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

Missouri Landscape Architect seal

Board

Missouri Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Professional Land Surveyors and Professional Landscape Architects

Seal requirements

20 CSR 2030-3.060; RSMo § 327.411

Legend (any one)

“State of Missouri, Professional Landscape Architect” · “State of Missouri, Landscape Architect”

Diameter

Exactly one and three-quarters inches (1 3/4") in diameter. 20 CSR 2030-3.060(1) requires each licensee to "secure a seal one and three-quarters inches (1 3/4") in diameter of the following design," and 20 CSR 2030-3.060(2) requires an embossing seal, rubber stamp or computer-generated image "identical in size, design and content with the provisions of section (1) above."

Expiration date

The design prescribed by 20 CSR 2030-3.060(1) is closed - two concentric circles carrying only "State of Missouri", "Professional Landscape Architect", the licensee's name and the PLA-prefixed license number - and 20 CSR 2030-3.060(2) requires any embossing seal, rubber stamp or computer-generated image to be identical in size, design and content with it. No renewal or expiration date appears in that design, and section (3) requires only a signature and the date the document was originally sealed alongside the seal.(20 CSR 2030-3.060(1), (2), (3))

Signature date

In addition to the personal seal the licensee must affix his/her signature and place the date when the document was originally sealed, at the minimum to the original of each sheet in a set of all final technical submissions.(20 CSR 2030-3.060(3))

City on seal

The prescribed design carries "State of Missouri" only; no city or place of business appears in the seal. The licensee's address and phone number belong in the drawing's title block, not in the seal.(20 CSR 2030-3.060(1); 20 CSR 2030-2.050(2)(B))

• Each person licensed as a professional landscape architect (not including interns or individuals "in-training") shall, at his/her own expense, secure a seal one and three-quarters inches (1 3/4") in diameter of the following design: two concentric circles, between which appear in roman capital letters the words "State of Missouri" on the upper part of the seal and "Professional Landscape Architect" on the lower part, and within the inner circle the name of the licensee, together with his/her license number preceded by the roman capital letters PLA.(20 CSR 2030-3.060(1))
• The seal of a professional landscape architect licensed prior to January 1, 2015 may display "Landscape Architect" on the lower part and, within the inner circle, the name of the licensee together with his/her license number preceded by the roman capital letters LA.(20 CSR 2030-3.060(1)(D))
• The seal may be in the form of an embossing seal, a rubber stamp, or a computer-generated image, identical in size, design and content with the provisions of section (1).(20 CSR 2030-3.060(2))
• In addition to the personal seal, the licensee shall also affix his/her signature and place the date when the document was originally sealed, at the minimum, to the original of each sheet in a set of all final technical submissions that include, but are not limited to, drawings, specifications, exhibits, plats, reports, surveys, and certifications of construction prepared by the licensee or under his/her immediate personal supervision.(20 CSR 2030-3.060(3))
• For a hand drawing (e.g., paper, vellum, mylar), printed document or computer-generated hard copy media, a handwritten "wet signature" identification containing the name of the person who applied it is required.(20 CSR 2030-3.060(3)(A))
• For electronic or digital documents transmitted to others in their native file format (e.g., AutoCAD, Revit, Word, or Excel), a digital signature with an electronic authentication process attached to or logically associated with the document is required; the digital signature must be unique to and under the sole control of the person using it, must be capable of verification, and must be linked to the document in such manner that the digital signature is invalidated if any data on the document is altered.(20 CSR 2030-3.060(3)(B))
• For electronic or digital documents transmitted to others in a "pdf" or similar format that has modified the native file so that it is not easily altered, a scanned signature is acceptable if it is an accurate depiction of the licensee's actual signature.(20 CSR 2030-3.060(3)(C))
• When revisions are made, the licensee who made the revisions, or under whose immediate personal supervision the revisions were made, shall sign, seal, and date each sheet and provide an explanation of the revisions. Revisions to technical submissions which are not made or approved by the licensee are prohibited.(20 CSR 2030-3.060(4))
• In lieu of signing, sealing, and dating each page, the licensee(s) may sign, seal, and date the title page, an index page, or a seals page on bound multiple page documents not considered to be drawings, providing that the signed page clearly identifies all of the other pages comprising the bound volume. Any of the other pages prepared by, or under the immediate personal supervision of, another licensee must be signed, sealed, and dated by that other licensee, and any additions, deletions, or other revisions are prohibited unless signed, sealed, and dated by the licensee who made the revisions or under whose immediate personal supervision they were made.(20 CSR 2030-3.060(5))
• An original document which is sealed, signed, and dated (by hand or electronically) by the licensee may be reproduced by photocopy, traditional blue printing, faxing, scanning in "pdf," publishing or printing to "pdf," or similar format.(20 CSR 2030-3.060(6))
• Technical submissions shall be signed, sealed, and dated unless clearly designated preliminary or incomplete, not to be used for construction, or a record drawing of as-built construction information provided by others; in that case the phrase "The information on this document is preliminary or incomplete, not for construction, recording purposes, or implementation" or a similar disclaimer and notice to others shall be placed in an obvious location so that it is readily found, easily read, and not obscured by other markings.(20 CSR 2030-3.060(7))
• Where one licensee performs design for other licensees to incorporate into their documents, each licensee shall seal, date, and sign those documents, using the appropriate disclaimer for clarification of each licensee's responsibility.(20 CSR 2030-3.060(8))
• The signing and sealing of technical submissions not prepared by the licensee or under his/her immediate personal supervision is prohibited.(20 CSR 2030-3.060(9))
• Each professional landscape architect shall have a personal seal in a form prescribed by the board and shall affix the seal to all final technical submissions; the licensee shall either prepare or personally supervise the preparation of all documents sealed by the licensee, and the personal seal is the legal equivalent of the licensee's signature whenever and wherever used.(RSMo § 327.411.1, .2)
• A professional landscape architect may, but is not required to, attach a statement over his or her signature, authenticated by the personal seal, specifying the particular technical submissions or portions thereof intended to be authenticated by the seal and disclaiming responsibility for all other technical submissions.(RSMo § 327.411.3)
• A landscape architectural entity shall incorporate a title block on all drawings, exhibits, plans, plats, maps, and surveys required to be signed and sealed. The title block must at a minimum contain the name of the licensee, the licensee's address and phone number, the name or identification of the project, the address/location of the project (city/county and state), the date prepared, space for the licensee's signature, date, and seal, the printed name, discipline, and license number of the person sealing the document, and the printed name, discipline, and certificate of authority number of the corporation.(20 CSR 2030-2.050(1), (2))

Missouri landscape architect seal questions