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 Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Division of Regulatory Boards, advised by the advisory committee for geology and Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-112 on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
Tennessee prescribes three things on a geologist seal and leaves the rest to the department. Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-112 provides that “A licensed professional geologist, upon issuance of a certificate of licensure, shall obtain a seal of the design authorized by the department, bearing the licensee’s name and the legend ‘licensed professional geologist’ and identifying the state of Tennessee.” That legend is exact, and it is not Registered Geologist or Professional Geologist. Whether a license number belongs on the face is not stated, which is notable because the neighboring architect and engineer statute at § 62-2-306(b) expressly requires one.
Tennessee geologists sit outside the architects and engineers chapter entirely. They are licensed under the Geologist Licensure Act of 2007 at Title 62, Chapter 36, the program sits in the Department of Commerce and Insurance with an advisory committee for geology under § 62-36-113, and the rules are in chapter 0780-05-07 rather than in the 0120 series. Do not accept a supplier’s Tennessee template built from the architect diagram at 0120-02-.08(1), which belongs to a different chapter and a different credential.
Two features of the sealing duty are broader than most states. It follows documents the licensee approved, not only documents the licensee prepared, and it follows delivery “to any person,” not only filing with a public agency. A private client report is inside the rule.
Tennessee geologist seal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Tennessee rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes | Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-112 |
| Required elements | Your name as licensed, The legend licensed professional geologist, Identification of the state of Tennessee and The design authorized by the department | Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-112 |
| Size and shape | Not addressed. Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-112 states no diameter, no shape and no tolerance, referring only to “the design authorized by the department.” The section was checked in full against two. | Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-112 (design authorized by the department, no dimension stated) |
| Device allowed | Not addressed. Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-112 uses the word “impressed”, which reads naturally as an embossed or inked impression but does not exclude anything in terms, and the section names no permitted. | Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-112 |
| Signature and date | Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-112 requires the document to be “signed by the licensee and impressed with the licensee’s seal”, and provides that “These acts shall indicate a licensee’s responsibility for the drawings, reports or other geologic papers or documents.” So the signature and the seal travel together and the pair is the act of taking responsibility. | Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-112 |
| What must be sealed | The reach is broad. | Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 62-36-104, 62-36-105, 62-36-106, 62-36-112 |
| Electronic seal | Not addressed. Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-112 says nothing about digital signatures, electronic seals or electronic delivery, and the four-part digital signature test at 0120-02-.08(8)(b) belongs to the architect and. | Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-112 (silent) |
| Renewal and lapse | The seal is tied to the certificate of licensure, which Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-112 makes the trigger for obtaining it. | Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 62-36-112, 62-36-119, 62-36-120 |
| Firm requirements | Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-107 governs sole proprietorships, partnerships and corporations and the relationship of the geologist act to other related professions, and § 62-36-105 requires contracting for geologic services only with licensed geologists. | Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 62-36-105, 62-36-107 |
| Regulator | The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Division of Regulatory Boards, advised by the advisory committee for geology | Tenn. Code Ann. Title 62, Chapter 36 (Geologist Licensure Act of 2007), chiefly §§ 62-36-104 to 62-36-107, 62-36-112, 62-36-113, 62-36-119 and 62-36-120, with the text of § 62-36-112 taken from two independent public reproductions of the Tennessee Code whose wording matched word for word |
Is a seal required in Tennessee?
Tennessee licenses geologists under a 2007 act administered by the department rather than by a full board, and the seal duty is in the statute. Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-112 provides that “A licensed professional geologist, upon issuance of a certificate of licensure, shall obtain a seal of the design authorized by the department, bearing the licensee’s name and the legend ‘licensed professional geologist’ and identifying the state of Tennessee.” The same section requires that all drawings, reports or other geologic papers or documents involving geologic work prepared or approved by a licensed geologist or a subordinate employee under the geologist’s direction, for the use of or for delivery to any person or for public record within the state, “shall be signed by the licensee and impressed with the licensee’s seal.”
What must appear on the seal
- Your name as licensed
- The legend licensed professional geologist
- Identification of the state of Tennessee
- The design authorized by the department
The statute names three items and leaves the rest to the department. The legend is “licensed professional geologist”, printed in lower case in the statute, which is the wording Tennessee uses rather than Registered Geologist or Professional Geologist. The seal must identify the state of Tennessee, and the statute does not say whether that means the words State of Tennessee or simply Tennessee. Whether a license number belongs on the face is not addressed in § 62-36-112, which is notable because the neighboring architect and engineer statute at § 62-2-306(b) expressly requires one. Get the department-authorized design before deciding any of this, since the rules chapter for this program is 0780-05-07 and the Secretary of State’s posted copy of it could not be retrieved.
Size and shape
Not addressed. Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-112 states no diameter, no shape and no tolerance, referring only to “the design authorized by the department.” The section was checked in full against two independent public reproductions of the Tennessee Code, which matched word for word. Tennessee states no dimension for its architect, engineer and landscape architect seals either, so there is no in-state number to borrow. Ask the Division of Regulatory Boards for the authorized geologist design or an approved sample.
Embosser, rubber stamp or digital
Not addressed. Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-112 uses the word “impressed”, which reads naturally as an embossed or inked impression but does not exclude anything in terms, and the section names no permitted device. The four-device list at 0120-02-.08(8)(a), covering rubber-stamp, embossed, transparent self-adhesive and electronically generated seals, belongs to the architect and engineer chapter and does not reach Title 62, Chapter 36. An inked rubber stamp is the conservative buy, since geologic work product is mostly bound reports that get copied, but confirm the device with the department along with the authorized design.
Signing and dating
Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-112 requires the document to be “signed by the licensee and impressed with the licensee’s seal”, and provides that “These acts shall indicate a licensee’s responsibility for the drawings, reports or other geologic papers or documents.” So the signature and the seal travel together and the pair is the act of taking responsibility. Whether the signature must cross the seal, and whether a date of signature must appear at all, are not addressed in § 62-36-112. The across-and-beyond-the-circumference requirement at 0120-02-.08(3) is written for a different chapter and a different board.
The legend is licensed professional geologist, and the department authorizes the design
Tennessee geologists are outside the architects and engineers chapter entirely. They are licensed under the Geologist Licensure Act of 2007 at Tenn. Code Ann. Title 62, Chapter 36, the program sits in the Department of Commerce and Insurance with an advisory committee for geology under § 62-36-113, and the rules are in chapter 0780-05-07 rather than in the 0120 series.
The seal statute reflects that separation in its wording. Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-112 requires a seal “of the design authorized by the department”, bearing the licensee’s name and the legend “licensed professional geologist” and identifying the state of Tennessee. Compare § 62-2-306(b), which requires Registered Architect, Registered Engineer or Registered Landscape Architect and expressly adds the registration number. The geologist section does not mention a number at all.
Two features of the duty are worth flagging because they are broader than most states. The seal follows documents the licensee approved, not only documents the licensee prepared, and it follows delivery “to any person”, not only filing with a public agency. A private client report is inside the rule.
Because the statute gives no diameter and no device list, the authorized design from the department is the thing to obtain before a die is cut. Do not accept a supplier’s Tennessee template built from the architect diagram at 0120-02-.08(1); that diagram belongs to a different chapter and a different credential.
Which documents must be sealed
The reach is broad. Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-112 covers “All drawings, reports or other geologic papers or documents involving geologic work” prepared or approved by the licensee or by a subordinate employee under the licensee’s direction, where they are for the use of or for delivery to any person or for public record within the state. Note the two unusual extensions: the duty follows work merely approved by the licensee, not only work prepared, and it follows delivery to any person rather than only to a public agency. The practice restrictions and the exemptions sit in Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 62-36-104, 62-36-105 and 62-36-106, and the statute states no preliminary or draft carve-out.
Electronic and digital seals
Not addressed. Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-112 says nothing about digital signatures, electronic seals or electronic delivery, and the four-part digital signature test at 0120-02-.08(8)(b) belongs to the architect and engineer chapter. Checked § 62-36-112 in full against two independent reproductions of the Tennessee Code. The rules chapter for this program, 0780-05-07, could not be retrieved from the Secretary of State’s compilation, so confirm the department’s position on electronic sealing before relying on a digital workflow.
Renewal, lapse and retirement
The seal is tied to the certificate of licensure, which Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-112 makes the trigger for obtaining it. Suspension, revocation and refusal to renew are governed by § 62-36-119, and reissue of a revoked license by § 62-36-120. Whether the license number survives reissue, and whether a dead seal must be destroyed or surrendered, are not addressed in §§ 62-36-112, 62-36-119 or 62-36-120. Tennessee does not carry over the blunt anyone-may-not-stamp language that § 62-2-306(b) applies to architects and engineers, so the practical limit for a geologist comes from the prohibited activities section at § 62-36-104.
Firm requirements
Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-107 governs sole proprietorships, partnerships and corporations and the relationship of the geologist act to other related professions, and § 62-36-105 requires contracting for geologic services only with licensed geologists. Neither creates a firm seal nor puts a firm number on a report. The firm disclosure regime at 0120-06 covers architectural, engineering and landscape architectural firms and does not reach geology.
What to check before you order
Ask the Division of Regulatory Boards for the department-authorized geologist design or an approved sample before ordering, because Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-112 prescribes only your name, the legend licensed professional geologist and identification of the state of Tennessee, and leaves the rest of the design to the department. Use that exact legend rather than Registered Geologist or Professional Geologist. Confirm with the department whether a license number belongs on the face, since the statute does not say. An inked rubber stamp is the practical device for bound reports, and keep your signature with the seal, because the statute makes signing and impressing together the act that fixes your responsibility.
Browse geologist stamps and seals.
Frequently asked questions
Is a geologist seal required in Tennessee?
Yes. Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-36-112 requires the seal on issuance of a certificate of licensure and provides that all drawings, reports or other geologic papers or documents involving geologic work prepared or approved by a licensed geologist, or by a subordinate employee under the geologist’s direction, for the use of or delivery to any person or for public record within the state “shall be signed by the licensee and impressed with the licensee’s seal.”
What size is a Tennessee geologist seal?
The statute states none. Section 62-36-112 gives no diameter, no shape and no tolerance, referring only to “the design authorized by the department.” There is no in-state number to borrow either, because Tennessee states no dimension for its architect, engineer and landscape architect seals. Ask the Division of Regulatory Boards for the authorized geologist design or an approved sample.
What wording goes on the face?
Your name as licensed, the legend licensed professional geologist, and identification of the state of Tennessee, arranged to the department-authorized design. The statute prints the legend in lower case and does not say whether identifying the state means the words State of Tennessee or simply Tennessee, so take that from the authorized design.
Does my license number go on it?
Section 62-36-112 does not say. That silence stands out next to § 62-2-306(b), which expressly requires a registration number on the architect, engineer and landscape architect seals. Confirm with the department before having a number cut into the die.
Rubber stamp or embosser in Tennessee?
The statute names no device. It uses the word “impressed,” which reads naturally as an embossed or inked impression without excluding anything in terms. The four-device list at 0120-02-.08(8)(a), covering rubber-stamp, embossed, transparent self-adhesive and electronically generated seals, belongs to the architect and engineer chapter and does not reach Title 62, Chapter 36. An inked rubber stamp is the conservative buy for bound reports.
Where do the signature and date go?
The statute requires the document to be signed and impressed with the seal, and provides that “These acts shall indicate a licensee’s responsibility for the drawings, reports or other geologic papers or documents.” Whether the signature must cross the seal, and whether a date must appear at all, are not stated. The across-and-beyond-the-circumference requirement at 0120-02-.08(3) is written for a different chapter and a different board.
Which documents have to be sealed?
All drawings, reports or other geologic papers or documents involving geologic work prepared or approved by you or by a subordinate employee under your direction, for the use of or delivery to any person or for public record within the state. The statute states no preliminary or draft carve-out, and the practice restrictions and exemptions sit at §§ 62-36-104, 62-36-105 and 62-36-106.
Does the duty really cover work I only approved?
Yes, and that is one of the two extensions worth planning around. The section reaches documents prepared or approved by the licensee, and it reaches delivery to any person rather than only filing with a public agency. A report going to a private client is inside it.
Can I seal a Tennessee geologic report electronically?
Section 62-36-112 says nothing about digital signatures, electronic seals or electronic delivery, and the four-part digital signature test at 0120-02-.08(8)(b) belongs to the architect and engineer chapter. Confirm the department’s position before relying on a digital workflow.
What happens to the seal if my license is revoked?
The seal is tied to the certificate of licensure, which § 62-36-112 makes the trigger for obtaining it. Suspension, revocation and refusal to renew are governed by § 62-36-119, and reissue of a revoked license by § 62-36-120. Whether the license number survives reissue, and whether a dead seal must be destroyed or surrendered, are not stated, and Tennessee does not carry over the blunt prohibition § 62-2-306(b) applies to architects and engineers, so the practical limit comes from the prohibited activities section at § 62-36-104.
Does a Tennessee geology firm need a seal or a number on the report?
No. Section 62-36-107 governs sole proprietorships, partnerships and corporations and the relationship of the geologist act to other related professions, and § 62-36-105 requires contracting for geologic services only with licensed geologists, but neither creates a firm seal nor puts a firm number on a report. The firm disclosure regime at 0120-06 covers architectural, engineering and landscape architectural firms and does not reach geology.
