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 Dakota State Board of Technical Professions, within the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation and SDCL 36-18A-44, 36-18A-45 on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
The inner circle is a ratio, not a figure. SDCL 36-18A-44 requires a seal that “shall be legible and shall have an outer circle with a diameter measuring at least one inch and no greater than two inches and an inner circle with a diameter measuring five-eighths of the diameter of the outer circle.” So you choose the outer diameter first and compute the inner one from it. Landscape Architect is the longest of the four South Dakota titles, so an outer circle nearer 1-3/4 or 2 inches keeps the lettering legible, which the statute requires.
The prefix is yours to choose. The statute requires the appropriate title from Professional Engineer, Architect, Land Surveyor and Landscape Architect, then provides that “Titles may be prefixed with the words, Licensed or Registered.” Landscape Architect, Licensed Landscape Architect and Registered Landscape Architect are all lawful. Professional Landscape Architect is not one of the four titles, so avoid it even though several neighboring states use it. Decide before you order, because a supplier cannot guess.
The document rules land squarely on this practice. ARSD 20:38:37:01 exempts review drafts and presentation documents such as renderings or drawings used to communicate conceptual information only, and then provides that “Any exempt project services performed by a licensed professional shall be sealed.” The presentation board is out and the exempt-project construction set is in, which is the opposite of what many people assume.
South Dakota landscape architect seal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | South Dakota rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes | SDCL 36-18A-44, 36-18A-45 |
| Required elements | The name, South Dakota, Your name as licensee, Your license number and The title Landscape Architect, optionally prefixed Licensed or Registered | SDCL 36-18A-44 |
| Size and shape | Outer circle at least 1 inch and no greater than 2 inches in diameter; inner circle exactly five-eighths of the outer diameter. | SDCL 36-18A-44 |
| Device allowed | SDCL 36-18A-44 allows “an embossed seal, a rubber stamp, a computer-generated seal, or other facsimile found acceptable to the board.” The rubber or self-inking stamp is the safe primary device, because SDCL. | SDCL 36-18A-44 |
| Signature and date | SDCL 36-18A-44 provides that “The licensee’s signature and the date shall be adjacent to or across the seal”, so South Dakota does not force you to sign through the die. | SDCL 36-18A-44, 36-18A-45.1 |
| What must be sealed | All originals, copies, tracings, electronic submittals and other reproductions of final drawings, specifications, reports, plats, plans, land surveys, design information and calculations presented to a client or any public or governmental agency, with ARSD 20:38:37:01 requiring the seal and license number with the signature of the licensee in responsible charge on each sheet of the drawings. | SDCL 36-18A-45 |
| Electronic seal | Functional criteria rather than a named technology. | SDCL 36-18A-45(1), 36-18A-45.1 |
| Renewal and lapse | ARSD 20:38:37:01 makes the licensee responsible for the security and proper use of the seal and makes improper use, or failure to sign and seal final work, grounds for disciplinary action. | ARSD 20:38:37:01 |
| Firm requirements | A certificate of authorization is required, and no firm seal exists. | SDCL 36-18A-47, 36-18A-48, 36-18A-49, 36-18A-50 |
| Regulator | The South Dakota State Board of Technical Professions, within the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation | South Dakota Codified Laws chapter 36-18A, chiefly §§ 36-18A-44, 36-18A-45, 36-18A-45.1, 36-18A-47 and 36-18A-48, with 36-18A-44 and 36-18A-45 as amended by SL 2016 ch. 196 |
Is a seal required in South Dakota?
Landscape architects are named in the mandate itself. SDCL 36-18A-44 provides that “Any licensed professional engineer, architect, land surveyor, and landscape architect shall use an appropriate seal.” SDCL 36-18A-45 makes application of the seal, signature and date a certification that the work was done by the licensee or under the licensee’s responsible charge, and requires the three to be placed so they can be legibly reproduced on all originals, copies, tracings, electronic submittals or other reproductions of final drawings, specifications, reports, plats, plans, land surveys, design information and calculations “when presented to a client or any public or governmental agency.” ARSD 20:38:37:01 requires the seal on all final documents and makes improper use, or failure to sign and seal final work, grounds for discipline.
What must appear on the seal
- The name, South Dakota
- Your name as licensee
- Your license number
- The title Landscape Architect, optionally prefixed Licensed or Registered
The prefix is yours to choose. SDCL 36-18A-44 requires the appropriate title from Professional Engineer, Architect, Land Surveyor and Landscape Architect, then provides that “Titles may be prefixed with the words, Licensed or Registered.” Landscape Architect, Licensed Landscape Architect and Registered Landscape Architect are all lawful. Professional Landscape Architect is not one of the four titles, so avoid it even though several neighboring states use it. A combination of titles on one seal is expressly allowed for a licensee holding more than one South Dakota license, which is worth knowing for the architect and landscape architect pairing. Interns may not hold a seal.
Size and shape
Outer circle at least 1 inch and no greater than 2 inches in diameter; inner circle exactly five-eighths of the outer diameter. SDCL 36-18A-44 requires a seal that “shall be legible and shall have an outer circle with a diameter measuring at least one inch and no greater than two inches and an inner circle with a diameter measuring five-eighths of the diameter of the outer circle.” Landscape Architect is a long title, so the practical move is to choose an outer diameter near the top of the range and then compute the inner circle from it rather than squeezing the lettering.
Embosser, rubber stamp or digital
SDCL 36-18A-44 allows “an embossed seal, a rubber stamp, a computer-generated seal, or other facsimile found acceptable to the board.” The rubber or self-inking stamp is the safe primary device, because SDCL 36-18A-45 conditions compliance on the seal, signature and date being placed so they can be legibly reproduced across originals, copies, tracings and electronic submittals.
Signing and dating
SDCL 36-18A-44 provides that “The licensee’s signature and the date shall be adjacent to or across the seal”, so South Dakota does not force you to sign through the die. Digital signatures are optional under SDCL 36-18A-45.1 and must be unique to the licensee, capable of verification, under the sole control of the licensee using it, and linked to the document so the signature is invalidated if any data changes, with an electronic authentication process attached to or logically associated with the document. A board-approved process is presumed compliant, and any hard copy printed from the transmitted file must bear the facsimile of the signature and seal and confirm the file was not altered after the initial digital signing.
Renderings are exempt, exempt project work is not, and the inner circle is a ratio
ARSD 20:38:37:01 draws a line that lands squarely on landscape architectural practice. Review drafts and presentation documents such as renderings or drawings used to communicate conceptual information only do not need a seal. But the same rule then says “Any exempt project services performed by a licensed professional shall be sealed”, and requires construction administration work to be sealed where it affects the intent of the project or changes life safety aspects. So the presentation board is out and the exempt-project construction set is in, which is the opposite of what many people assume.
The geometry is the second South Dakota specific. SDCL 36-18A-44 allows an outer circle anywhere from 1 to 2 inches and then requires the inner circle to be exactly five-eighths of whatever outer diameter you picked. Landscape Architect is the longest of the four South Dakota titles, so choose a larger outer circle and recompute the inner one rather than letting a supplier shrink the lettering into a stock blank.
The third is a choice. The statute says “Titles may be prefixed with the words, Licensed or Registered”, so three wordings are lawful, and a licensee holding both an architect and a landscape architect license may combine titles on one die. Decide before you order, because a supplier cannot guess.
Which documents must be sealed
All originals, copies, tracings, electronic submittals and other reproductions of final drawings, specifications, reports, plats, plans, land surveys, design information and calculations presented to a client or any public or governmental agency, with ARSD 20:38:37:01 requiring the seal and license number with the signature of the licensee in responsible charge on each sheet of the drawings. SDCL 36-18A-45(3) handles the multi-profession set: the title or index sheet is sealed, signed and dated by the prime professional coordinating the project, and each sheet is sealed by whoever prepared it or is in responsible charge of it. Carve-outs matter here: SDCL 36-18A-45(2) lets preliminary work carry a Not for Construction or Preliminary note instead of a seal, and ARSD 20:38:37:01 exempts review drafts and presentation documents such as renderings or drawings used to communicate conceptual information only, which is exactly the category most landscape architectural presentation work falls into. The same rule provides that “Any exempt project services performed by a licensed professional shall be sealed”, and that construction administration work must be sealed where it affects the intent of the project or changes life safety aspects.
Electronic and digital seals
Functional criteria rather than a named technology. SDCL 36-18A-45.1 sets the four-part test, makes board approval of a process a safe harbor rather than a precondition, and expressly makes digital signing optional. Electronic submittals sit inside the sealing duty under SDCL 36-18A-45(1). No certificate authority, file format or vendor product is named.
Renewal, lapse and retirement
ARSD 20:38:37:01 makes the licensee responsible for the security and proper use of the seal and makes improper use, or failure to sign and seal final work, grounds for disciplinary action. Not addressed: neither SDCL 36-18A-44, 36-18A-45 nor ARSD 20:38:37:01 requires the seal to be destroyed or surrendered on expiration, lapse, retirement or revocation, and none says whether a license number changes on reinstatement. Checked SDCL ch. 36-18A and ARSD art. 20:38 for seal and stamp language.
Firm requirements
A certificate of authorization is required, and no firm seal exists. SDCL 36-18A-48 requires any business entity that desires to practice landscape architecture in the state to register with the board by applying for a certificate of authorization, makes the entity responsible for the conduct of its agents, employees, officers, partners, members and managers, and bars designating a licensee who renders only occasional, part-time or consulting services as the person in responsible charge. SDCL 36-18A-47 requires a firm or office to have an appropriately licensed person in charge. Nothing in SDCL ch. 36-18A or ARSD art. 20:38 requires the certificate of authorization number on a sealed document.
What to check before you order
Choose the outer diameter first, anywhere from 1 to 2 inches, and cut the inner circle at exactly five-eighths of it. Because Landscape Architect is the longest of the four permitted titles, an outer circle nearer 1-3/4 or 2 inches keeps the lettering legible, which the statute requires. Four text items: South Dakota, your name, your license number, and the title Landscape Architect, optionally prefixed Licensed or Registered. If you also hold a South Dakota architect license you may combine the titles on one seal. The inked stamp is the practical primary device, and your signature may sit adjacent to or across the seal.
Browse landscape architect stamps and seals.
Frequently asked questions
Is a seal required for landscape architects in South Dakota?
Yes, by name. SDCL 36-18A-44 provides that “Any licensed professional engineer, architect, land surveyor, and landscape architect shall use an appropriate seal.” SDCL 36-18A-45 makes application of the seal, signature and date a certification that the work was done by you or under your responsible charge, and ARSD 20:38:37:01 requires the seal on all final documents and makes improper use, or failure to sign and seal final work, grounds for discipline.
What has to appear on a South Dakota landscape architect seal?
Four items: the name South Dakota, your name as licensee, your license number, and the title Landscape Architect, optionally prefixed Licensed or Registered. Interns may not hold a seal. A combination of titles on one seal is expressly allowed for a licensee holding more than one South Dakota license, which is worth knowing for the architect and landscape architect pairing.
What size is a South Dakota landscape architect seal?
An outer circle of at least one inch and no greater than two inches, with an inner circle exactly five-eighths of whatever outer diameter you pick. The practical move for this profession is to choose an outer diameter near the top of the range and then compute the inner circle from it, rather than squeezing a long title into a stock blank.
Embosser, stamp or computer-generated seal in South Dakota?
All of those and more. SDCL 36-18A-44 allows “an embossed seal, a rubber stamp, a computer-generated seal, or other facsimile found acceptable to the board.” A rubber or self-inking stamp is the safe primary device, because SDCL 36-18A-45 conditions compliance on the seal, signature and date being placed so they can be legibly reproduced across originals, copies, tracings and electronic submittals.
Does the signature cross the South Dakota seal?
Not necessarily. SDCL 36-18A-44 provides that “The licensee’s signature and the date shall be adjacent to or across the seal,” so either placement works.
Which South Dakota documents have to be sealed?
All originals, copies, tracings, electronic submittals and other reproductions of final drawings, specifications, reports, plats, plans, land surveys, design information and calculations presented to a client or any public or governmental agency, with ARSD 20:38:37:01 requiring the seal and license number with the signature of the licensee in responsible charge on each sheet of the drawings. SDCL 36-18A-45(3) handles the multi-profession set: the title or index sheet is sealed, signed and dated by the prime professional coordinating the project, and each sheet is sealed by whoever prepared it or is in responsible charge of it.
Do South Dakota renderings need a seal?
No. ARSD 20:38:37:01 exempts review drafts and presentation documents such as renderings or drawings used to communicate conceptual information only, and SDCL 36-18A-45(2) lets preliminary work carry a Not for Construction or Preliminary note instead of a seal. The same rule requires construction administration work to be sealed where it affects the intent of the project or changes life safety aspects.
Does exempt project work need a South Dakota seal?
Yes, if a licensed professional performs it. ARSD 20:38:37:01 states that “Any exempt project services performed by a licensed professional shall be sealed.” That is the trap: the exemption belongs to the project, not to your signature.
What is the South Dakota digital signature standard?
Functional criteria rather than a named technology. Digital signatures are optional under SDCL 36-18A-45.1 and must be unique to the licensee, capable of verification, under the sole control of the licensee using it, and linked to the document so the signature is invalidated if any data changes, with an electronic authentication process attached to or logically associated with the document. A board-approved process is presumed compliant, and any hard copy printed from the transmitted file must bear the facsimile of the signature and seal and confirm the file was not altered after the initial digital signing.
Does a South Dakota landscape architecture firm need a certificate of authorization?
Yes. SDCL 36-18A-48 requires any business entity that desires to practice landscape architecture in the state to register with the board by applying for a certificate of authorization, makes the entity responsible for the conduct of its agents, employees, officers, partners, members and managers, and bars designating a licensee who renders only occasional, part-time or consulting services as the person in responsible charge. SDCL 36-18A-47 requires a firm or office to have an appropriately licensed person in charge. Nothing requires the certificate number on a sealed document, and there is no firm seal.
What happens to a South Dakota seal on lapse?
ARSD 20:38:37:01 makes you responsible for the security and proper use of the seal and makes improper use, or failure to sign and seal final work, grounds for disciplinary action. Neither SDCL 36-18A-44 nor 36-18A-45 nor the rule requires the seal to be destroyed or surrendered on expiration, lapse, retirement or revocation, and none says whether a license number changes on reinstatement.
