What a Texas professional engineer stamp does
A Texas professional engineer stamp is the seal a licensed engineer puts on plans, specifications, plats and reports for projects built or used in Texas. The Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors describes its purpose plainly: it assures whoever uses the work that a named professional engineer performed or directly supervised it, and it marks out the scope of that engineer’s work. Once the seal is on a document, the engineer takes full professional responsibility for it.
The board’s rule, 22 TAC §137.33, requires the seal on the final version of engineering work before it leaves the engineer’s control, together with the engineer’s signature and the date. A plan, specification, plat or report issued for a project in Texas must carry it. Sealing is not decoration; it is the act that ties a licensed engineer to the work.
What the board requires of a Texas engineer seal
Texas authorises one design for a Texas professional engineer seal, and the board publishes it for seal vendors. It is round. “STATE OF TEXAS” arcs across the top, a five-pointed star sits in the centre, the engineer’s name and license number run beneath it, and “LICENSED PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER” arcs across the bottom. Rule §137.31(b) sets the size: no larger than two inches in diameter, and whatever the size, the name and number must be clearly legible.
The name on the seal must be the engineer’s name as currently listed with the board: a given name, a commonly accepted variation of it, or initials, with the surname. Nicknames are not permitted, and the board’s vendor sheet adds that titles such as “Dr.”, “Col.” or “P.E.” should not appear on the seal. The name may be set in capitals or in standard upper and lower case. An engineer who legally changes their name must have a new seal made.
Rubber stamps, impression seals and electronic seals are all acceptable under Texas law, provided a physical seal leaves a permanent ink image or impression on the work. The rules set no ink colour. Preprinting blank forms with the seal, and decals or other replicas of it, are prohibited. A seal that does not match the authorised design is a violation of board rules, so the layout on this page follows the board’s own artwork and is not something we improvise.
The Trodat 4642 mount
The mount for this Texas professional engineer stamp is the Trodat 4642, a round self-inking stamp with a 1⅝-inch impression, which sits inside the board’s two-inch limit. Self-inking means the die returns to a built-in pad after each impression, so there is no separate ink pad to carry, and the pad can be replaced or re-inked when it runs dry.
It is made to order in the United States with your name and license number set into the board’s design. Nine ink options are offered, including Dry; black is the default. A replacement pad, a bottle of refill ink, or both can be added to the order, and so can a digital file of the same seal as a JPG and a PDF for electronic sealing.
How ordering works
To order this Texas professional engineer stamp on the Trodat 4642, type your name exactly as it is listed with the board, and your license number. Pick an ink colour. Add a digital file, a replacement pad or refill ink if you want them. Each accessory checkbox is independent. Include any special instructions, set the quantity, and check the total. The preview at the top of the page redraws as you type so you can see the name and number in place; the final layout follows the board’s format.
Because the stamp is made to order, what you type is what is manufactured. Check the spelling of your name against your license before you order. The board requires the name on the seal to match the name it has on record, and a seal made with the wrong name is a seal you cannot use.
Electronic seals in Texas
Texas permits electronic seals. Under 22 TAC §137.35 an engineer may scan sealed and signed hard-copy work and transmit it in a secure electronic format, or create an electronic seal and signature for work that is transmitted electronically, whether it began on paper or on screen. The digital-file add-on on this page delivers the same seal as a JPG and a PDF for that purpose.
The rules place the security of a seal, physical or electronic, with the engineer: license holders must take reasonable steps to keep their seals and signatures secure. Treat the digital file as you would the stamp itself.
Texas engineer stamp questions
- How big can a Texas professional engineer stamp be?
- No larger than two inches in diameter (22 TAC §137.31(b)). The Trodat 4642 makes a 1⅝-inch impression. A Texas PE stamp larger than two inches does not comply with board rules, and whatever the size, the name and number must be clearly legible.
- What name goes on the seal?
- Your name as currently listed with the board: a given name, a commonly accepted variation of it, or initials, with your surname. No nicknames, and no titles such as Dr., Col. or P.E. (§137.31(d)).
- Does Texas require a particular ink colour?
- No. The board’s sealing rules (§137.31, §137.33 and §137.35) do not specify a colour; a physical seal must leave a permanent ink image or impression. Nine ink options are offered here, including Dry.
- Can I use an electronic seal in Texas?
- Yes. §137.35 allows an engineer to create an electronic seal and signature for electronically transmitted work, or to scan sealed hard copy. The digital-file add-on provides a JPG and a PDF of your Texas PE seal.
- Do I need a new seal if my name changes?
- Yes. If a license holder legally changes their name, the board requires a new seal showing the new legal name (§137.31(d)).
- Can I preprint forms with my seal?
- No. Preprinting blank forms with an engineer’s seal, and using decals or other seal replicas, is prohibited (§137.31(e)).