Minnesota · Engineer seal requirements
Minnesota PE seal requirements: size, wording, and the rule that sets them
As of
Minnesota does not require a seal. Minn. R. 1800.4300 and Minn. Stat. § 326.12, subd. 2 both say a licensee "may" obtain one, and the Board states on its own Stamps & Seals page that a seal is not required. A seal, if used, bears only the licensee's name and the legend — "licensed professional engineer" — with no "State of Minnesota" and no prescribed diameter. What is mandatory is the certification under Minn. R. 1800.4200: the prescribed sentence, the signature, the typed or printed name, the date and the license number, on every sheet of plans or drawings and on the title sheet, first sheets or certification page of bound specifications, plats and reports.
Minn. Stat. § 326.221 does not exist, and Minnesota Rules chapter 1805 is not this Board's chapter. Both are widely cited for the Minnesota seal; the Board's chapter is 1800, and the operative parts are 1800.4300 and 1800.4200.
Minnesota Engineer seal
- Seal rule
- Minn. R. 1800.4300 (Seal)
- Legend
- “Licensed Professional Engineer”
- Diameter
- Neither the rule nor the statute prescribes a diameter. The Board states that the size of the text and the spacing of lines may be varied to suit individual needs.
- Expiration date
- The seal is optional and bears only the licensee's name and the legend "licensed professional engineer". The date and license number live in the mandatory certification block, and the date there is the date of signature, not an expiry.(Minn. R. 1800.4300; Minn. Stat. §326.12, subd. 2)
- Signature date
- Each signature must be accompanied by the certification, the license number and the date on which the signature was affixed — on every sheet of plans or drawings, and on the title sheet, first sheets or certification page of bound documents.(Minn. Stat. §326.12, subd. 3; Minn. R. 1800.4200, subps. 3 and 4)
- City on seal
- The rule does not require a city on the seal.(Minn. R. 1800.4300; Minn. Stat. §326.12, subd. 2)
- A seal is optional. Each person may, upon licensure, obtain a seal, and the stamped seal may be used on documents in addition to the signed and dated certification required under part 1800.4200.(Minn. R. 1800.4300)
- The seal bears the licensee's name and the legend, licensed professional engineer. The rule requires nothing else on it.(Minn. R. 1800.4300; Minn. Stat. § 326.12, subd. 2)
- The certification wording is prescribed: "I hereby certify that this plan, specification, or report was prepared by me or under my direct supervision and that I am a duly Licensed Professional Engineer under the laws of the state of Minnesota," followed by signature, typed or printed name, date and license number.(Minn. R. 1800.4200, subp. 4)
- The certification must be shown on each sheet of a set of plans or drawings, and on the title sheet, first sheets, or certification page of bound specifications, plats, reports or other documents.(Minn. R. 1800.4200, subp. 3)
- The certification and signature may be electronic, facsimile, or digital. No encryption, password or biometric condition is imposed.(Minn. R. 1800.4200, subp. 1)
- Once a document has been certified, that signature becomes a permanent part of the document and must not be removed at a later date for any reason.(Minn. R. 1800.4200, subp. 5)
- A rubber stamp facsimile may be used in lieu of the seal on tracings from which prints are to be made, or on papers that would be damaged by the regular seal.(Minn. Stat. § 326.12, subd. 2)
Minnesota engineer seal questions
Is a seal required in Minnesota?▾
A seal is not required in Minnesota. The Board says so on its own Stamps & Seals page, and both the rule and the statute use "may". Licensees may print the certification language directly on documents and sign it. (Minn. R. 1800.4300; Board Stamps & Seals page)
Does a Minnesota seal have to say "State of Minnesota"?▾
"State of Minnesota" is not part of the seal. The phrase "under the laws of the state of Minnesota" belongs to the certification sentence, which is a different thing. (Minn. R. 1800.4300; Minn. R. 1800.4200, subp. 4)
Is there a required or maximum size for a Minnesota seal?▾
No diameter is prescribed. The two-inch maximum quoted for Minnesota traces to no rule or statute. (Minn. R. 1800.4300; Minn. Stat. § 326.12, subd. 2)
Does a Minnesota seal include the license number?▾
The license number belongs in the certification block, not on the seal. The seal rule requires only name and legend. (Minn. Stat. § 326.12, subd. 3; Minn. R. 1800.4300)
Generate a Minnesota Engineer seal to this specification
Board approved
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