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

Pennsylvania Landscape Architect seal

Board

State Board of Landscape Architects

Seal requirements

49 Pa. Code §§ 15.33, 15.33a

Legend

“Registered Landscape Architect”

Diameter

No diameter is prescribed. 49 Pa. Code § 15.33(c) fixes the seal's contents but states no dimension, and § 15.33a, the companion digital signature and seal rule, adds none.

Expiration date

§ 15.33(c) fixes the seal's contents as the registrant's name, registration number, the legend and a reference to Pennsylvania, and adds nothing further; § 15.33a, the only other seal rule in Chapter 15, addresses authentication rather than seal content.(49 Pa. Code §§ 15.33(c), 15.33a)

Signature date

§ 15.33(e) requires a seal plus a signature by one of three methods and never mentions a date; § 15.36(c) requires the registrant to sign professional-service documents but likewise imposes no dating requirement.(49 Pa. Code §§ 15.33(e), 15.36(c))

City on seal

The only place reference § 15.33(c) requires is a reference to Pennsylvania; no city, county or address appears in the rule.(49 Pa. Code § 15.33(c))

• "An approved seal or stamp will be required for a registrant for the purpose of signing and sealing drawings, preliminary documents, specifications and contract documents or other work product."(49 Pa. Code § 15.33(a))
• "A registrant shall be required to obtain the authorized seal or a rubber stamp, bearing the registrant's name and registration number and the legend ''Registered Landscape Architect'' together with a reference to Pennsylvania. A digital seal or rubber stamp identical to the prescribed seal may be obtained and used in lieu of, or in conjunction with, a metal seal." The rule then reproduces a sample seal.(49 Pa. Code § 15.33(c))
• "Only one registered landscape architect's name may be used per seal. However, more than one seal or stamp may appear on drawings, specifications and documents or other work product."(49 Pa. Code § 15.33(b))
• When a registrant seals and signs landscape architectural drawings, reports, documents and other work product, one of three methods must be used: physical placement of a seal with a handwritten signature in permanent ink containing the registrant's name; digital placement of a seal with a handwritten signature in permanent ink containing the registrant's name; or digital placement of a seal with a digital signature containing the registrant's name.(49 Pa. Code § 15.33(e)(1)—(3))
• Documents signed with a digital signature or sealed with a digital seal must have an electronic authentication process attached to or logically associated with the electronic document, and the digital signature and digital seal must each be unique to the registrant, capable of verification, under the registrant's sole control, and linked to the document so that they are invalidated if any data in the document is changed.(49 Pa. Code § 15.33a(a), (b))
• "A hard copy printed from the transmitted electronic file shall bear the facsimile of the digital signature and seal and be a confirmation that the electronic file was not altered after the initial digital signing of the file. Alterations to the file shall cause the signature and seal to be voided."(49 Pa. Code § 15.33a(c))
• "A landscape architect shall sign documents which arise out of the rendering of professional services."(49 Pa. Code § 15.36(c))
• A licensee who fails to obtain a seal or rubber stamp is subject to disciplinary action and penalties under section 11(b) of the act.(49 Pa. Code § 15.33(d); 63 P.S. § 911(b))

Pennsylvania landscape architect seal questions