Who can seal this sheet? The four checks

Last checked Sep 27, 2026. Examples use Georgia and Texas rules, linked to the source. Not legal advice.

Your license tracker can show every engineer as current and still miss a sheet that can’t go out. The question isn’t “is this person licensed?” It’s “can this person seal this sheet, for this project, in this state, on this date, for this firm?”

First, what the seal means

The seal says a licensed engineer did the work or directly supervised it, and takes responsibility for it. The rules say it in their own words:

• Georgia: sealing certifies the work “was performed by the registrant or under the direct supervisory control of the registrant on a daily basis.” (Ga. Rule 180-12-.02(3))
• Texas: the seal assures the user “that the work has been performed or directly supervised by the professional engineer named,” and “upon sealing, engineers take full professional responsibility for that work.” (22 TAC 137.33(a)-(b))

No software changes that. The four checks below only narrow down who is eligible. The engineer still decides whether to take responsible charge.

Check 1: an active license in the project’s state

The person needs a license issued by the state where the project is, not just the state where they sit.

• Georgia: a specialty engineer who isn’t the engineer of record “shall be a registered engineer in the State of Georgia and shall seal, sign, and date his/her own reports, calculations, and drawings.” (Ga. Rule 180-6-.03(4))
• Texas: a plan or specification for a project to be built or used in Texas “must include the license holder’s seal.” (22 TAC 137.33(k))

Filed isn’t issued. An engineer licensed in another state applies by comity. Georgia requires an NCEES Record before a comity application. Texas’s paths for engineers licensed in other US states use a current NCEES Record. (Georgia PE page; 22 TAC 133.26) Until the board issues the license, the application doesn’t let anyone seal. Confirm on the board’s license lookup.

Check 2: the right discipline for the sheet

The rules also tie sealing to competence, not just to the license.

• Georgia: an engineer performs services only in areas of competence, and other phases go to qualified associates or consultants “who shall sign, seal, and be responsible for” them. (Ga. Rule 180-6-.03(1)-(2))
• Texas: “Engineers shall practice only in their areas of competence.” (22 TAC 137.59) The board lists branches of engineering to help judge applicants’ competency. (22 TAC 133.13)

In practice this is your firm’s call. Your roster should say which disciplines each person seals. A mechanical PE with a Georgia license is not the answer for a civil site plan.

Check 3: active on the planned issue date

Check the license against the date the set goes out, not today’s date.

• Texas: signing or sealing a document while the license is inactive, revoked, suspended or expired is misconduct. (22 TAC 137.37(a)(2))
• Georgia: PE licenses expire December 31 every year. A January issue date after a missed renewal is exactly the gap to catch. (Georgia PE page)
• Texas is moving every license to an end-of-January or end-of-July expiration during the 2026 cycle, so dates on your roster may be out of date. (TBPELS two-year renewal FAQ)

Check 4: the firm is authorized in that state

The engineer’s license lets a person practice. Many states also require the firm to hold its own credential before it offers engineering there.

• Georgia: every entity that practices or offers engineering needs a Certificate of Authorization before practicing, including branch offices of out-of-state firms. (Georgia board, PE/LS Business Entity)
• Texas: any firm offering engineering services in Texas must be registered, including out-of-state firms. (TBPELS firm FAQ)

Both states put the firm’s credential on the paper:

• Georgia: each drawing sheet is sealed, signed and dated by the registrant responsible for it and carries the firm’s COA name, authorization number and expiration date. (Ga. Rule 180-12-.02(2), (6))
• Texas: all engineering documents released, issued or submitted, including preliminary ones, show the name and registration number of the engineer’s firm. (22 TAC 137.33(n))

That’s why this check is done once for the whole set and carried to every sheet. In Georgia and Texas, if the firm isn’t authorized, a fully licensed engineer can’t fix that by sealing. If the person who makes the firm eligible leaves, see what happens when your engineer of record or qualifier leaves.

A worked example

Sample firm, not a client. Hartwell Process and everyone in it are made up.

Hartwell Process is adding a line in Georgia. The permit set has five sheets, with a planned issue date of Oct 16, 2026. The firm has no Georgia Certificate of Authorization. Priya Shah’s Georgia license runs to Dec 31, 2026.

Priya passes three checks and still can’t put E-301 out, because Georgia’s rule requires the firm’s COA information on the sheet and the firm has none. A Georgia COA would clear E-301 and is the first step for G-001. It would not clear C-100 or M-201, and S-101 waits on Marcus’s comity license being issued.

The short version

Before a set goes out, ask four questions about every sheet:

1. Is this person’s license in the project state issued, not just filed?
2. Is this sheet in their discipline?
3. Will the license still be active on the issue date?
4. Is the firm authorized in this state?

If any answer is “no” or “not sure,” that sheet isn’t ready.