In Arizona, every professional engineer is required to have a stamp that he or she acquires at his or her own expense, in order to conform to the rules and requirements set forth by the state board. In many states, engineers have the option of using a rubber stamp or a seal. In others, a seal is essential. Arizona is different from most states, in that a seal is an option, but the stamp is absolutely required.
Arizona PE Stamp Requirements
According to the Board, the Arizona PE stamp must be exactly an inch and a half in diameter. The upper portion of the stamp contains three circles. In the space between the second and third circles, you must include your professional designation – Registered Professional Engineer – along with the branch of engineering in which you are registered. At the bottom of the space between the second and third circles, “Arizona, USA” appears. The inner circle contains the registrant’s name and number, and the words “date signed.”
You can include an embossing seal only if you’re using it in conjunction with the stamp, and you can include an optional expiration date under the seal. All the other requirements are hard and fast, and absolutely MUST be included.
The Arizona Professional Engineer Stamp Law
Now, having explained the Arizona PE embossing stamp, and having stated that the use of the stamp is required, we must qualify that by telling you that the Engineering Board in the State of Arizona can also, at its discretion, mandate the use of a seal in certain instances. These seals are prescribed for registrants that the Board deems required to use them. Any plans, reports, specifications, or plans that you prepare will be issued under your seal if the Board requires you to use a seal. If your certificate has been revoked or has expired, it is illegal for you to use the seal. Further, no non-registrant can use a registrant’s seal. If the Board requires you to use a seal, then any document that you or your employees prepare is entirely your responsibility.
You can order an Arizona professional engineer stamp, or a seal, through any vendor that has been approved by the Arizona state board, and once you receive it, you must file an imprint of that stamp with your original signature superimposed. If your stamp does not meet the Board of technical registration requirements, you will be required to acquire another stamp that does before you submit any work using your seal. If you are a registered Arizona engineer in more than one branch of engineering, you may be required to obtain a stamp for each branch.
Types of Stamps available for purchase
Self Inking Stamp
This type of stamp is the most commonly used, as it’s easy to use and you can get a good, clean impression every time. Simply press the die onto your paper, and the ink pad will automatically ink the die, leaving a clear impression of your Arizona professional engineer stamp.
The Electronic Seal
The Arizona Board of Technical Registration now requires all professional engineers to submit documents with an Electronic Stamp. The Electronic Seal is a digital signature that verifies the authenticity of the document and the engineer's identity. This is similar to a traditional seal, but it is much more secure and cannot be counterfeited. In order to create an Electronic Seal, engineers must first register with the Board. Once they have registered, they will be able to create their Electronic Seal and use it on all documents that need to be submitted to the Board. This new requirement will help to ensure the integrity of the engineering profession in Arizona.
An Electronic stamp, also known as digital signatures or electronic signatures, are becoming increasingly common in the business world. In many ways, they are superior to traditional paper seals. First of all, they are much more difficult to forge. Secondly, they can be easily verified using software that is widely available. Finally, they provide a higher level of security, since they can be embedded with encryption keys. As a result, electronic seals are an ideal way to validate the identity of businesses and individuals. The Arizona professional engineer stamp is just one example of an electronic seal that is used to validate the identity of engineers with an electronic signature.
About ESS
ESS is a leading manufacturer of professional seals and stamps for all 50 states. We provide electronic seals with each stamp purchase which are typically sent in email messages within one business day of ordering. At ESS we provide a free electronic seal with any stamp or seal purchase, these files are typically sent within a business day and include the TIF, PDF, DXF, DWG, JPG, and PNG (Transparent Background) File formats.
