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

Florida Landscape Architect seal

Board

Florida Board of Landscape Architecture

Seal requirements

Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G10-11.010; § 481.321, Fla. Stat.

Legend

“STATE OF FLORIDA, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT”

Diameter

No diameter is prescribed. Rule 61G10-11.010(1) fixes the seal's contents and requires only that it be capable of leaving a permanent ink representation, embossing, or opaque and permanent impression (including a computer-generated impression); § 481.321(1), F.S., delegates the form of the seal to the board by rule and states no dimension.

Expiration date

Rule 61G10-11.010(1) states exhaustively what the seal must include — the two legends, the name and the certificate number — and no expiration date appears; § 481.321 adds none.(Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G10-11.010(1); § 481.321, Fla. Stat.)

Signature date

Documents filed for public record must be signed, dated and stamped with the seal; the date is written on the document, not carried on the seal.(Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G10-11.010(2); § 481.321(1), Fla. Stat.)

City on seal

The prescribed contents are the two legends, the licensee's name and the certificate number; no city or place of business is required.(Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G10-11.010(1))

• "Each registered landscape architect who holds a valid certificate of registration shall obtain a seal which shall include the words "STATE OF FLORIDA," "LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT," and the licensee's name as it appears on his or her certificate of registration, as well as the certificate number."(Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G10-11.010(1))
• "The seal shall be capable of leaving a permanent ink representation or other form of embossing or opaque and permanent impression, which also may be computer-generated impressions, on the surface of prints or other duplications of drawings and, as appropriate, upon specification pages and other articles of service. Where required, electronic files shall be sealed in accordance with rule 61G10-11.011, F.A.C."(Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G10-11.010(1))
• "All plans, specifications, or reports, including all permit documents, prepared or issued by the registered landscape architect and filed for public record shall be signed by the registered landscape architect, dated and stamped with his seal." The signature, date and seal constitute evidence of the authenticity of the document.(Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G10-11.010(2); § 481.321(1), Fla. Stat.)
• "A registered landscape architect may sign and seal an index sheet or sheets which identify each individual work for which the signature and seal of a registered landscape architect is required, rather than signing and sealing each individual work."(Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G10-11.010(2))
• A registered landscape architect shall not affix, or permit to be affixed, the seal or signature to any work unless at the time the seal is affixed the registrant holds a valid certificate of registration, or to work the registrant is not competent to perform. It is unlawful to sign and seal by any means after the certificate is expired, suspended or revoked, and a suspended or revoked registrant must surrender the seal to the board's executive director within 30 days.(Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G10-11.010(2), (3); § 481.321(2), Fla. Stat.)
• "A license holder may use a computer generated representation of his or her seal on electronically conveyed work; however the final hard copy documents of such landscape architecture work must contain an original signature of the license holder and date or the documents must be accompanied by an electronic signature as described in this section. A scanned image of an original signature shall not be used in lieu of an original signature or electronic signature." Work carrying a computer-generated seal must be accompanied by the text "The seal appearing on this document was authorized by [Example: Leslie H. Doe, L.A. 0112 on (date)]" unless accompanied by a conforming electronic signature.(Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G10-11.011(1), (2))
• An electronic signature must be unique to the person using it, capable of verification, under the sole control of the person using it, and linked to the document so that it is invalidated if any data in the document are changed.(Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G10-11.011(3))

Florida landscape architect seal questions