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Licensee Seal

When do I need to seal plans and technical documents?

All original drawings, copies, tracings, or other reproducible drawings, the seal must appear on all pages.
For specifications, reports, and studies, the seal must appear on the first and last pages.

By sealing technical documents, the licensee certifies that the work was prepared in accordance with the E&A Regulation Act.

Documents clearly marked as “Draft” prepared for preliminary submission and review do not require a seal and signature, unless otherwise required by the client or governmental agency.

Review Neb. Rev. Stat. §81-3437.01 and Chapter 6 for more information.

Does Nebraska allow electronic seals and signatures?

Yes. Electronic seals and signatures are allowed in Nebraska. The seal, signature, and date must be legible. Refer to Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-3437 and Chapter 6 of the Board's Rules for correct usage.

How do I seal documents with my Temporary Permit?

A temporary permit holder will seal documents with the seal of the state of verified licensure and use the temporary permit information provided by the Board. This information includes the temporary permit holder’s name, temporary permit number, expiration date, state of licensure and license number, and project name.

What are the specifications and design requirements for the Nebraska architect's seal?

Architects and Professional Engineers licensed in Nebraska receive a seal letter from the Board when initially licensed that shows the approved design of the seal, along with the statutory requirements pertaining to the correct use of the seal.

Architect's seals will bear their name, license number, have 'STATE OF NEBRASKA' at the bottom, and 'ARCHITECT' at the top.

Seals that read 'REGISTERED ARCHITECT' are not compliant.

Professional Engineer's seals will bear their name, license number, have 'STATE OF NEBRASKA' at the bottom, and 'PROFESSIONAL [DISCIPLINE] ENGINEER' at the top. The word '[DISCIPLINE]' should be replaced with the professional engineer’s specific engineering discipline such as ‘Mechanical’, 'Civil', 'Structural', etc. Seals that do not specify a professional engineer’s discipline are not compliant.

The seal must include other design elements as shown on the sealed letter. The Board does not require a certain size or diameter; however, whenever applied via embossing, ink, or electronically-rendered, should be legible.

How should one handle changes or revisions to plans when an architect leaves a company or retires?

Our office is responsible for a non-exempt project that requires design materials to be submitted by an architect licensed in the state of Nebraska. After reviewing an applicant submittal, it was found that the architect who did the initial drawings for the project has since left the company. Another individual is in the process of obtaining reciprocity from Nebraska. Can the "new" architect seal drawings and revisions completed by the architect who left the company? In general, how should one handle changes or revisions to plans when an architect leaves a company or retires?

The new architect must review, revise as appropriate, and seal. If the original architect did not provide written consent for the adaptation or such permission cannot be reasonably obtained, the new architect must provide a written explanation of the circumstances preventing permission from being obtained.

Refer to Board Rule Section 6.2.

Can my seal be in colors other than black?

Yes. Your seal can be affixed to plans in any color, as long as it is legible.

Do I have to sign my name exactly as it appears on my seal?

Use your regular signature, however, the signature must be legible.

Where do I sign and date my seal?

The signature and date should be across the face of the seal. If this results in an illegible seal, signature, or date, licensees should exercise their professional judgment to ensure that all three components appear as one unit and are legible.

If you have any questions or FAQs suggestions to add, please contact us.