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

Illinois Geologist seal

Board

Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation — Board of Licensing for Professional Geologists

Seal requirements

225 ILCS 745/60; 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1252.APPENDIX A

Legend

“licensed professional geologist, Illinois”

Diameter

A fixed diameter, not a range: "each licensee shall obtain, at his/her own expense, a seal or rubber stamp, 1 3/4 inches in diameter." The Act itself states no dimension and delegates the design to rule.

Expiration date

Illinois is unusual here: § 60(b) requires "the date of license expiration" to appear on every public geologic record along with the name, signature, license number and seal impression. The seal design in 1252.Appendix A has no field for it — the requirement attaches to the document, so the expiration date is commonly set beneath or beside the seal.(225 ILCS 745/60(b); 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1252.APPENDIX A(a))

Signature date

Section 60(b) lists what must accompany the seal — full name, signature, license number and date of license expiration — and does not call for the date on which the document was signed. The design rule adds nothing further.(225 ILCS 745/60(b); 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1252.APPENDIX A)

City on seal

Neither § 60 nor Appendix A mentions the licensee's city, address or place of business; the inner circle carries only the name and license number.(225 ILCS 745/60; 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1252.APPENDIX A(a))

• "Upon licensure, each licensee shall obtain a seal of a design as required by rule bearing the licensee's name, license number, and the legend 'Licensed Professional Geologist'."(225 ILCS 745/60(a))
• "In accordance with Section 60 of the Act, each licensee shall obtain, at his/her own expense, a seal or rubber stamp, 1 3/4 inches in diameter. The seal or stamp shall consist of concentric circles between which shall appear in capital letters 'ILLINOIS' in the lower portion of the seal and 'LICENSED PROFESSIONAL GEOLOGIST' in the upper portion of the seal. Within the inner circle of the seal shall appear the name of the licensee and the individual's license number."(68 Ill. Adm. Code 1252.APPENDIX A(a))
• "All preliminary, draft, and final geologic reports, documents, permits, affidavits, maps, boring logs, cross sections, or other records offered to the public and prepared or issued by or under the supervision of a Licensed Professional Geologist shall include the full name, signature, and license number of the licensee, and the date of license expiration of the person who prepared the document or under whose supervision it was prepared, and an impression of the licensee's seal, in accordance with rules issued by the Department."(225 ILCS 745/60(b))
• "The Licensed Professional Geologist who has contract responsibility shall seal a cover sheet of the professional work products and those individual portions of the professional work products for which the Licensed Professional Geologist is legally and professionally responsible. A Licensed Professional Geologist practicing as the support professional shall seal those individual portions of professional work products for which that Licensed Professional Geologist is legally and professionally responsible."(225 ILCS 745/60(c))
• "The use of a Licensed Professional Geologist's seal on professional work products constitutes a representation that the work prepared by or under the personal supervision of that Licensed Professional Geologist has been prepared and administered in accordance with the standards of reasonable professional skill and diligence."(225 ILCS 745/60(d))
• "It is unlawful to affix one's seal to professional work products if doing so masks the true identity of the person who actually exercised direction, supervision, and responsible charge of the preparation of that work." A licensee who signs and seals work is not responsible for damage caused by later changes or uses that the licensee did not authorise or approve.(225 ILCS 745/60(e))
• The rule prints "a suggested facsimile of the design and lettering of the seal" beneath the mandatory description in subsection (a).(68 Ill. Adm. Code 1252.APPENDIX A(b))

Illinois geologist seal questions