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 South Carolina State Board of Registration for Geologists and S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(A), (C) on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
South Carolina makes you buy the seal and leaves the duty to use it to somebody else. Regulation 131-11(A) is unconditional: “Each registered professional geologist shall obtain a seal, which may be an embosser or a rubber stamp bearing the registrant’s name, registration number, and the legend ‘Registered Professional Geologist.’” Subsection (C) is conditional, applying the seal “When sealing of documents is required by statute, other authority or contract.” A geologist who has never been told to seal anything still has to have the device.
Three elements and no more. The legend is prescribed word for word, so Licensed is the wrong word and P.G. alone is not the legend. Nothing here provides for the words South Carolina, a state emblem, an expiration date or a firm name, and the regulation gives no layout, so do not pad the face with elements other boards require.
No diameter is stated anywhere, which is a divergence from every other design board in the state. South Carolina architects and landscape architects are fixed at one and three-quarter inches with a one and three-sixteenths inch inner circle, and engineers and surveyors have a one and one-half inch floor. Geologists have three required elements and nothing else, so anyone quoting you a South Carolina geologist seal diameter is quoting something the regulation does not contain.
South Carolina geologist seal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | South Carolina rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Conditional | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(A), (C) |
| Required elements | Your name as registered, Your registration number and The legend Registered Professional Geologist | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(A) |
| Size and shape | No size is stated. | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11 (no diameter given) |
| Device allowed | Two devices are named in the operative sentence and both are permitted: the seal “may be an embosser or a rubber stamp.” An electronic seal and signature are separately permitted in lieu of an original under 131-11(E) on nine criteria. | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(A), (E) |
| Signature and date | Seal, signature and date travel together. | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(B), (C) |
| What must be sealed | Where sealing is required by statute, other authority or contract, the seal, signature and date go on the cover page of geologic reports or other geologic documents bound in book form, and “on each sheet of unbound geologic drawings, cross sections, or maps” prepared by or under the responsible charge or direct supervision of the registrant, whenever those documents are relevant to public welfare or the safeguard of life, health, property and the environment. | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(C), (D) |
| Electronic seal | Regulation 131-11(E) permits an electronic seal and signature in lieu of an original seal and signature “when the following criteria, and all other requirements of this section, are met,” and then sets nine of them, covering verifiability, control, linkage to the document and compliance with state law. | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(E) |
| Renewal and lapse | The word valid does the work. | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11(C) |
| Firm requirements | Not addressed in the seal regulation. | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 131-11 (no firm seal provision) |
| Regulator | The South Carolina State Board of Registration for Geologists | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. ch. 131, State Board of Registration for Geologists, Regulation 131-11 (Seals), State Register Volume 39, Issue No. 6, Doc. No. 4557, effective June 26, 2015, read in full from the South Carolina Legislature’s Code of Regulations |
Is a seal required in South Carolina?
South Carolina requires every registrant to obtain a seal, and then triggers its use by other law rather than by the board’s own fiat. Regulation 131-11(A): “Each registered professional geologist shall obtain a seal, which may be an embosser or a rubber stamp bearing the registrant’s name, registration number, and the legend ‘Registered Professional Geologist.’” Subsection (C) then applies it “When sealing of documents is required by statute, other authority or contract,” on documents relevant to public welfare or the safeguard of life, health, property and the environment, pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. § 40-77-290.
What must appear on the seal
- Your name as registered
- Your registration number
- The legend Registered Professional Geologist
Three elements and no more. The legend is prescribed word for word as Registered Professional Geologist, so licensed is the wrong word and P.G. alone is not the legend. Note the word registered, which is also what the South Carolina architect seal uses and what the landscape architect seal does not, since that one reads Licensed Landscape Architect. Nothing here provides for the words South Carolina, a state emblem, an expiration date or a firm name, and the regulation gives no layout, so do not pad the face with elements other boards require.
Size and shape
No size is stated. Regulation 131-11 prescribes the device types, the contents and the use, and gives no diameter, shape or lettering height. The sources here are Regulation 131-11 in full. That is a divergence from the state’s other design boards, which all give figures: architects and landscape architects at one and three-quarter inches with a one and three-sixteenths inch inner circle, engineers and surveyors at a minimum of one and one-half inches.
Embosser, rubber stamp or digital
Two devices are named in the operative sentence and both are permitted: the seal “may be an embosser or a rubber stamp.” An electronic seal and signature are separately permitted in lieu of an original under 131-11(E) on nine criteria. So South Carolina geologists get the embosser expressly, where the state’s architect regulation does not address the question at all. The practical choice is still a rubber stamp, because subsection (C) requires an “imprint” of the seal on each sheet of unbound drawings, cross sections and maps, and those get copied.
Signing and dating
Seal, signature and date travel together. Regulation 131-11(C) requires that “an imprint of the registrant’s valid seal shall appear, along with his signature and date,” on the specified pages. Placement of the signature relative to the impression is not prescribed. Subsection (B) states what the combination certifies: that the document was prepared by the registrant or under direct supervision, and that the registrant has reviewed it in sufficient depth to fully coordinate and assume responsibility for materials prepared by another registrant.
You must own the seal, but the duty to use it comes from somewhere else
Regulation 131-11 splits ownership from use in a way most seal rules do not. Subsection (A) is unconditional: each registered professional geologist shall obtain a seal. Subsection (C) is conditional: the seal is applied “When sealing of documents is required by statute, other authority or contract.” So the board makes you buy it and then leaves the trigger to the permitting statute, the agency, or your contract. A geologist who has never been told to seal anything still has to have the device.
Which documents must be sealed
Where sealing is required by statute, other authority or contract, the seal, signature and date go on the cover page of geologic reports or other geologic documents bound in book form, and “on each sheet of unbound geologic drawings, cross sections, or maps” prepared by or under the responsible charge or direct supervision of the registrant, whenever those documents are relevant to public welfare or the safeguard of life, health, property and the environment. Subsection (D) governs changes: “Additions, deletions, or other revisions to sealed documents shall not be made unless such changes are sealed, dated, and signed by the registrant who made the revisions or under whose direction and control said revisions were made.”
Electronic and digital seals
Regulation 131-11(E) permits an electronic seal and signature in lieu of an original seal and signature “when the following criteria, and all other requirements of this section, are met,” and then sets nine of them, covering verifiability, control, linkage to the document and compliance with state law. No certificate authority and no vendor product is named; the criteria are functional. This is the most detailed electronic provision of any South Carolina design board and it is worth reading in full before adopting an electronic workflow.
Renewal, lapse and retirement
The word valid does the work. Regulation 131-11(C) requires an imprint of the registrant’s “valid seal,” which ties the device to a current registration. Not addressed: whether the registration number changes on reinstatement, and whether the device must be surrendered or destroyed on expiration, suspension or revocation. Checked Regulation 131-11 in full. Renewal and discipline are governed by S.C. Code Ann. title 40, ch. 77.
Firm requirements
Not addressed in the seal regulation. Regulation 131-11 creates no firm seal, no certificate of authorization and no firm number on the face of a document. That is a real difference within the state: South Carolina architects have a firm seal under Regs 11-11.D, landscape architects have a COA seal under Regs 76-4.B(4), and engineering and surveying firms have a COA seal under Regs 49-207. Geology has none of those in the seal rule.
What to check before you order
Order a device carrying your name as registered, your registration number and the legend Registered Professional Geologist, spelled exactly that way. No diameter, shape or layout is prescribed, so size it for legibility and leave room for a signature and date beside it. An embosser and a rubber stamp are both expressly permitted, and an electronic seal and signature may be used in lieu of originals on the nine criteria in the regulation. A rubber or self-inking stamp is the practical choice, because an imprint has to appear on the cover page of every bound geologic report and on each sheet of unbound drawings, cross sections and maps. Do not add the words South Carolina, a state emblem or a firm name; the regulation provides for none of them.
Browse geologist stamps and seals.
Frequently asked questions
Is a geologist seal required in South Carolina?
Owning one is required, and using it depends. Regulation 131-11(A) requires every registered professional geologist to obtain a seal, while subsection (C) applies it only when sealing of documents is required by statute, other authority or contract, on documents relevant to public welfare or the safeguard of life, health, property and the environment, pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. § 40-77-290.
What exactly goes on the face?
Your name as registered, your registration number and the legend Registered Professional Geologist, spelled that way. Note the word registered, which the South Carolina architect seal also uses and the landscape architect seal does not, since that one reads Licensed Landscape Architect.
What size is a South Carolina geologist seal?
The regulation states none. Regulation 131-11 prescribes the device types, the contents and the use, and gives no diameter, shape or lettering height. Size it for legibility and leave room for a signature and date beside it.
Embosser or rubber stamp?
Both are expressly permitted by the operative sentence, which is more than the state’s architect regulation does for its licensees. The practical choice is still a rubber or self-inking stamp, because subsection (C) requires an “imprint” of the seal on each sheet of unbound drawings, cross sections and maps, and those get copied.
Where do the signature and date go?
With the seal. Regulation 131-11(C) requires that “an imprint of the registrant’s valid seal shall appear, along with his signature and date,” on the specified pages, and does not prescribe the signature’s placement relative to the impression.
What does sealing a document certify here?
Subsection (B) says: that the document was prepared by you or under your direct supervision, and that you have reviewed it in sufficient depth to fully coordinate and assume responsibility for materials prepared by another registrant.
Which pages get the seal?
The cover page of geologic reports or other geologic documents bound in book form, and “on each sheet of unbound geologic drawings, cross sections, or maps” prepared by or under your responsible charge or direct supervision, whenever those documents are relevant to public welfare or the safeguard of life, health, property and the environment.
How do revisions to a sealed document work?
They get sealed too. Subsection (D) provides that “Additions, deletions, or other revisions to sealed documents shall not be made unless such changes are sealed, dated, and signed by the registrant who made the revisions or under whose direction and control said revisions were made.”
Can I seal electronically in South Carolina?
Yes, on nine criteria. Regulation 131-11(E) permits an electronic seal and signature in lieu of an original seal and signature “when the following criteria, and all other requirements of this section, are met,” covering verifiability, control, linkage to the document and compliance with state law. No certificate authority and no vendor product is named, because the criteria are functional. This is the most detailed electronic provision of any South Carolina design board, so read it in full before adopting an electronic workflow.
What happens if my registration lapses?
The regulation ties the device to a current registration through one word: subsection (C) requires an imprint of the registrant’s “valid seal.” Whether the registration number changes on reinstatement, and whether the device must be surrendered or destroyed on expiration, suspension or revocation, are not stated. Renewal and discipline are governed by S.C. Code Ann. title 40, ch. 77.
Does a South Carolina geology firm get a seal?
No. Regulation 131-11 creates no firm seal, no certificate of authorization and no firm number on the face of a document. That is a real difference within the state: architects have a firm seal under Regs 11-11.D, landscape architects a certificate of authorization seal under Regs 76-4.B(4), and engineering and surveying firms a certificate of authorization seal under Regs 49-207. Geology has none of those.
