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

Florida Geologist seal

Board

Board of Professional Geologists, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation

Seal requirements

Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G16-2.001, 61G16-2.005; §§ 492.107, 492.111(2), Fla. Stat.

Legend (any one)

“professional license, no. ___, state of Florida, expires (date), professional geologist” · “license, no. ___, state of Florida, professional geologist”

Diameter

A minimum only, and the rule's own text is ambiguous: it reads "The above referenced seals shall be no less than 15/8 inches in diameter." "15/8" is printed with no space, hyphen or fraction glyph in the current filing and in every earlier one, and the document contains no superscript formatting that a fraction could have collapsed from — while the sister board's rule sets its minimum as "1-7/8", so the publisher does carry hyphenated fractions. Read literally the floor is 1-7/8 inches; read as a collapsed fraction it is 1-5/8. This site states the larger figure because a seal at 1-7/8 inches satisfies the rule under either reading. No maximum is stated, and § 492.107, Fla. Stat., states no dimension at all.

Expiration date

Neither the statute nor the rule requires an expiration date on the seal. The Board prescribes two acceptable designs and only one of them carries an "EXPIRES (DATE)" line; the other omits it entirely, so a seal without an expiration date is one of the two forms the rule accepts.(Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G16-2.001(1); § 492.107, Fla. Stat.)

Signature date

The date is a separate element of the sealed document, not part of the seal: papers must bear the actual signature, "the date signed" and the impression or stamped ink seal. Where the electronic alternative is used instead, the electronic signature and seal must itself carry "the date that the document is electronically signed and sealed."(§ 492.107(1), Fla. Stat.; Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G16-2.005(3), (4)(a))

City on seal

Neither seal image nor any provision of chapter 61G16-2 mentions the licensee's city, address or place of business.(Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G16-2.001, 61G16-2.004, 61G16-2.005)

• "The board shall prescribe, by rule, a form of seal, including its electronic form, to be used by persons holding valid licenses. All geological papers, reports, and documents prepared or issued by the licensee shall be signed, dated, and sealed by the licensee who performed or is responsible for the supervision, direction, or control of the work contained in the papers, reports, or documents. Such signature, date, and seal shall be evidence of the authenticity of that to which they are affixed."(§ 492.107(1), Fla. Stat.)
• "Pursuant to section 492.107, F.S., the Board hereby establishes as indicated below the forms of metal-type impression or stamped ink seals which are acceptable to the Board" — the rule then reproduces two seal images rather than describing the wording in words. The first image reads, from the outside in: the licensee's name, "PROFESSIONAL LICENSE", "NO. XXX", "STATE OF FLORIDA", "EXPIRES (DATE)" and "PROFESSIONAL GEOLOGIST", with a star on each side of the outer ring. The second reads: the licensee's name, "LICENSE", "NO. XXX", "STATE OF FLORIDA" and "PROFESSIONAL GEOLOGIST", with no expiration line, a star on each side of the outer ring and a third star at the centre beneath the licence number. Both designs are circular with a double border.(Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G16-2.001(1))
• "All geological papers, reports or other documents prepared or issued by a licensed professional geologist shall be signed, dated and sealed by the professional geologist who performed or is responsible for the supervision, direction or control of the work contained in the papers, reports or documents."(Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G16-2.005(1))
• "Geological papers, reports or other documents shall mean any document, whether in a physical or electronic format which conveys or expresses an opinion, conclusion, interpretation or recommendation based upon the performance of geological services."(Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G16-2.005(2))
• "Except as noted below" — that is, except where the electronic alternative in subsection (4) is used — all documents required to be signed, dated and sealed under chapter 492, F.S., "shall bear the actual signature of the professional geologist who prepared or issued the geological papers, reports or documents, the date signed and the metal-type impression or stamped ink seal of the said professional geologist."(Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G16-2.005(3))
• An electronic signature and seal may replace the original seal, signature and date where it uniquely identifies the licensee and carries the same information required on an impression or stamp seal, including the date the document is electronically signed and sealed; is verifiable; is under the licensee's direct and exclusive control; is linked to the document so that changes are easily determined and visually displayed; and is removed or altered significantly enough to invalidate it by any attempt to change the document after the signature and seal are affixed.(Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G16-2.005(4)(a)–(e))
• Documents may be transmitted electronically "provided they have been signed by the licensee, dated, and electronically sealed." It is unlawful for any person to sign or seal a document as a professional geologist unless that person holds a current, active license as a professional geologist which has not expired or been revoked or suspended, unless reinstated or reissued.(§ 492.107(1), Fla. Stat.)
• Where geology is practised through a firm, corporation or partnership, "All final geological papers or documents involving the practice of the profession of geology which have been prepared or approved for the use of such firm, corporation, or partnership, for delivery to any person for public record with the state, shall be dated and bear the signature and seal of the professional geologist or professional geologists who prepared or approved them."(§ 492.111(2), Fla. Stat.)
• "No licensee shall affix or permit to be affixed her or his seal or name to any geologic reports, papers, or other documents which depict work which the licensee is not licensed to perform or which was not performed by or under the responsible supervision, direction, or control of the licensee."(§ 492.107(2), Fla. Stat.)
• "Persons other than professional geologists licensed under chapter 492, F.S., may not override, reject or modify geological documents prepared by a professional geologist unless such actions are approved in writing by another professional geologist who takes full responsibility for such a decision. Such actions by a person who is not licensed as a professional geologist in this state constitute unlicensed practice and are prohibited except as provided in section 492.116, F.S."(Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G16-2.004)

Florida geologist seal questions