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 West Virginia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and W. Va. Code § 30-13-16(c) on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
A West Virginia seal may not name your discipline. 7 CSR 1 § 7.2.f states it flatly: “The seal shall not reference any engineering branch/discipline.” No CIVIL, no STRUCTURAL, no MECHANICAL. Engineers registered in several states often hand a supplier their out-of-state artwork and ask for a West Virginia version of it, discipline and all, and that device is non-conforming on its face. The die carries four things: STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA, your name as registered, your registration number, and REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER.
The statute then reaches past the seal to the pen. W. Va. Code § 30-13-16(c) requires the written signature to be adjacent to or across the seal and adds that “A facsimile signature is not acceptable.” That bars the signature stamp firms often order alongside the seal and the scanned signature graphic that CAD title blocks make easy. The asymmetry is deliberate: the seal may be a rubber stamp or an electronic image, but the signature is signed by hand.
There is no published size. Section 7.2 requires a seal “of the size and design prescribed by the Board” and prints an image captioned OFFICIAL SEAL SAMPLE showing two concentric circles, but no diameter, ring width or type size appears in the rule or in W. Va. Code § 30-13-16. The board-published 7 CSR 1 series (2022) and the statute were both checked in full. Acorn cuts this seal to 1-5/8 inches. That is our production record rather than a West Virginia rule; 7 CSR 1 § 7.2 prints an OFFICIAL SEAL SAMPLE with no dimension on it.
West Virginia PE seal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | West Virginia rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes | W. Va. Code § 30-13-16(c) |
| Required elements | The words “State of West Virginia”, Your name as registered, Your registration number and The words “Registered Professional Engineer” | W. Va. Code St. R. § 7-1-7.2 |
| Size and shape | Acorn cuts this seal to 1-5/8 inches, and that is a production record rather than a published rule. | Acorn Sales production record, West Virginia professional engineer seal |
| Device allowed | All three are authorized: “The seal may be a rubber stamp, electronic or one that embosses.” The statute independently says “The seal may be a rubber stamp.” Electronic reproduction is authorized by 7 CSR 1 § 7.3.g “when the resulting reproduction meets the specifications of 7.2”. The safe buy is an inked rubber stamp, because § 7.3.d requires that when copies are made the registrant’s seal and signature on all originals, tracings or other documents be reproducible, which an embossed impression alone is not. | W. Va. Code St. R. § 7-1-7.2.e, 7-1-7.3.d, 7-1-7.3.g |
| Signature and date | The signature goes on or beside the seal, not somewhere else on the sheet: “Whenever the seal is applied, the registrant’s written signature shall be adjacent to or across the seal.” The statute then forecloses the shortcut most states leave open: “A facsimile signature is not acceptable.” A signature stamp, a scanned signature graphic dropped into a title block, or a pre-printed signature is not a West Virginia signature. | W. Va. Code § 30-13-16(c) |
| What must be sealed | Specifications, reports, drawings, plans, design information and calculations, whenever presented to a client or any public or governmental agency. | W. Va. Code § 30-13-16(c) |
| Electronic seal | Authorized but unspecified. 7 CSR 1 § 7.2.e lists electronic as a permitted seal format and § 7.3.g authorizes electronic reproduction of the seal where the reproduction meets the § 7.2 content specifications. | W. Va. Code St. R. § 7-1-7.2.e, 7-1-7.3.g |
| Renewal and lapse | W. Va. | W. Va. Code § 30-13-16(d) |
| Firm number on documents | A certificate of authorization is required, and the statute is written unusually broadly: “No person or firm is authorized to practice or offer to practice engineering in this state until the person or firm has been issued a certificate of authorization by the board.” The firm does not get its own seal, and no rule requires the COA number to be printed on sealed documents; what the COA controls is who signs. 7 CSR 1 § 7.3.b requires the registrant who signs and seals the first or title page to be the firm’s PE in responsible charge as designated on the firm’s COA application, or the project engineer. | W. Va. Code § 30-13-17(a) |
| Licensing board | The West Virginia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers | W. Va. Code ch. 30, art. 13 (Engineers), read section by section on the West Virginia Legislature’s code site, with §§ 30-13-16 |
Rules for other states are on PE stamp requirements by state.
Is a seal required in West Virginia?
West Virginia requires a seal West Virginia places the duty in statute and keys it to delivery rather than to filing. W. Va. Code § 30-13-16(c) provides that every registrant shall obtain a seal, and that “Whenever presented to a client or any public or governmental agency, the seal, signature and date shall be placed on all specifications, reports, drawings, plans, design information and calculations in accordance with rules promulgated by the board.” The same subsection limits its use: “The seal and signature shall be used by registrants only when the work being stamped was under the registrant’s complete direction and control.” The board rule adds placement: 7 CSR 1 § 7.3.a requires the seal, signature and date on the first or title page of all final or record documents presented to a client or any public or government agency.
What must appear on the seal
- The words “State of West Virginia”
- Your name as registered
- Your registration number
- The words “Registered Professional Engineer”
The rule is explicit about one exclusion that suppliers regularly get wrong: “The seal shall not reference any engineering branch/discipline.” No CIVIL, no STRUCTURAL, no MECHANICAL on a West Virginia PE seal. The statute adds “No further words or wording are required” after the signature rule, so a SEAL banner or an extra motto is unnecessary. The board’s official seal sample places JOHN DOE at the top of the annulus and PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER around the bottom, with REGISTERED, the number, and STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA stacked inside the inner circle. The statute also allows “such other words or figures as the board may prescribe.”
Size and shape
Acorn cuts this seal to 1-5/8 inches, and that is a production record rather than a published rule. The state publishes no dimension, so the figure below is what we make and ship for West Virginia licensees rather than something you can point a reviewer at. 7 CSR 1 § 7.2 requires a seal of the size and design prescribed by the Board and then prints an image captioned OFFICIAL SEAL SAMPLE with no dimension on it. One and five-eighths is also the plate we cut for West Virginia architects and land surveyors, though those are different boards. What the state publishes: 7 CSR 1 § 7.2 requires a seal “of the size and design prescribed by the Board” and then prints an image captioned OFFICIAL SEAL SAMPLE showing two concentric circles, but no diameter, ring width or type size appears anywhere in the rule or in W. Va. Code § 30-13-16. Checked the board-published 7 CSR 1 series (2022) in full and the statute in full. Scale from the board sample and confirm the dimensions with the board before you order, since the board reviews seals at license activation.
Embosser, rubber stamp or digital
All three are authorized: “The seal may be a rubber stamp, electronic or one that embosses.” The statute independently says “The seal may be a rubber stamp.” Electronic reproduction is authorized by 7 CSR 1 § 7.3.g “when the resulting reproduction meets the specifications of 7.2”. The safe buy is an inked rubber stamp, because § 7.3.d requires that when copies are made the registrant’s seal and signature on all originals, tracings or other documents be reproducible, which an embossed impression alone is not.
Signing and dating
The signature goes on or beside the seal, not somewhere else on the sheet: “Whenever the seal is applied, the registrant’s written signature shall be adjacent to or across the seal.” The statute then forecloses the shortcut most states leave open: “A facsimile signature is not acceptable.” A signature stamp, a scanned signature graphic dropped into a title block, or a pre-printed signature is not a West Virginia signature. The date is required alongside the seal and signature. Revisions get their own treatment: 7 CSR 1 § 7.3.c requires revisions to be numbered, dated, initialed and sealed by the registrant responsible for the revision.
No discipline on the die, and no facsimile signature beside it
Two West Virginia rules pull in opposite directions from what buyers expect, and both are cheap to get wrong.
Which documents must be sealed
Specifications, reports, drawings, plans, design information and calculations, whenever presented to a client or any public or governmental agency. The rule narrows the placement to the first or title page of all final or record documents, and § 7.3.b identifies who signs it: “The registrant signing and sealing the first or title page of documents shall be the firm’s PE in responsible charge as designated on the firm’s COA application or the project engineer.” Where a registrant examines and verifies another engineer’s work, the registrant must take complete dominion and control of the design, which includes possession of the sealed and signed reproducible construction drawings with complete signed and sealed design calculations indicating all changes. A preliminary or draft carve-out is not addressed; the limiting words are “final and/or record” and the delivery trigger.
Electronic and digital seals
Authorized but unspecified. 7 CSR 1 § 7.2.e lists electronic as a permitted seal format and § 7.3.g authorizes electronic reproduction of the seal where the reproduction meets the § 7.2 content specifications. No digital-certificate requirement, no tamper-evidence test, no named standard, and no named vendor appears in the rule. Read it against the statute’s flat bar on facsimile signatures: an electronic seal is fine, but the signature it accompanies cannot be a facsimile.
Renewal, lapse and retirement
W. Va. Code § 30-13-16(d) makes it “unlawful for a registrant to affix or to permit his or her seal and signature to be affixed to any document after the expiration of his or her certificate or for the purpose of aiding or abetting any other person to evade or attempt to evade any provisions of this article.” The rule adds a duty most states leave out: “It is the responsibility of each registrant to report the loss or theft of his or her seal to the Board as soon as practical after the loss or theft.” The board also operates an Upload and Activate WV PE Seal step in its online licensee services, so the board sees the device. A registrant who fails to meet continued-status requirements can be redesignated Professional Engineer-Invalidated. Whether a registration number changes on reinstatement is not addressed in 7 CSR 1 or W. Va. Code § 30-13-18. No surrender or destruction of the device is required.
Firm registration
A certificate of authorization is required, and the statute is written unusually broadly: “No person or firm is authorized to practice or offer to practice engineering in this state until the person or firm has been issued a certificate of authorization by the board.” The firm does not get its own seal, and no rule requires the COA number to be printed on sealed documents; what the COA controls is who signs. 7 CSR 1 § 7.3.b requires the registrant who signs and seals the first or title page to be the firm’s PE in responsible charge as designated on the firm’s COA application, or the project engineer.
What to check before you order
Four content items only: STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA, your name, your registration number, and REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER, in two concentric circles matching the board's official seal sample, with no discipline added. No size is prescribed, so scale from the board sample and keep the result reproducible on copies, which the rule requires. Take a rubber stamp rather than an embosser unless you have a reason to prefer otherwise. Facsimile signatures are not acceptable by statute in West Virginia, so a signature stamp is of no use to you for sealing work. Keep a clean proof image, because the board runs a seal upload and activation step, and no statute or rule requires you to show proof of licensure.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need a PE seal in West Virginia?
Yes, and the trigger is delivery rather than filing. W. Va. Code § 30-13-16(c) requires every registrant to obtain a seal and provides that “Whenever presented to a client or any public or governmental agency, the seal, signature and date shall be placed on all specifications, reports, drawings, plans, design information and calculations in accordance with rules promulgated by the board.” The rule adds placement: 7 CSR 1 § 7.3.a requires the seal, signature and date on the first or title page of all final or record documents presented to a client or any public or government agency.
What has to appear on a West Virginia PE seal?
Four items: the words State of West Virginia, your name as registered, your registration number, and the words Registered Professional Engineer. The board’s official seal sample places JOHN DOE at the top of the annulus and PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER around the bottom, with REGISTERED, the number, and STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA stacked inside the inner circle. The statute adds that “No further words or wording are required,” so a SEAL banner or an extra motto is unnecessary, while also allowing “such other words or figures as the board may prescribe.”
Can my West Virginia seal say Civil or Structural?
No. 7 CSR 1 § 7.2.f prohibits any reference to an engineering branch or discipline on the seal. This is the single most common non-conformity on West Virginia orders, because the artwork usually arrives from a state that requires the discipline.
What size is a West Virginia PE stamp?
The rule does not say. Section 7.2 requires a seal of the size and design prescribed by the Board and then prints a sample image, but no diameter, ring width or type size appears anywhere in 7 CSR 1 or in W. Va. Code § 30-13-16. Both were checked in full. Scale from the board sample and confirm with the board before you order, since the board reviews seals at license activation. Acorn cuts this seal to 1-5/8 inches. That is our production record rather than a West Virginia rule; 7 CSR 1 § 7.2 prints an OFFICIAL SEAL SAMPLE with no dimension on it.
Can I use a signature stamp or a scanned signature in West Virginia?
No. W. Va. Code § 30-13-16(c) says “A facsimile signature is not acceptable.” A signature stamp, a scanned signature graphic dropped into a title block, and a pre-printed signature are all outside the statute. The same subsection requires the written signature to be adjacent to or across the seal, and the date goes alongside.
Is an electronic seal allowed in West Virginia?
Yes, and it is unspecified. 7 CSR 1 § 7.2.e lists electronic as a permitted format and § 7.3.g authorizes electronic reproduction of the seal “when the resulting reproduction meets the specifications of 7.2.” No digital certificate requirement, tamper evidence test, named standard or named vendor appears in the rule. Read that against the statute’s bar on facsimile signatures: the seal may be reproduced electronically, but the signature accompanying it cannot be a facsimile.
Rubber stamp or embosser for West Virginia?
Both are authorized, and the rubber stamp is the safer buy. Section 7.2.e: “The seal may be a rubber stamp, electronic or one that embosses,” and the statute independently says “The seal may be a rubber stamp.” Section 7.3.d requires that when copies are made, the registrant’s seal and signature on all originals, tracings or other documents be reproducible, which an embossed impression alone is not.
Which West Virginia documents need the seal, and who signs them?
Specifications, reports, drawings, plans, design information and calculations, whenever presented to a client or any public or governmental agency, with the seal on the first or title page of all final or record documents. Section 7.3.b identifies the signer: “The registrant signing and sealing the first or title page of documents shall be the firm’s PE in responsible charge as designated on the firm’s COA application or the project engineer.” A preliminary or draft carve-out is not addressed anywhere in the rule; the limiting words are final and record, plus the delivery trigger.
Can I seal another engineer’s work in West Virginia?
Only under complete dominion and control. The statute limits use of the seal to work that was under the registrant’s complete direction and control, and § 7.3.f requires a registrant who examines and verifies another engineer’s work to take complete dominion and control of the design, which includes possession of the sealed and signed reproducible construction drawings with complete signed and sealed design calculations indicating all changes. Revisions get their own treatment: § 7.3.c requires revisions to be numbered, dated, initialed and sealed by the registrant responsible for the revision.
Does West Virginia want to see my seal?
Yes. The board operates an Upload and Activate WV PE Seal step in its online licensee services, so a new registrant is expected to produce an image of the seal to the board. A clean digital proof supplied with the order saves a round trip.
What do I do if my West Virginia seal is lost or stolen?
Report it. 7 CSR 1 § 7.3.h provides that “It is the responsibility of each registrant to report the loss or theft of his or her seal to the Board as soon as practical after the loss or theft.” A replacement order is therefore sometimes accompanied by a report, and the registrant may want the replacement documented.
What happens to my seal if my West Virginia registration lapses?
You stop using it. W. Va. Code § 30-13-16(d) makes it “unlawful for a registrant to affix or to permit his or her seal and signature to be affixed to any document after the expiration of his or her certificate or for the purpose of aiding or abetting any other person to evade or attempt to evade any provisions of this article.” A registrant who fails to meet continued-status requirements can be redesignated Professional Engineer-Invalidated. No surrender or destruction of the device is required, and whether a registration number changes on reinstatement is not addressed in 7 CSR 1 or W. Va. Code § 30-13-18.
Does the firm COA number go on the drawings?
No. W. Va. Code § 30-13-17(a) is broad about who needs the certificate: “No person or firm is authorized to practice or offer to practice engineering in this state until the person or firm has been issued a certificate of authorization by the board.” But the firm gets no seal, and no rule requires the COA number to be printed on sealed documents. What the COA controls is who signs, through § 7.3.b.
