control and personal supervision over the work to which it is affixed. Therefore, no

professional shall affix a name, seal or certification to a plat, design, specification or other

work constituting the practice of the professions regulated which has been prepared by an

unlicensed or uncertified person unless such work was performed under the direct control and

personal supervision of the professional while said unlicensed or uncertified person was an

employee of the same firm as the professional or was under written contract to the same firm

that employs the professional. If the original professional of record is no longer employed by

the regulant or is otherwise unable to seal completed professional work, such work may be

sealed by another professional, but only after a thorough review of the work by the

professional affixing the professional seal to verify that the work has been accomplished to the

same extent that would have been exercised if the work had been done under the direct control

and personal supervision of the professional affixing the professional seal.

B. An appropriately licensed or certified professional shall apply a seal to final and complete

original cover sheets of plans, drawings, plats, technical reports and specifications and to each

original sheet of plans, drawings or plats, prepared by the professional or someone under his

direct control and personal supervision.

1. All seal imprints on the cover or first sheet of final documents shall bear an original

signature and date. “Final Documents” are completed documents or copies submitted

on a client’s behalf for approval by authorities or recordation. In such cases, the cover

sheet of the documents or copies shall contain a list of drawings or plats included in

the set on which a seal, original signature and date shall be affixed for all regulated

disciplines. Every page of the submission, other than the cover, may be reproduced

from originals which contain the seal, original signature and date by each discipline

responsible for the work.

a. An electronic seal, signature and date are permitted to be used in lieu of an

original seal, signature and date when the following criteria, and all other

requirements of this section, are met:

1. It is a unique identification of the professional;

2. It is verifiable; and

3. It is under the professional’s direct control.

b. A professional should not seal original documents made of mylar, linen, sepia,

or other materials, or which are transmitted electronically, which can be

changed by the person or entity with whom the documents are filed, unless the

professional accompanies such documents with a signed and sealed letter

making the recipient of such documents aware that copies of the original

documents as designed by the professional have been retained by the

professional and that the professional cannot assume responsibility for any

subsequent changes to the reproducible original documents, which are not

made by the professional or those working under his direct control and

personal supervision.

2. Incomplete plans, documents and sketches, whether advance or preliminary copies,

shall be so identified on the plan, document or sketch and need not be sealed, signed or

dated.

3. All plans, drawings or plats prepared by the professional shall bear the professional’s

name or firm name, address and project name.

4. The seal of each professional responsible for each profession shall be used and shall be

on each document that was prepared under the professional’s direction and for which

that professional is responsible. If one of the exemptions found in § 54.1-402 of the

Code of Virginia, as amended, is applicable, a professional licensed or certified by this

board shall nevertheless apply his seal to the exempt work.

5. Application of the seal and signature indicates acceptance of responsibility for work

shown thereon.

6. The seal shall conform in detail and size to the design illustrated below and shall be

two inches in diameter. The designs below may not be shown to scale:

* The number referred to is the last six-digit number as shown on the license or certificate.

The number is permanent. Leading zeros contained in the six-digit number may be omitted

from the seal.