCAC 26.0207(a) lists four categories: drawings and specifications prepared for public agency approval; drawings and specifications issued for the purpose of bidding, negotiation or construction; reports of technical nature; and letters and certificates of professional opinion. Subsection (b) limits sealing to documents prepared personally or under the immediate supervision of the landscape architect, with two exceptions. Out of state sealed plans may be reviewed for code conformance, design adequacy and site adaptation and then sealed by a North Carolina landscape architect, who must add the statement “These plans have been examined by the undersigned. I have determined that they comply with existing local North Carolina codes, and have been properly site adapted for use in this area.” Where documents prepared by another licensed professional are used, the origin of that material must appear on each drawing or sheet sealed by the landscape architect. Subsection (e) makes failure to use the seal according to the rule potential “gross malpractice” within the meaning of G.S. 89A-7.
Electronic and digital seals
Electronic seals are allowed, but the default is stripping. Rule 21 NCAC 26.0207(f) requires documents transmitted electronically to a client or a governmental agency to “have the computer-generated seal removed from the original file, unless signed with a digital signature as defined in Paragraph (g) of this Rule,” and to carry instead the legend that the document was originally issued and sealed by the named sealer, license number and date of sealing, that “This medium shall not be considered a certified document,” and where hardcopy originals may be obtained. Subsection (g) exempts scanned digital files of certified documents that cannot be altered electronically, and catches CAD, vector and other easily edited files. Subsection (h) requires a digitally signed transmission to contain the authentication procedure in a secure mode with a list of the hardware, software and parameters used, and requires the digital signature to be unique to the licensee, capable of verification, under the sole control of the licensee, and linked so it is invalidated if any data changes.
Renewal, lapse and retirement
G.S. 89A-2(c) limits the seal to the period while the registrant’s certificate is in full force and effect. Annual renewal is at G.S. 89A-5 and 21 NCAC 26.0304, with reinstatement criteria at.0310. Because the seal carries a certificate number and no expiration date, renewal does not make the device stale and the number does not change. Nothing in chapter 89A or 21 NCAC 26 requires the seal to be destroyed or surrendered.
Firm requirements
Applicable, and it has its own seal. Rule 21 NCAC 26.0207(a) requires “The seal(s) of the landscape architect(s) responsible for the work and the landscape architectural corporation seal, if appropriate” on the listed documents. Corporate practice is governed by 21 NCAC 26.0314, out of state entities by.0315 and firm naming by.0206. Where a corporation is involved, expect two devices on the sheet rather than one.
What to check before you order
Order an inked stamp to the Board authorized design with three items: your name as registered, your certificate number, and the legend N.C. Registered Landscape Architect, spelled with the abbreviation the statute uses. North Carolina states no diameter for this board, so size the die so your original signature can run across its face, which 21 NCAC 26.0207(c) requires, while the number stays readable. Put the effective date below the seal or elsewhere on the document. If you practice through a landscape architectural corporation you will also need the corporation seal on the listed documents. Set up a second output path for editable files, because.0207(f) requires the computer generated seal to be stripped and a specific legend inserted unless the file is digitally signed.
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Frequently asked questions
Is a seal required for landscape architects in North Carolina?
Yes. G.S. 89A-2(c) provides that “Each landscape architect shall, upon registration, obtain a seal of the design authorized by the Board, bearing the name of the registrant, number of certificate and the legend ‘N.C. Registered Landscape Architect’. Such seal may be used only while the registrant’s certificate is in full force and effect.” Rule 21 NCAC 26.0207 says which documents get it.
What has to appear on a North Carolina landscape architect seal?
Your name as registered, your certificate number and the legend N.C. Registered Landscape Architect. The Board authorizes the design, so the layout comes from the Board’s artwork. No firm name belongs on the individual face and no expiration date. A landscape architectural corporation seal is a separate device referenced in.0207(a), not a variant of yours.
What size is a North Carolina landscape architect seal?
No diameter appears in G.S. 89A-2 or anywhere in 21 NCAC 26. Size the die so your original signature can run across its face, which.0207(c) requires, while the certificate number stays readable. Do not import the 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inch figure from 21 NCAC 02.0206, which belongs to the architecture board.
Which device should I buy in North Carolina?
The rule contemplates a seal or a facsimile of it, and.0207(f) states that “Electronically transmitted documents and electronic seals shall be allowed.” An inked stamp is the practical buy, because your original signature has to run across the face of the seal and that has to reproduce on the copies a public agency or contractor works from.
Which North Carolina documents have to be sealed?
Rule.0207(a) lists four categories: drawings and specifications prepared for public agency approval; drawings and specifications issued for the purpose of bidding, negotiation or construction; reports of technical nature; and letters and certificates of professional opinion. It also calls for the landscape architectural corporation seal where appropriate. Subsection (e) makes failure to use the seal according to the rule potential “gross malpractice” within the meaning of G.S. 89A-7.
Can I seal plans someone else prepared in North Carolina?
Only within two narrow exceptions. Rule.0207(b) limits sealing to documents prepared personally or under your immediate supervision. Out of state sealed plans may be reviewed for code conformance, design adequacy and site adaptation and then sealed by a North Carolina landscape architect, who must add the statement “These plans have been examined by the undersigned. I have determined that they comply with existing local North Carolina codes, and have been properly site adapted for use in this area.” Where documents prepared by another licensed professional are used, the origin of that material must appear on each drawing or sheet you seal.
Can my North Carolina seal substitute for another discipline’s?
No. G.S. 89A-2(c) states that nothing in the chapter authorizes the use or acceptance of a landscape architect seal instead of, or as a substitute for, the seal of an architect, engineer or land surveyor. Rule.0207(d) adds that where a document is co authored with a licensed design professional of another discipline, you must indicate by notation each portion for which you are responsible.
What has to go on a North Carolina digital signature?
Rule.0207(h) requires a digitally signed transmission to contain the authentication procedure in a secure mode with a list of the hardware, software and parameters used, and requires the digital signature to be unique to the licensee, capable of verification, under the sole control of the licensee, and linked so it is invalidated if any data changes. Without that, the stripping rule at.0207(f) applies.
Does renewal change a North Carolina landscape architect seal?
No. G.S. 89A-2(c) limits the seal to the period while the certificate is in full force and effect, with annual renewal at G.S. 89A-5 and 21 NCAC 26.0304 and reinstatement criteria at.0310. Because the seal carries a certificate number and no expiration date, renewal does not make the device stale and the number does not change. Nothing requires the seal to be destroyed or surrendered.
Does a North Carolina landscape architecture corporation have a seal?
Yes, and it goes on the sheet alongside yours. Rule 21 NCAC 26.0207(a) requires “The seal(s) of the landscape architect(s) responsible for the work and the landscape architectural corporation seal, if appropriate” on the listed documents. Corporate practice is governed by 21 NCAC 26.0314, out of state entities by.0315 and firm naming by.0206. Where a corporation is involved, expect two devices rather than one.
