Government seal maker

Government offices rely on two kinds of marks. The first is the official seal of a government or agency, which is created, protected, and controlled by law and used only by designated officials. The second is the everyday office stamp that staff use to process paperwork: RECEIVED, APPROVED, INSPECTED, ENTERED. The templates on this page are for the second kind. They give authorized staff a quick way to design clear administrative stamps for their department, not a way to reproduce an official seal.

National, state, and municipal seals are legally protected in many countries. In the United States, for example, federal law restricts the use of the Great Seal and other official seals, and many states limit how their state seal may be used. Other countries have similar rules for their emblems and coats of arms. Before you design anything:

• Do not copy a government seal, coat of arms, or emblem unless your agency has authorized you to use it and has supplied the approved artwork.
• Follow your agency's style guide, records management rules, and purchasing process for stamps.
• Ask your records officer or administrative lead if you are not sure whether a mark counts as an official seal.

Seals have authenticated government records for thousands of years, from cylinder seals rolled onto clay in ancient Mesopotamia to the Great Seal the United States adopted in 1782. Official seals like these remain under strict custody. Routine office stamps are what most staff actually use day to day.

• Intake at service counters: RECEIVED with the date, time, and the initials of the staff member.
• Decisions: APPROVED, DENIED, RETURNED FOR CORRECTION, PENDING REVIEW.
• Inspections and permits: INSPECTED, PERMIT ISSUED, FIELD VERIFIED, with an inspector ID line.
• Records handling: ENTERED, SCANNED, FILE COPY, DUPLICATE.
• Department identity: a round stamp with the department name and address for outgoing letters and forms.

If your office runs a busy public counter, this walkthrough of a shows how intake, review, and release stamps can work together.

Keep the content specific to the task:

• Department or office name, for example "Department of Public Works – Permits Division".
• The status word in capitals.
• A date line, plus a time line where deadlines are counted by the hour.
• A file, permit, or application number line.
• A "By" or staff ID line.
• An optional generic symbol, such as a star or a simple line ornament, instead of an official emblem.

Round stamps with the department name around the edge are common for identity marks; roughly 38–50 mm (1.5–2 in) across leaves room for a long name. Rectangular stamps suit status marks with fill-in fields, since lines of text and blanks stack in rows. Ovals help when a long department name has to fit on one stamp. Measure the space your forms leave for official use before choosing a size.

1. Choose a template and open it in the editor on this page.
2. Replace the placeholder text with your office's exact name, and check spelling and abbreviations against your letterhead.
3. On round and oval layouts, adjust the curved text size and letter spacing until the name fits evenly around the edge.
4. Select a border. Single or double borders suit administrative paperwork; keep dashed, dotted, and vintage borders for informal uses.
5. Upload a logo (SVG or PNG) only if your agency has approved its use on stamps.
6. Set the ink color your office uses, usually black or blue, and choose a standard or custom size.

The live preview (which carries a watermark) shows every change. Sign in with a free account to save the final version to My Library so the whole team reopens the same approved design.

For a faster start, the can draft a layout from a description such as "rectangular RECEIVED stamp for a permits office with date and staff ID lines". Describe the stamp, review the AI draft, refine it in the editor, and pay only when you export.

Designing and previewing are free. Pick an export once the design has been approved:

• PNG ($2.50): transparent, at 1x, 3x, or 10x, for placing on PDFs and documents.
• PNG + SVG + EPS ($2.90): vector files for an approved vendor making a physical stamp.
• All six formats ($3.50): PNG, JPG, SVG, EPS, PDF, and DOCX for form templates and records.

A single export does not need an account.

For electronic forms and correspondence, the free lets you upload a PDF, place the stamp image, resize it, and download the result. Files are processed in the browser and cleared about an hour after use. Check your agency's data-handling rules before uploading any document that contains personal information.

A stamp image is visual artwork. It is not a certificate-based electronic seal or a digital signature, and it does not prove who issued a document or detect changes. Frameworks such as the EU's eIDAS regulation define electronic seals that rely on digital certificates; this explainer on covers the difference.

• Keep physical stamps in a locked location and assign them to named staff.
• Store the master design file in a controlled shared folder rather than on personal devices.
• Record when a stamp is introduced, changed, or retired.
• Replace worn stamps before impressions become unreadable on scans.

• Adding a seal, flag, or coat of arms that the office is not authorized to use.
• Abbreviating the department name differently from the letterhead.
• Making fill-in lines too short to write on.
• Using pale ink that fades in grayscale scans.
• Treating a stamped PDF as an electronically signed record.

Can I recreate my state's or country's official seal here?

No. Official seals and emblems are controlled by law and by the agencies that own them. These templates are for administrative office stamps. Follow your agency's rules, and use official artwork only if you are authorized and it has been supplied to you.

Is a PDF with a stamp image an official electronic seal?

No. The image shows a mark on the page but contains no certificate or signature data. Ask your agency's IT or records team which electronic signing methods are approved.

Who should approve a new office stamp?

Usually a supervisor, records officer, or administrative lead. Many agencies also require stamps to be ordered through an approved vendor, so check before placing an order.

What ink color do government offices use?

Black and blue are the most common, but practices vary. Follow your office's existing standard so stamped records stay consistent.