West Virginia · Land Surveyor seal requirements
West Virginia Land Surveyor seal requirements: proper sizing, signing and sealing of documents
As of
Land surveyors in West Virginia seal under W. Va. Code R. § 23-5-4 (Seals and Document Certification); W. Va. Code § 30-13A-6(a)(12), administered by the West Virginia Board of Professional Surveyors. The seal reads “PROFESSIONAL SURVEYOR”. An outer circle in a "rope" line type measuring one and five-eighths inches outside to outside, around an inner concentric circle in a "knurled" line type measuring one inch outside to outside.
23 CSR 5 § 4.2.b sends prior surveyor seals to "WV Code §30-13A-19(a)", but § 30-13A-19 is the display-of-license section; the rule-making authority for seals is § 30-13A-6(a)(12), and § 30-13A-6(b) keeps rules in effect on July 1, 2010 — this 2008 rule among them — in force until they are amended, modified, repealed or replaced.
Generate a West Virginia Land Surveyor seal to this specification
Board approved
Your West Virginia Land Surveyor seal from pedigitalstamps.com meets every requirement on this page — the required wording, the layout and the diameter set out in W. Va. Code R. § 23-5-4 (Seals and Document Certification); W. Va. Code § 30-13A-6(a)(12). Fill in your details and download it in seconds.
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West Virginia Land Surveyor seal
- Seal requirements
- W. Va. Code R. § 23-5-4 (Seals and Document Certification); W. Va. Code § 30-13A-6(a)(12)
- Legend
- “PROFESSIONAL SURVEYOR”
- Diameter
- An outer circle in a "rope" line type measuring one and five-eighths inches outside to outside, around an inner concentric circle in a "knurled" line type measuring one inch outside to outside.
- Expiration date
- The rule enumerates the contents element by element — name, "Professional Surveyor", two stars, "Licensed", "State of" / "West Virginia" and the license number. No license date.(W. Va. Code R. § 23-5-4.2.c.1 through .c.9)
- Signature date
- "The seal, signature and endorsement, if applicable, of the licensee and the date of signing shall be on all certified survey documents." Where a digital seal is used, the date is written below the seal.(W. Va. Code R. § 23-5-4.3.a; § 23-5-4.3.e)
- City on seal
- The enumerated contents are exhaustive; no city or place of business.(W. Va. Code R. § 23-5-4.2.c)
- The types of seals approved by the Board are the stamp seal, the embossing seal and the digital seal. The licensee shall have a stamp or embosser in his or her possession; the digital seal is optional.(W. Va. Code R. § 23-5-4.2.a)
- The legal name of the licensee shall be uppercase and centered on the top between the two concentric circles. Any combination of first, middle and last name; first name, middle initial and last name; or first initial, middle name and last name is acceptable.(W. Va. Code R. § 23-5-4.2.c.3)
- The words "Professional Surveyor" shall be uppercase and centered on the bottom between the two concentric circles, with one star preceding "Professional" and another following "Surveyor".(W. Va. Code R. § 23-5-4.2.c.4, .c.5)
- Inside the inner circle, "Licensed" is uppercase along the top, "State of" is centered above "West Virginia" along the bottom, and the license number sits in the center, more prominent than the other words within the inner circle.(W. Va. Code R. § 23-5-4.2.c.6 through .c.9)
- The Board provides the initial stamp seal when licensure is granted. Every other seal the licensee procures shall meet the same format and size standards and at least the same quality as the Board-provided seal.(W. Va. Code R. § 23-5-4.2.d)
- An original handwritten signature of the licensee shall be affixed to a survey document before it is considered certified, and digital signatures, signature stamps or other such facsimiles are prohibited on all certified survey documents. Other survey-related documents may carry either a digital seal or a digital signature, but not both on the same document.(W. Va. Code R. § 23-5-4.3.a.1, .a.3)
- Digital seals may be used on final original plats and drawings provided a handwritten signature is placed adjacent to or across the seal and the date is written below the seal. A certified survey document transmitted electronically shall have the digital seal removed and shall carry, in place of the signature and date, the statement "This document originally issued and sealed by (name of licensee, P.S.#--- on (date of sealing)). This document should not be considered a certified document."(W. Va. Code R. § 23-5-4.3.e)
- When a plat, map or drawing contains more than one sheet, the first or title page is sealed and signed by the licensee in professional charge, and each drawing is also sealed and signed by the licensee responsible for that sheet.(W. Va. Code R. § 23-5-4.3.d)
West Virginia land surveyor seal questions
Can a West Virginia land surveyor sign a certified survey document digitally?▾
A certified survey document needs an original handwritten signature. Digital signatures, signature stamps and other facsimiles are prohibited on it, and a digital seal has to be removed before a certified survey document is transmitted electronically. (W. Va. Code R. § 23-5-4.3.a.1, 4.3.a.3, 4.3.e)
What must a West Virginia land surveyor's digital seal match?▾
The seal the Board issued. W. Va. Code R. § 23-5-4.2.d provides that when an applicant is granted licensure the Board shall provide the initial stamp seal, and that every other seal the licensee procures shall meet the same format and size standards and at least the same quality as the Board-provided seal — so the Board-issued seal is the reference specimen a replacement, a second seal or a digital version is measured against. Section 23-5-4.2.a sets the same order of things: a stamp or an embosser has to be in the licensee's possession, and the digital seal is the optional extra rather than a substitute for it. (W. Va. Code R. § 23-5-4.2.a, .2.d)
Does a West Virginia land surveyor seal say "Land Surveyor"?▾
No — the word "Land" is not on it. W. Va. Code R. § 23-5-4.2.c.4 requires the words "Professional Surveyor" in uppercase, centered on the bottom between the two concentric circles, and § 23-5-4.2.c.5 puts one star before "Professional" and another after "Surveyor". The rest of the title sits inside: "Licensed" runs along the inside top of the inner circle under § 23-5-4.2.c.6, with "State of" above "West Virginia" along its inside bottom. West Virginia licenses professional surveyors, and its board is the West Virginia Board of Professional Surveyors. (W. Va. Code R. § 23-5-4.2.c.4 through .c.8; W. Va. Code § 30-13A-4)
What line types does a West Virginia land surveyor seal use?▾
Named ones. W. Va. Code R. § 23-5-4.2.c.1 requires an outer circle drawn in a "rope" line type measuring one and five-eighths inches outside to outside, and § 23-5-4.2.c.2 an inner concentric circle in a "knurled" line type measuring one inch outside to outside — both dimensions taken outside to outside rather than to the middle of the stroke. Inside that inner circle the license number must be more prominent than the other words there. Two plain circles at the right diameters do not satisfy a rule that specifies the line types themselves. (W. Va. Code R. § 23-5-4.2.c.1, .c.2, .c.9)
Can a West Virginia land surveyor leave a working drawing unsealed?▾
Yes, if it carries the words the rule asks for. W. Va. Code R. § 23-5-4.3.i excuses working drawings and unfinished documents from the seal and signature only where the working drawing or preliminary document contains a statement to the effect "Preliminary, not for construction, recording purposes, or implementation." The marking is the condition of the exemption, so it is the statement rather than the licensee's intention that keeps an unfinished drawing outside the sealing requirement. (W. Va. Code R. § 23-5-4.3.i)
How does a West Virginia land surveyor file a copy of a certified survey?▾
In person, or not at all. W. Va. Code R. § 23-5-4.3.h provides that copies or modifications of certified survey documents shall not be filed with any county clerk or accepted by any public official unless initialed and dated by the licensee in the presence of the clerk, the public official or their respective representative. The prohibition runs against the filing and against the official's acceptance, not merely against the surveyor, so posting a photocopy of a sealed plat is not a route the rule leaves open. (W. Va. Code R. § 23-5-4.3.h)