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. §§ 43-03-01(3), 43-03-22 on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
The date blanks are a required content of the die, not just somewhere to write. N.D. Admin. Code § 8-06-01-02 lists “DATE:__/__/____” among the stamp’s contents alongside your name, your license number and the legend. A landscape architect who orders a clean three line die with name, number and legend is missing an element, and will also have to write the date of signing across the imprint anyway.
The size band is no less than one and one-half inches and no more than two inches in diameter, and it applies to both professions this board licenses. Do not take the figure from the North Dakota engineering and surveying rule, which fixes two concentric circles at one and three-quarter inches and one and one-quarter inches rather than giving a band.
The legend is the only thing separating your die from an architect’s. Section 8-06-01-02 gives both options in the same sentence, and yours is LICENSED LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT - STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA. If you hold both credentials you need two dies, because the legend names one profession. Procurement is yours: “Licensees are responsible for obtaining their own stamp.”
North Dakota landscape architect seal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | North Dakota rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes | N.D.C.C. §§ 43-03-01(3), 43-03-22 |
| Required elements | Your name as licensed, Your license number, DATE:__/__/____ and LICENSED LANDSCAPE 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 | Rubber stamp, embosser, or digital image, named in the rule: “The format of the stamp may be a rubber stamp, an embosser, or a digital image.” All three are permitted for the required device. | N.D. Admin. Code § 8-06-01-02 |
| Signature and date | Section 8-06-01-03: “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.” Across the face, so an adjacent signature does not comply. | N.D. Admin. Code § 8-06-01-03 |
| What must be sealed | All documents prepared by the licensed landscape architect for construction or as technical submissions. | N.D. Admin. Code § 8-06-01-03 |
| Electronic seal | A digital image is one of the three approved stamp formats under 8-06-01-02. | N.D. Admin. Code §§ 8-06-01-02, 8-06-01-03 |
| Renewal and lapse | Not addressed. Chapter 8-06-01 does not say what becomes of the stamp on expiration, suspension, revocation or retirement, and does not say whether a license number is reissued. The sources here are chapter 8-06-01 in. | N.D. Admin. Code ch. 8-06-01 (silent) |
| Firm requirements | No certificate of authorization. | N.D.C.C. § 43-03-10(1) |
| 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?
North Dakota registers landscape architects under the same chapter as architects and stamps them under the same rule. N.D.C.C. § 43-03-01(3) defines a landscape architect as “an individual who is registered as a landscape architect under this chapter,” and § 43-03-22 requires the board to have every certificate holder acquire a stamp “to be impressed upon drawings, plans, and other documents prepared by the certificate holder.” N.D. Admin. Code § 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 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT - STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA
The legend is the only thing that separates a North Dakota landscape architect’s stamp from an architect’s. Section 8-06-01-02 gives the two options expressly and you take LICENSED LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT - STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA. The date blanks, written in the rule as “DATE:__/__/____”, are a listed content of the die and not merely a place to write. Nothing provides for a firm name, a CLARB number or an expiration date. Procurement is yours: “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 applies the same band to both professions the board licenses: “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.” Do not take the figure from the North Dakota engineering and surveying rule, which fixes an outer circle at one and three-quarter inches and an inner circle at one and one-quarter inches.
Embosser, rubber stamp or digital
Rubber stamp, embosser, or digital image, named in the rule: “The format of the stamp may be a rubber stamp, an embosser, or a digital image.” All three are permitted for the required device. The practical choice is a rubber or self-inking stamp inside the size band, because your original signature must be written across the face of each imprint and an embossed impression does not survive reproduction with a signature over it.
Signing and dating
Section 8-06-01-03: “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.” Across the face, so an adjacent signature does not comply. Where the stamp is digital and the document goes in for a building permit, the rule requires “a wet signature and date written over the digital stamp.” The signed and dated stamp is prima facie evidence that the technical submission was prepared by or under the responsible control of the named licensee.
Same board, same stamp rule, one word different
North Dakota is unusual in running architects and landscape architects through a single board, a single statutory chapter and a single stamp rule. Section 8-06-01-02 gives both legends in the same sentence, and the only thing that changes on the face of the die is LICENSED LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT - STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA in place of LICENSED ARCHITECT - STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA. The size band, the date blanks, the three permitted formats, the signature across the imprint and the sheet-by-sheet placement are identical.
Which documents must be sealed
All documents prepared by the licensed landscape architect for construction or as technical submissions. Placement follows the document class under 8-06-01-03: each final drawing sheet of construction documents, the cover, title, certification or index page of each project manual and set of specifications, each final design drawing of a technical submission with the cover or index page, and for letters, the end of the letter in the area of the salutation. There is no title-sheet shortcut for a drawing set.
Electronic and digital seals
A digital image is one of the three approved stamp formats under 8-06-01-02. Section 8-06-01-03 then adds the wet-ink condition for building permit submissions. The rule names no certificate authority, no signature standard and no verification method, so North Dakota has a format allowance rather than a digital-signature regime for this board. Confirm the acceptable format with the reviewing authority before relying on a digital stamp.
Renewal, lapse and retirement
Not addressed. Chapter 8-06-01 does not say what becomes of the stamp on expiration, suspension, revocation or retirement, and does not say whether a license number is reissued. The sources here are chapter 8-06-01 in full and N.D.C.C. §§ 43-03-22 and 43-03-23.
Firm requirements
No certificate of authorization. N.D.C.C. ch. 43-03 creates none, and no firm stamp or firm number is required on the face of a document. The partnership rule at § 43-03-10(1) requires every member of an architect copartnership to hold a certificate of registration; the chapter states no analogous requirement for a landscape architecture firm, and no separate firm certificate is provided for either profession.
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 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT - STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA. The date blanks are a required content of the die. A rubber stamp, an embosser or a digital image is permitted; a rubber or self-inking stamp is the practical choice because your original signature goes across the face of each imprint with the date of signing. Stamp each final drawing sheet, the cover or index page of project manuals and specifications, and the end of any letter. If you hold both the architect and landscape architect credential you need two dies, because the legend names one profession.
Browse landscape architect stamps and seals.
Frequently asked questions
Is a stamp required for landscape architects in North Dakota?
Yes. N.D.C.C. § 43-03-22 requires the board to have every certificate holder acquire a stamp “to be impressed upon drawings, plans, and other documents prepared by the certificate holder,” and N.D. Admin. Code § 8-06-01-03 applies it to “all documents prepared by the licensed architect or landscape architect to be used for construction or technical submissions.” Landscape architects are registered under the same chapter as architects, with § 43-03-01(3) defining a landscape architect as an individual registered as one under the chapter.
What has to appear on a North Dakota landscape architect stamp?
Four things under § 8-06-01-02: your name as licensed, your license number, the line “DATE:__/__/____” and the legend LICENSED LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT - STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA. Nothing provides for a firm name, a CLARB number or an expiration date.
What size is a North Dakota landscape architect stamp?
No less than one and one-half inches and no more than two inches in diameter. Section 8-06-01-02 applies the same band to both professions the board licenses. The North Dakota engineering and surveying rule gives a different specification entirely and does not apply here.
Rubber stamp, embosser or digital image in North Dakota?
All three, named in the rule: “The format of the stamp may be a rubber stamp, an embosser, or a digital image.” A rubber or self-inking stamp inside the size band is the practical choice, because your original signature must be written across the face of each imprint and an embossed impression does not survive reproduction with a signature over it.
Where do the signature and date go in North Dakota?
Across the face. Section 8-06-01-03: “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.” An adjacent signature does not comply. The signed and dated stamp is prima facie evidence that the technical submission was prepared by or under the responsible control of the named licensee.
Can I use a digital stamp on a North Dakota building permit submission?
Only with ink over it. Where the stamp is digital and the document goes in for a building permit, § 8-06-01-03 requires “a wet signature and date written over the digital stamp.” A digital image is one of the three approved formats under § 8-06-01-02, but the rule names no certificate authority, no signature standard and no verification method, so this is a format allowance rather than a digital signature regime. Confirm the acceptable format with the reviewing authority before relying on it.
Where does the North Dakota stamp go on a set?
Placement follows the document class under § 8-06-01-03: each final drawing sheet of construction documents, the cover, title, certification or index page of each project manual and set of specifications, each final design drawing of a technical submission with the cover or index page, and for letters, the end of the letter in the area of the salutation. There is no title-sheet shortcut for a drawing set.
Do I need two dies if I hold both North Dakota credentials?
Yes. The legend names one profession, so a dual-credentialed practitioner cannot cover both titles with one die. Everything else in the specification is identical: the size band, the date blanks, the three permitted formats, the signature across the imprint and the sheet-by-sheet placement.
What happens to a North Dakota stamp on lapse?
Chapter 8-06-01 does not say what becomes of the stamp on expiration, suspension, revocation or retirement, and does not say whether a license number is reissued. N.D.C.C. §§ 43-03-22 and 43-03-23 add nothing on the point.
Does a North Dakota landscape architecture firm need a certificate?
N.D.C.C. ch. 43-03 creates no certificate of authorization, and no firm stamp or firm number is required on the face of a document. The partnership rule at § 43-03-10(1) requires every member of an architect copartnership to hold a certificate of registration; the chapter states no analogous requirement for a landscape architecture firm, and no separate firm certificate is provided for either profession.
