California Geologist seal requirements: proper sizing, signing and sealing of documents

California Geologist seal

Board

Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists

Seal requirements

Bus. & Prof. Code § 7852; 16 CCR § 3008

Legend (any one)

“Professional Geologist (top border); State of California (bottom border)” · “Certified Engineering Geologist (top border); State of California (bottom border)” · “Certified Hydrogeologist (top border); State of California (bottom border)”

Diameter

Not less than one and one-half (1 1/2) inches in diameter; the rule prescribes a minimum only, and states the seal shall be of a design similar to the illustration shown and shall bear at a minimum the listed elements.

Expiration date

Section 3008(a) lists the seal's contents as the profession legend, "State of California", the licensee's name and the license number; neither it nor Business and Professions Code § 7852 calls for an expiration or renewal date.(16 CCR § 3008(a); Bus. & Prof. Code § 7852(a))

Signature date

The date of signing and sealing must appear immediately below or next to the signature and seal - it is placed on the document, not inside the seal.(16 CCR § 3008(i))

City on seal

The only place wording prescribed is "State of California" in the bottom border; no city or office location appears in section 3008.(16 CCR § 3008(a))

• Each geologist licensed under the chapter shall, upon licensure, obtain a seal of the design authorized by the board bearing the licensee's name, number of his or her certificate, and the legend "professional geologist."(Bus. & Prof. Code § 7852(a))
• The seal may be purchased by the licensee from any convenient source. It shall be not less than one and one-half inches in diameter and shall contain, within the top border, "Professional Geologist"; within the bottom border, "State of California"; and in the center, the licensee's name as it appears on the certificate issued by the Board and the number of license or authority.(16 CCR § 3008(a))
• The certified specialty geologist seal shall be not less than one and one-half inches in diameter and shall contain, within the top border, either "Certified Engineering Geologist" or "Certified Hydrogeologist" depending on the certification; within the bottom border, "State of California"; and in the center, the licensee's name and the number of certification or authority.(16 CCR § 3008(b))
• The seal may contain an abbreviated form of the licensee's given name or a combination of initials representing the given name, provided the surname listed with the Board appears on the seal and in the signature.(16 CCR § 3008(e))
• The seal shall be capable of leaving a permanent ink representation, a permanent impression, or an electronically-generated representation on the documents, and the signature may be applied to the documents electronically.(16 CCR § 3008(f))
• Preprinting of blank forms with the seal or signature, the use of decals of the seal or signature, or the use of a rubber stamp of the signature is prohibited.(16 CCR § 3008(g))
• All professional geological plans, specifications, reports, or documents shall be signed and sealed in accordance with the Geologist and Geophysicist Act and shall be signed and sealed in a manner such that all work can be clearly attributed to the licensee or licensees in responsible charge.(16 CCR § 3008(h)(1))
• When signing and sealing documents containing work done by or under the responsible charge of two or more licensees, the signature and seal of each licensee in responsible charge shall be placed on the documents with a notation describing the work done under each licensee's responsible charge.(16 CCR § 3008(h)(3))
• Each licensee shall include the date of signing and sealing immediately below or next to the signature and seal.(16 CCR § 3008(i))
• The seal shall not be used on a Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement required by Civil Code § 1102.6; it shall, however, be used on any geologic report or opinion within the scope of the licensee's license and expertise that is attached separately as a substituted disclosure pursuant to such a statement.(16 CCR § 3008(d))

California geologist seal questions