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 Rhode Island Board of Examiners of Landscape Architects, within the Division of Design Professionals and 420-RICR-00-00-1 §§ 1.9(A), (C) on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
There is no published Rhode Island diameter for this seal, because the Board approves the size. Section 1.4(R) defines it as “An embossed circular seal or rubber stamp of a design and size approved by the Board,” and no figure appears anywhere in the part. That inverts the usual order: you do not order to a published number and then use the device, you get the design and size approved and then order. Anyone quoting you a Rhode Island landscape architect seal diameter is quoting something the regulation does not contain, and the Rhode Island architect figure of one and one-half inches belongs to a different board and a different part.
This is also the only one of Rhode Island’s design boards that names an embosser, and it names it first. The architect rule speaks of a hand stamp capable of imprinting the seal and of an electronically generated seal and never mentions an embosser; the land surveyor rule does the same. Section 1.9(B) adds the third option here: “The stamp or seal may be electronic. The stamp shall bear an original or an electronic signature.”
The enforceable edge of the requirement is the permit bar. Section 1.9(C): “No landscape designs, specifications or other landscape documents submitted to a federal, state or municipal agency for permit or authorization shall be submitted without the seal or stamp of the R.I. registered landscape architect in responsible charge of the work.”
Rhode Island landscape architect seal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Rhode Island rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes | 420-RICR-00-00-1 §§ 1.9(A), (C) |
| Required elements | Your name, Your registration number, The word Registered above the state’s emblem and The words Landscape Architect below the registration number | 420-RICR-00-00-1 § 1.4(R) |
| Size and shape | No size is stated in the rule, and the Board approves it. | 420-RICR-00-00-1 § 1.4(R) (size set by Board approval) |
| Device allowed | Rhode Island is unusually open here and names the embosser first. | 420-RICR-00-00-1 §§ 1.4(R), 1.9(B) |
| Signature and date | Section 1.9(B): “The seal/stamp shall be applied to the document and signed and dated by the registered landscape architect. | 420-RICR-00-00-1 § 1.9(B) |
| What must be sealed | Two overlapping duties. | 420-RICR-00-00-1 § 1.9(A), (C) |
| Electronic seal | Section 1.9(B) allows an electronic stamp or seal and an electronic signature, and stops there. | 420-RICR-00-00-1 § 1.9(B) |
| Renewal and lapse | Not addressed. Part 420-RICR-00-00-1 contains no provision on the return, surrender or destruction of the seal on expiration, revocation, suspension or retirement, and none on whether a registration number is reissued. | 420-RICR-00-00-1 (no seal-surrender provision) |
| Firm requirements | Rhode Island landscape architecture firms hold certificates of authorization. | 420-RICR-00-00-1 §§ 1.7, 1.9 |
| Regulator | The Rhode Island Board of Examiners of Landscape Architects, within the Division of Design Professionals | 420-RICR-00-00-1, Board of Examiners of Landscape Architects, §§ 1.4(R), 1.7 and 1.9, from the Rhode Island Department of State rules site |
Is a seal required in Rhode Island?
The rule requires a seal for signing and then reserves it for permit work. Section 1.9(A): “For the purpose of signing drawings, plans, specifications, reports and other contract documents, each registered landscape architect shall have an individual seal or stamp as described in definitions.” Section 1.9(C) supplies the hard trigger: “No landscape designs, specifications or other landscape documents submitted to a federal, state or municipal agency for permit or authorization shall be submitted without the seal or stamp of the R.I. registered landscape architect in responsible charge of the work.”
What must appear on the seal
- Your name
- Your registration number
- The word Registered above the state’s emblem
- The words Landscape Architect below the registration number
The definition at § 1.4(R) fixes both the content and the arrangement: the word Registered sits above the state’s emblem and the words Landscape Architect sit below the registration number. There is no state-name legend, because the emblem carries it. Nothing provides for a firm name, a CLARB number or an expiration date. The most important constraint is the one in the same sentence: the device must be “of a design and size approved by the Board,” so the approval comes before the die is cut.
Size and shape
No size is stated in the rule, and the Board approves it. Section 1.4(R) defines the seal as “An embossed circular seal or rubber stamp of a design and size approved by the Board,” without giving a diameter. The sources here are 420-RICR-00-00-1 §§ 1.4 and 1.9 in full. So the figure is not published; it is whatever the Board approves for you. Do not import the Rhode Island architect figure of one and one-half inches, which belongs to a different board and a different part.
Embosser, rubber stamp or digital
Rhode Island is unusually open here and names the embosser first. Section 1.4(R): “An embossed circular seal or rubber stamp of a design and size approved by the Board.” Section 1.9(B) adds the third option: “The stamp or seal may be electronic. The stamp shall bear an original or an electronic signature.” So an embosser, a rubber stamp and an electronic image are all permitted for the required device, subject to Board approval of design and size. That is a real divergence from the Rhode Island architect and surveyor parts, neither of which mentions an embosser.
Signing and dating
Section 1.9(B): “The seal/stamp shall be applied to the document and signed and dated by the registered landscape architect. The stamp or seal may be electronic. The stamp shall bear an original or an electronic signature.” Both a handwritten and an electronic signature are acceptable, and the date is required. The rule does not say the signature must run across the impression, unlike the Rhode Island architect and surveyor parts, so placement is not prescribed.
The only one of Rhode Island’s design boards that names an embosser, and the size is unpublished
Section 1.4(R) defines the landscape architect’s seal as “An embossed circular seal or rubber stamp of a design and size approved by the Board.” Embossed comes first in the sentence. The Rhode Island architect rule speaks of a hand stamp capable of imprinting the seal and of an electronically generated seal, and never mentions an embosser; the Rhode Island land surveyor rule does the same. Three boards in one division, three different device answers.
Which documents must be sealed
Two overlapping duties. Section 1.9(A) frames the seal as the instrument for signing drawings, plans, specifications, reports and other contract documents. Section 1.9(C) then bars submission without it: no landscape designs, specifications or other landscape documents may go to a federal, state or municipal agency for permit or authorization unless they carry the seal or stamp of the Rhode Island registered landscape architect in responsible charge of the work. That permit-submission bar is the enforceable edge of the requirement.
Electronic and digital seals
Section 1.9(B) allows an electronic stamp or seal and an electronic signature, and stops there. No certificate authority, cryptographic standard, tamper-evidence requirement or authentication procedure is named, and the part sets no security duty on the registrant. The sources here are 420-RICR-00-00-1 §§ 1.4 and 1.9 in full. Confirm the acceptable electronic format with the permitting agency.
Renewal, lapse and retirement
Not addressed. Part 420-RICR-00-00-1 contains no provision on the return, surrender or destruction of the seal on expiration, revocation, suspension or retirement, and none on whether a registration number is reissued. That is a genuine divergence within the Division of Design Professionals, because the architect part at 415-RICR-00-00-1 § 1.7(A) and the surveyor part at 435-RICR-00-00-1 § 1.6 both require the stamp to go back to the Board.
Firm requirements
Rhode Island landscape architecture firms hold certificates of authorization. Section 1.7 of the part establishes the COA regime for firms practicing landscape architecture in Rhode Island. The sealed document still carries the individual registrant’s seal under § 1.9, and nothing in § 1.9 requires the COA number on the face of the document. This is a point of difference from the Rhode Island architect and surveyor parts, neither of which contains a firm provision in the seal rule.
What to check before you order
Get the design and size approved by the Board first: the rule defines your seal as an embossed circular seal or rubber stamp of a design and size approved by the Board, and gives no published diameter. The face carries your name, your registration number, the word Registered above the state’s emblem, and the words Landscape Architect below the registration number. An embosser, a rubber stamp and an electronic stamp are all permitted, and the stamp may bear an original or an electronic signature, with a date. Apply it to drawings, plans, specifications, reports and other contract documents, and remember that nothing may go to a federal, state or municipal agency for permit or authorization without it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is a seal required for landscape architects in Rhode Island?
Yes, on two footings. Section 1.9(A): “For the purpose of signing drawings, plans, specifications, reports and other contract documents, each registered landscape architect shall have an individual seal or stamp as described in definitions.” Section 1.9(C) then bars submission to a federal, state or municipal agency for permit or authorization without the seal of the Rhode Island registered landscape architect in responsible charge.
What has to appear on a Rhode Island landscape architect seal?
Four things, with the arrangement fixed at § 1.4(R): your name, your registration number, the word Registered above the state’s emblem, and the words Landscape Architect below the registration number. There is no state-name legend, because the emblem carries it. Nothing provides for a firm name, a CLARB number or an expiration date.
What size is a Rhode Island landscape architect seal?
Whatever the Board approves. The rule gives no diameter, only the requirement that the design and size be approved by the Board. Get the approval before the die is cut, and do not import the Rhode Island architect figure of one and one-half inches, which belongs to a different board and a different part.
Embosser, stamp or electronic seal in Rhode Island?
All three, subject to Board approval of design and size. Section 1.4(R) names an embossed circular seal or a rubber stamp, and § 1.9(B) adds that the stamp or seal may be electronic. That is a real divergence from the Rhode Island architect and surveyor parts, neither of which mentions an embosser.
Does Rhode Island require a signature and date?
Yes, both. Section 1.9(B): “The seal/stamp shall be applied to the document and signed and dated by the registered landscape architect. The stamp or seal may be electronic. The stamp shall bear an original or an electronic signature.” The rule does not say the signature must run across the impression, unlike the Rhode Island architect and surveyor parts, so placement is not prescribed.
Which Rhode Island documents have to be sealed?
Two overlapping duties. Section 1.9(A) frames the seal as the instrument for signing drawings, plans, specifications, reports and other contract documents. Section 1.9(C) bars submission of landscape designs, specifications or other landscape documents to a federal, state or municipal agency for permit or authorization unless they carry the seal of the Rhode Island registered landscape architect in responsible charge of the work.
Can I use an electronic seal in Rhode Island?
Section 1.9(B) allows an electronic stamp or seal and an electronic signature, and stops there. No certificate authority, cryptographic standard, tamper-evidence requirement or authentication procedure is named, and the part sets no security duty on the registrant. Confirm the acceptable electronic format with the permitting agency.
Do I have to return my Rhode Island seal if my registration ends?
The part does not address it. There is no provision on the return, surrender or destruction of the seal on expiration, revocation, suspension or retirement, and none on whether a registration number is reissued. That is a genuine divergence within the Division of Design Professionals, because the architect part at 415-RICR-00-00-1 § 1.7(A) and the surveyor part at 435-RICR-00-00-1 § 1.6 both require the stamp to go back to the Board. Silence is not permission to keep using a device after registration ends, since § 1.9(C) reserves the seal to the registered landscape architect in responsible charge.
Does a Rhode Island landscape architecture firm need a certificate?
Yes. Section 1.7 of the part establishes the certificate of authorization regime for firms practicing landscape architecture in Rhode Island. The sealed document still carries the individual registrant’s seal under § 1.9, and nothing in § 1.9 requires the certificate number on the face of the document. This is a point of difference from the Rhode Island architect and surveyor parts, neither of which contains a firm provision in the seal rule.
