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 Alabama State Board for Registration of Architects and Ala. Admin. Code r. 100-X-5-.03, 100-X-5-.03(1) on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
An Alabama architect seal is circular and two inches in diameter, and that is a single figure rather than a range. Rule 100-X-5-.03 says so in one sentence, and it fixes the layout as well as the wording: an outer circle reading STATE OF ALABAMA across the top and REGISTERED ARCHITECT across the bottom, with your name and your registration number inside an inner circle. A single-ring stamp carrying all four items is still wrong, because the rule puts the name and number “inside the inner circle.”
The Board hands you the artwork. Rule 100-X-5-.03 has the Board advise each new registrant to secure a seal and provide a sample of it, and subsection (2) requires your seal to “substantially resemble the sample seal shown below.” So the first thing to do after registration is find that sample and give it to whoever cuts the die.
What the rule never mentions is a signature or a date. It tells you to affix the seal to all final drawings, plans, specifications, plats and reports going to a client or a permitting agency, and it stops there. Sign and date anyway, because rule 100-X-8-.01(1)(b) speaks of the responsible architect’s name and registration seal on firm documents and permit authorities generally expect both.
Alabama architect seal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Alabama rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes | Ala. Admin. Code r. 100-X-5-.03, 100-X-5-.03(1) |
| Required elements | STATE OF ALABAMA across the top of the outer circle, REGISTERED ARCHITECT across the bottom of the outer circle, Your name inside the inner circle and Your registration number inside the inner circle | Ala. Admin. Code r. 100-X-5-.03 |
| Size and shape | Circular, two inches in diameter. | Ala. Admin. Code r. 100-X-5-.03 |
| Device allowed | Three devices, and one of them is conditional: “The seal may be a rubber stamp, an impression seal, or a computer-generated seal, if allowed by the Authority Having Jurisdiction.” Read the condition carefully. | Ala. Admin. Code r. 100-X-5-.03 |
| Signature and date | Not addressed. Rule 100-X-5-.03 requires the seal to be affixed and says nothing about a signature, a date, or placement of either relative to the impression. The sources here are rule 100-X-5-.03 in full, rule. | Ala. Admin. Code r. 100-X-5-.03 (silent as to signature and date) |
| What must be sealed | All final drawings, plans, specifications, plats and reports presented to a client or to any public or governmental agency for a construction permit. | Ala. Admin. Code r. 100-X-5-.03, 100-X-5-.04 |
| Electronic seal | Alabama permits a computer-generated seal “if allowed by the Authority Having Jurisdiction” and stops there. | Ala. Admin. Code r. 100-X-5-.03 (no electronic signature standard) |
| Renewal and lapse | Rule 100-X-2-.06 governs the lapsed registrant and answers the question that matters for the die: “If approved, the same registration number will be reissued.” So a reinstated Alabama architect keeps the number already cut into the stamp. | Ala. Admin. Code r. 100-X-2-.06 |
| Firm requirements | A certificate of authorization is required, and an individual seal still does the work. | Ala. Admin. Code r. 100-X-8-.01(1)(b), (2) |
| Regulator | The Alabama State Board for Registration of Architects | Ala. Admin. Code ch. 100-X-5 (Practice Requirements), rules 100-X-5-.01, 100-X-5-.03 (The Architect’s Seal) and 100-X-5-.04, and ch. 100-X-8 (Certificates of Authorization), rule 100-X-8-.01, together with rule 100-X-2-.06, read in full from the Alabama Legislative Services Agency administrative code site |
Is a seal required in Alabama?
The duty sits in board rule, adopted under Code of Ala. 1975, § 34-2-35. Rule 100-X-5-.03 opens: “Upon approval of registration, the Board will advise the registrant that he or she should secure a seal. The Board will provide the registrant with a sample of the seal.” Subsection (1) supplies the trigger: “The architect’s seal must be affixed on all final drawings, plans, specifications, plats and reports whenever presented to a client or any public or governmental agency for the purpose of obtaining a permit for construction.” Affixing it means something: “By affixing the seal, the architect signifies that the document was prepared either by the registrant personally or under his or her responsible control.”
What must appear on the seal
- STATE OF ALABAMA across the top of the outer circle
- REGISTERED ARCHITECT across the bottom of the outer circle
- Your name inside the inner circle
- Your registration number inside the inner circle
Alabama fixes the layout, not just the words. The rule requires an outer circle carrying the two legends and puts the name and number “inside the inner circle,” so a single-ring stamp is wrong even if every word is present. Subsection (2) adds that the seal “shall substantially resemble the sample seal shown below,” and the Board supplies that sample on registration. No firm name, no discipline, no expiration date and no renewal date belongs on the face. Do not carry over the Alabama interior design legend or the engineer and land surveyor legend; each is a different board and a different rule.
Size and shape
Circular, two inches in diameter. Rule 100-X-5-.03 states it flatly: “The seal shall be circular, two inches in diameter.” That is a single figure, not a range, which distinguishes Alabama architects from Alabama engineers and land surveyors, whose rule 330-X-11-.02(2) gives a band of 1 5/8 to 2 inches.
Embosser, rubber stamp or digital
Three devices, and one of them is conditional: “The seal may be a rubber stamp, an impression seal, or a computer-generated seal, if allowed by the Authority Having Jurisdiction.” Read the condition carefully. The rubber stamp and the impression seal are unconditional; the computer-generated seal is allowed only where the authority having jurisdiction permits it. The safe buy is a two inch rubber stamp cut to the Board sample, because it reproduces on the permit set and no building official can refuse it as a format.
Signing and dating
Not addressed. Rule 100-X-5-.03 requires the seal to be affixed and says nothing about a signature, a date, or placement of either relative to the impression. The sources here are rule 100-X-5-.03 in full, rule 100-X-5-.01, rule 100-X-5-.04 and rule 100-X-8-.01. That is a genuine difference from the Alabama engineer and land surveyor rule, which treats the seal, the signature and the date of signature as one certification under rule 330-X-11-.03(1). Sign and date anyway: rule 100-X-8-.01(1)(b) speaks of the responsible architect’s “name and registration seal” on firm documents, and permit authorities commonly require both.
Two inches exactly, and the rule never mentions signing or dating
Alabama architects get a single diameter, not a range. Rule 100-X-5-.03 says the seal shall be circular and two inches in diameter. The Alabama engineering and land surveying board allows anything from 1 5/8 to 2 inches, and a stamp cut to the low end of that band is legal for an Alabama engineer and wrong for an Alabama architect. If you hold both credentials you need two devices, sized differently.
Which documents must be sealed
All final drawings, plans, specifications, plats and reports presented to a client or to any public or governmental agency for a construction permit. The rule also covers duplication of drawings and anything “issued from his or her office for use in this state.” The carve-out is labeling: work products presented which are not final must be so identified, and working or unfinished in-progress drawings must carry the preliminary, not-for-construction statement in the exact form printed in rule 100-X-5-.03(1). Rule 100-X-5-.04 sets out the remediation route where unlicensed work has already been built, requiring an Alabama registered architect to inspect, prepare as-built drawings, report code and life safety deficiencies and assume responsibility for the design.
Electronic and digital seals
Alabama permits a computer-generated seal “if allowed by the Authority Having Jurisdiction” and stops there. No digital signature criteria, no certificate authority, no verification standard and no stripping language for uncertified electronic transmissions appear in chapter 100-X-5. The sources here are rules 100-X-5-.01,.03 and.04 and rule 100-X-8-.01. Confirm the format with the permitting authority before relying on it.
Renewal, lapse and retirement
Rule 100-X-2-.06 governs the lapsed registrant and answers the question that matters for the die: “If approved, the same registration number will be reissued.” So a reinstated Alabama architect keeps the number already cut into the stamp. Reinstatement requires a new application, the application fee, the renewal fee, a late penalty, proof of continuing education and a sworn affidavit that no architectural services were performed while unregistered. Not addressed: nothing in chapter 100-X-5 or chapter 100-X-2 requires the seal to be destroyed or surrendered on expiration, suspension or revocation.
Firm requirements
A certificate of authorization is required, and an individual seal still does the work. Rule 100-X-8-.01(2) requires an entity offering, soliciting or performing architectural services in the entity name to apply for a Certificate of Authorization within thirty days of the individual’s registration. Rule 100-X-8-.01(1)(b) requires at least one stockholding officer, partner, director or member to be an Alabama registered architect with authority to bind the entity and “whose name and registration seal shall appear on all documents prepared under his or her responsible control.” The firm gets no seal of its own, and the rule does not put the certificate of authorization number on the document.
What to check before you order
Order a circular device exactly two inches in diameter, with an outer circle reading STATE OF ALABAMA at the top and REGISTERED ARCHITECT at the bottom, and your name and registration number inside the inner circle. Match the sample the Board sends you on registration; the rule says your seal shall substantially resemble it. A rubber stamp or an impression seal is always acceptable. A computer-generated seal is acceptable only where the authority having jurisdiction allows it, so keep a physical stamp for permit sets. Seal every final drawing, plan, specification, plat and report before it goes to a client or a permitting agency, and mark anything that is not final. Your registration number stays the same if you ever let the registration lapse and reinstate, so the die does not go stale.
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Frequently asked questions
Is an architect seal required in Alabama?
Yes, on final work. Rule 100-X-5-.03(1) provides that the architect’s seal “must be affixed on all final drawings, plans, specifications, plats and reports whenever presented to a client or any public or governmental agency for the purpose of obtaining a permit for construction.” The rule is adopted under Code of Ala. 1975, § 34-2-35. Affixing the seal is a statement: by doing it you signify that the document was prepared by you personally or under your responsible control.
What has to appear on an Alabama architect seal?
Four items in a fixed arrangement, under rule 100-X-5-.03. STATE OF ALABAMA across the top of the outer circle, REGISTERED ARCHITECT across the bottom of it, and your name and registration number inside the inner circle. Nothing else belongs on the face. No firm name, no discipline line, no expiration or renewal date. Do not borrow the Alabama interior design legend or the engineer and land surveyor legend; those come from different boards under different rules.
What size is an Alabama architect seal?
Two inches in diameter, circular. Rule 100-X-5-.03 states it as a flat figure with no tolerance and no alternative. That is where Alabama architects part company with Alabama engineers and land surveyors, whose rule 330-X-11-.02(2) gives a band of 1 5/8 to 2 inches. A stamp cut to the low end of that band is fine for an engineer here and wrong for an architect, so a dual credential holder needs two devices in two sizes.
Can I use a rubber stamp or an embosser in Alabama?
Either one, and both without conditions. Rule 100-X-5-.03 provides that the seal “may be a rubber stamp, an impression seal, or a computer-generated seal, if allowed by the Authority Having Jurisdiction.” Read the condition where it sits: it attaches to the computer-generated seal alone. The rubber stamp and the impression seal are allowed outright. A two inch rubber stamp cut to the Board sample is the practical choice, since it reproduces on the permit set.
Does Alabama require a signature and a date next to the seal?
Rule 100-X-5-.03 is silent on both. It requires the seal to be affixed and says nothing about a signature, a date, or where either goes relative to the impression. Rules 100-X-5-.01, 100-X-5-.04 and 100-X-8-.01 add nothing on the point. That silence is a real difference from the Alabama engineer and land surveyor rule, which treats seal, signature and date of signature as one certification under rule 330-X-11-.03(1). Signing and dating remains ordinary practice here.
Which documents have to be sealed in Alabama?
All final drawings, plans, specifications, plats and reports presented to a client or to any public or governmental agency for a construction permit, under rule 100-X-5-.03(1). The rule also reaches duplication of drawings and anything issued from your office for use in this state. Work product that is not final has to be identified as such, and working or unfinished in-progress drawings carry the preliminary, not-for-construction statement in the exact form the rule prints.
Can I seal drawings electronically in Alabama?
A computer-generated seal is allowed “if allowed by the Authority Having Jurisdiction,” and chapter 100-X-5 says nothing further. There are no digital signature criteria, no named certificate authority, no verification standard and no language about stripping uncertified electronic transmissions. Rules 100-X-5-.01,.03 and.04 and rule 100-X-8-.01 all read the same way. Confirm the format with the permitting authority before you rely on it, and keep a physical stamp for permit sets.
Does my Alabama seal go stale if my registration lapses?
No, because the number comes back. Rule 100-X-2-.06 governs the lapsed registrant and states that if reinstatement is approved “the same registration number will be reissued.” The die you already own still matches. Reinstatement takes a new application, the application fee, the renewal fee, a late penalty, proof of continuing education and a sworn affidavit that you performed no architectural services while unregistered. Nothing in chapter 100-X-5 or chapter 100-X-2 requires the seal to be destroyed or surrendered.
Does an Alabama architecture firm get its own seal?
No. Rule 100-X-8-.01(2) requires an entity offering, soliciting or performing architectural services in the entity name to apply for a Certificate of Authorization within thirty days of the individual’s registration, and rule 100-X-8-.01(1)(b) requires at least one stockholding officer, partner, director or member to be an Alabama registered architect with authority to bind the entity and “whose name and registration seal shall appear on all documents prepared under his or her responsible control.” The individual seal does the work, and the certificate number does not go on the document.
