18VAC160-20-495. Use of Seal.

A. Affixing of a professional seal, signature, and date shall indicate that the professional has exercised direct control and personal supervision over the work to which it is affixed. Affixing of the seal, signature, and date also indicates the professional's acceptance of responsibility for the work shown thereon.

1. No professional shall affix a seal, signature, and date or certification to a plan, plat, document, sketch, or other work constituting the practice of the professions regulated that 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 the 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.

2. If the original professional of record is no longer able to seal, sign, and date completed professional work, such work may be sealed, signed, and dated by another qualified professional pursuant to the standards established in 18VAC160-20-490 F.

B. Documents to be sealed.

1. All final documents, including original cover sheet of plans, plats, documents, sketches, technical reports, and specifications, and each original sheet of plans, plats, or drawings prepared by the professional, or someone under his direct control and personal supervision, shall be sealed, signed, and dated by the professional. All final documents shall also bear the professional's name or firm name, address, and project name. Final documents are completed documents or copies submitted on a client's behalf for approval by authorities, for construction, or for recordation.

2. For projects involving multiple sets of plans from multiple professionals involved in the same project, each professional shall seal, sign, and date the final documents for the work component that he completed or that was completed under his direct control and personal supervision. The professional responsible for the compilation of the project shall seal, sign, and date the cover sheet of the aggregate collection of final documents for the project.

C. 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.

D. Incomplete plans, plats, documents, and sketches, whether advance or preliminary copies, shall be so identified on the plan, plat, document, or sketch and need not be sealed, signed or dated. Advance or preliminary copies of incomplete plans, plats, documents, and sketches must be clearly identified as not complete but need not be sealed, signed, or dated.

E. All work performed by a professional who is licensed or certified by this board, including work that is exempt from licensure pursuant to § 54.1-402 of the Code of Virginia, shall be sealed, signed, and dated pursuant to subsection B of this section.

F. The original 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: [insert board approved seal with specifications]

comments and suggestions.

While the executive officers of DPOR and members of the Board have authorized the use of a seal, failure to regulate a seal has led to a host of issues and concerns for the public.  Licensed professionals are still sealing documents as "AUTHORIZED ONSITE SOIL EVALUATORS" and many do not possess a valid signature, date, and appropriate license number.  On it's face, these actions appear to fraudulent at a minimum and deceptive to the public.  The public needs assurance what documents are truly original and those which may have been counterfeited.