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 Landscape Architectural Examiners and S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 76-4.A, 76-4.B on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
The layout is the mirror image of the South Carolina architect seal. Regulation 76-4.B(3) puts State of South Carolina at the top of the annular space and your name at the bottom of it, with the words Licensed Landscape Architect and your license number inside the inner circle. Regulation 11-11.C does the opposite for architects, with Registered Architect in the ring and the name inside. Same state, same two diameters, reversed arrangement. A supplier who reuses an architect template and swaps the legend produces the wrong device.
The geometry is exact: “The seal shall be circular in shape and one and three quarter (1 3/4) inches in diameter,” and “Concentric with the outside of the seal there shall be a circle one and three sixteenths (1 3/16) inches in diameter.” Those figures match the architect seal even though the layout inside does not, which is exactly why the mistake is easy to make.
The device list is the most generous of South Carolina’s design boards: rubber stamps, rubber seals, impression seals and digital seals are all named. An impression seal sits squarely within the permitted instruments here, where the architect regulation simply does not address the question. A rubber or self-inking stamp at 1 3/4 inches is the practical buy, since the document has to be legible in the record and the seal has to be signed.
South Carolina landscape architect seal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | South Carolina rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 76-4.A, 76-4.B |
| Required elements | State of South Carolina at the top of the annular space; Your name at the bottom of the annular space; The words Licensed Landscape Architect inside the inner circle; Your license number inside the inner circle | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 76-4.B(3) |
| Size and shape | Circular, one and three-quarter inches in diameter, with a concentric inner circle of one and three-sixteenths inches. | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 76-4.B(1), (2) |
| Device allowed | Four device classes are named and all are permitted: rubber stamps, rubber seals, impression seals and digital seals. | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 76-4 |
| Signature and date | Regulation 76-4.A requires that “Seals shall be signed by the responsible landscape architect,” and ties the act of sealing to assuming responsibility for the accuracy of the document. | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 76-4.A (silent as to the date) |
| What must be sealed | Drawings, specifications and other documents prepared by the landscape architect or under the landscape architect’s personal supervision. | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 76-4.A |
| Electronic seal | A digital seal is one of the four named device classes in Regulation 76-4, and the regulation says no more about it. | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 76-4 (digital seal named, no standard set) |
| Renewal and lapse | Not addressed. Regulation 76-4 does not say what becomes of the seal on expiration, suspension, revocation or retirement, and does not say whether a license number is reissued. Because the name and number are cut into. | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 76-4 (silent) |
| Firm requirements | The firm gets its own seal. | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 76-4.B(4) |
| Regulator | The South Carolina State Board of Landscape Architectural Examiners | S.C. Code Ann. Regs. ch. 76, Board of Landscape Architectural Examiners, Regulation 76-4 (Seals), amended by SCSR 47-5 Doc. No. 5133, effective May 26, 2023, read from the South Carolina Legislature’s Code of Regulations |
Is a seal required in South Carolina?
Regulation 76-4.A frames the duty through the prohibition and the signature requirement: a landscape architect “shall not affix, or permit to be affixed, his/her name or seal to any drawing, specification, or other document which was not prepared by him/her or under his/her personal supervision,” may not affix the seal without assuming responsibility for the accuracy of the document, and “Seals shall be signed by the responsible landscape architect.” The seal specification follows at 76-4.B. The governing chapter is S.C. Code Ann. title 40, ch. 28.
What must appear on the seal
- State of South Carolina at the top of the annular space
- Your name at the bottom of the annular space
- The words Licensed Landscape Architect inside the inner circle
- Your license number inside the inner circle
South Carolina flips the arrangement between its two building-design boards. The landscape architect puts the licensee’s name in the ring at the bottom and the words Licensed Landscape Architect inside the inner circle with the number. The South Carolina architect does the opposite under Regulation 11-11.C, with Registered Architect in the ring and the name inside. Same state, same two diameters, mirrored layout. A certificate of authorization seal under 76-4.B(4) reads COA at the bottom of the ring and carries the firm name and COA number inside. Nothing provides for a business location on the landscape architect face, unlike the architect seal.
Size and shape
Circular, one and three-quarter inches in diameter, with a concentric inner circle of one and three-sixteenths inches. Regulation 76-4.B(1): “The seal shall be circular in shape and one and three quarter (1 3/4) inches in diameter,” and 76-4.B(2): “Concentric with the outside of the seal there shall be a circle one and three sixteenths (1 3/16) inches in diameter.” Exact figures, and they match the South Carolina architect seal even though the layout inside does not.
Embosser, rubber stamp or digital
Four device classes are named and all are permitted: rubber stamps, rubber seals, impression seals and digital seals. That is the most permissive device list of South Carolina’s design boards, and it puts an impression seal expressly within the required instrument rather than leaving it unaddressed as the architect regulation does. The safe buy is a rubber or self-inking stamp at one and three-quarter inches, because the document has to be legible in the record and because the seal has to be signed.
Signing and dating
Regulation 76-4.A requires that “Seals shall be signed by the responsible landscape architect,” and ties the act of sealing to assuming responsibility for the accuracy of the document. Placement of the signature relative to the impression is not prescribed. The regulation does not require a date. The sources here are Regulation 76-4 in full. Date your sealed work anyway, because reviewing agencies expect it and because a dated seal is the ordinary evidence of when responsibility was assumed, but the obligation does not come from this regulation.
Same two diameters as the architect seal, mirrored layout
South Carolina gives its architects and its landscape architects identical geometry, a one and three-quarter inch circle with a one and three-sixteenths inch inner circle, and then reverses what goes where. The architect seal carries State of South Carolina at the top of the ring and Registered Architect at the bottom, with the architect’s name, business location and registration number inside. The landscape architect seal carries State of South Carolina at the top and the licensee’s name at the bottom, with Licensed Landscape Architect and the license number inside. A vendor who reuses an architect template and swaps the legend produces the wrong arrangement.
Which documents must be sealed
Drawings, specifications and other documents prepared by the landscape architect or under the landscape architect’s personal supervision. Regulation 76-4.A is written as a limit rather than a list, so the practical rule is that the seal follows responsible work product and may not be placed on anything else. The regulation contains no preliminary or draft carve-out and no bound-volume or title-sheet concession, which the engineering and surveying regulation at 49-207 does provide.
Electronic and digital seals
A digital seal is one of the four named device classes in Regulation 76-4, and the regulation says no more about it. No certificate authority, no cryptographic standard, no verification test and no graphic-fidelity requirement appears, in contrast to the five-part electronic test the architect board sets at Regulation 11-11.E and the nine-part test the geologist board sets at Regulation 131-11.E. The sources here are Regulation 76-4 in full. Confirm the acceptable electronic format with the reviewing agency.
Renewal, lapse and retirement
Not addressed. Regulation 76-4 does not say what becomes of the seal on expiration, suspension, revocation or retirement, and does not say whether a license number is reissued. Because the name and number are cut into the die and the legend asserts current licensure, treat a lapse as making the device unusable. Renewal and discipline sit in S.C. Code Ann. title 40, ch. 28.
Firm requirements
The firm gets its own seal. Regulation 76-4.B(4) prescribes a certificate of authorization seal with the same circular geometry, reading State of South Carolina at the top of the ring and “COA” at the bottom, with the firm name and the certificate of authorization number inside the inner circle. It sits alongside the individual seal rather than replacing it, and the individual seal still has to be signed by the responsible landscape architect.
What to check before you order
Order a circular device one and three-quarter inches in diameter with a concentric inner circle of one and three-sixteenths inches. Put State of South Carolina at the top of the ring and your name at the bottom of the ring, and put the words Licensed Landscape Architect and your license number inside the inner circle. That arrangement is the reverse of the South Carolina architect seal, so do not work from an architect template. A rubber stamp, a rubber seal, an impression seal or a digital seal is permitted. Sign the seal: the regulation requires seals to be signed by the responsible landscape architect. A date is not required by the regulation, but leave room for one. If your firm holds a certificate of authorization it needs its own seal, same geometry, reading COA at the bottom with the firm name and COA number inside.
Browse landscape architect stamps and seals.
Frequently asked questions
Is a seal required for landscape architects in South Carolina?
Yes, and the regulation frames it through responsibility. Regulation 76-4.A provides that a landscape architect “shall not affix, or permit to be affixed, his/her name or seal to any drawing, specification, or other document which was not prepared by him/her or under his/her personal supervision,” may not affix the seal without assuming responsibility for the accuracy of the document, and that “Seals shall be signed by the responsible landscape architect.” The specification follows at 76-4.B, under S.C. Code Ann. title 40, ch. 28.
What has to appear on a South Carolina landscape architect seal?
State of South Carolina at the top of the annular space, your name at the bottom of it, and the words Licensed Landscape Architect together with your license number inside the inner circle. Nothing provides for a business location on the landscape architect face, unlike the architect seal.
What size is a South Carolina landscape architect seal?
Circular and one and three-quarter inches in diameter, with a concentric inner circle of one and three-sixteenths inches, under Regulation 76-4.B(1) and (2). Exact figures rather than ranges.
Which devices does South Carolina permit?
Four classes, all permitted: rubber stamps, rubber seals, impression seals and digital seals. That is the most permissive device list of South Carolina’s design boards. A rubber or self-inking stamp at one and three-quarter inches is the practical choice.
Does the South Carolina seal have to be signed?
Yes. Regulation 76-4.A requires that “Seals shall be signed by the responsible landscape architect,” and ties the act of sealing to assuming responsibility for the accuracy of the document. Placement of the signature relative to the impression is not prescribed.
Does South Carolina require a date with the seal?
The regulation does not. Regulation 76-4 states no date requirement anywhere. Date your sealed work anyway, because reviewing agencies expect it and because a dated seal is the ordinary evidence of when responsibility was assumed, but the obligation does not come from this regulation. Leave room for one.
Which South Carolina documents have to be sealed?
Drawings, specifications and other documents prepared by you or under your personal supervision. Regulation 76-4.A is written as a limit rather than a list, so the practical rule is that the seal follows responsible work product and may not be placed on anything else. There is no preliminary or draft carve-out and no bound-volume or title-sheet concession, which the engineering and surveying regulation at 49-207 does provide.
Is there a South Carolina digital seal standard?
A digital seal is one of the four named device classes, and the regulation says no more about it. No certificate authority, cryptographic standard, verification test or graphic-fidelity requirement appears, in contrast to the five-part electronic test the architect board sets at Regulation 11-11.E and the nine-part test the geologist board sets at Regulation 131-11.E. Confirm the acceptable electronic format with the reviewing agency.
Does a South Carolina landscape architecture firm get its own seal?
Yes. Regulation 76-4.B(4) prescribes a certificate of authorization seal with the same circular geometry, reading State of South Carolina at the top of the ring and “COA” at the bottom, with the firm name and the certificate of authorization number inside the inner circle. It sits alongside the individual seal rather than replacing it, and the individual seal still has to be signed by the responsible landscape architect.
What happens to a South Carolina seal on lapse?
Regulation 76-4 does not say what becomes of the seal on expiration, suspension, revocation or retirement, and does not say whether a license number is reissued. Because the name and number are cut into the die and the legend asserts current licensure, treat a lapse as making the device unusable. Renewal and discipline sit in S.C. Code Ann. title 40, ch. 28.
