Alabama state law requires a seal made with an Alabama engineer embosser or a stamp on all professional engineering documents. The Alabama engineer embosser or stamp needs to meet certain standards and criteria for the document to be official. Other states require a similar sealing process; however, the pattern and specifications will be different depending on the state’s specific design requirements.
Once an engineer receives a license in the State of Alabama, an Alabama engineer embosser or stamp should be bought as soon as possible. This ensures the licensee will be able to seal documents in accordance with Alabama state law. Examples of the documents that need to have the seal on them include:
- Reports
- Specifications
- Draws
- Other Engineering Documents
Under Chapter 330-X-11, the official design of the Alabama engineer embosser needs to be a minimum of 1 and 5/8 inches with a maximum of 2 inches in diameter. The entire stamp is circular in nature, with the actual embosser or stamp coming in many different sizes. Computer generated seals are accepted as long as they meet the specifications listed above.
If the stamp reads Professional Land Surveyor or Professional Engineer, it does not need to have an E or an S after the license number. Furthermore, the name of the engineer needs to be on the seal, as well as the state they are licensed to work in.
The objective of having documents sealed with an Alabama engineer embosser or stamp is so a licensed engineer, or employees under the supervision of the engineer, are accountable for the work being done. The Alabama engineer embosser seal also ensures the licensee has properly reviewed the document and it meets state requirements.
If it happens that two engineers stamp their seals to the same document, a note needs to be added that states which individual is responsible for a certain subject. A licensed engineer should never seal a document that is outside of their competence.
For a single sheet, the engineer who prepared the documents will sign, seal, and date the document. A multiple page report requires the responsible engineer to sign, seal, and date the title sheet or the index sheet.
An Alabama engineer embosser or stamp is sold by the state of Alabama, as well as many retailers online and in person. It is important to review the product information before making the purchase so as to ensure the seal follows state regulations.
