PE stamp in Wisconsin: the commercial building code and the A-E seal

When a Wisconsin PE stamp is required

The Examining Board of Architects, Landscape Architects, Professional Engineers, Designers, and Professional Land Surveyors, under the Department of Safety and Professional Services, credentials Professional Engineers. Each sheet of engineering plans, specifications, and reports is signed, sealed, and dated by the credential holder who prepared the work or directed and controlled its preparation. A bound volume may carry the seal only on the title or index sheet when that sheet identifies every other sheet in the volume. The project address controls the credential.

One- and two-family dwellings are under the Uniform Dwelling Code, SPS 320 to 325, not the commercial building code. Commercial buildings, and three or more attached townhouses, are in the commercial code. AllInStamp matches a Wisconsin-credentialed PE and verifies the credential before sealing.

DSPS plan review and delegated municipalities

Plans submitted on or after November 1, 2025 comply with the Wisconsin Commercial Building Code, SPS 361 to 366, which adopts the 2021 International Building Code and companion I-codes with Wisconsin amendments. Supplemental systems such as fire alarm, HVAC, and fire suppression follow the code edition under which the building plan was approved.

Some cities, villages, and counties are delegated to review structural and HVAC plans, within limits that depend on the delegation. First- and second-class cities review commercial projects of all sizes. An owner may still send a required review to DSPS instead of the municipality. State-owned buildings stay with the department. Check the delegated-municipality list for the address, and name that office in the quote. A local permit can still be required after the state or delegated plan review.

Seal size, city, and the three ways to sign

A-E 2.02 sets the seal diameter between 1-5/8 and 2 inches. The seal includes the credential holder’s name, the credential number, and the city. DSPS instructs holders to use the numbers before the dash in the credential number. The city is the place the holder resides or is employed, matching the mailing address on file with the board. The seal may be an embossing seal, an ink stamp, a digitally printed seal, or a seal digitally embedded in an electronic file.

On documents filed as public records, the signature and date use one of three methods: a physical seal with a handwritten signature in permanent ink, a digitally placed seal with that same handwritten ink signature, or a digitally placed seal with an electronic signature. The electronic signature contains the holder’s name and the date, meets Chapter 137 of the statutes, and uses a security procedure. A scanned image of an original signature is not that electronic signature. The governmental unit receiving the plans also has to allow electronic submission. Revisions that affect health, safety, or a state or local code requirement are signed, sealed, and dated by the credential holder who made them or directed them.

Plans first prepared outside Wisconsin

A-E 2.02(8) covers plans and calculations prepared by an architect or engineer credentialed in another state. A Wisconsin credential holder who submits them for filing signs, seals, and dates a certificate stating that the plans were reviewed and comply with the applicable state and local building codes. That certificate also states that the Wisconsin reviewer is responsible for supervision of construction as the state, county, and municipality require. It is not a second image placed on someone else’s seal.

Tell us if the set was produced outside Wisconsin so the certificate, and not only a seal, is part of the deliverable.

How to get a Wisconsin set sealed

Upload the PDF plan set and calculations, and note whether plan review is DSPS or a delegated municipality. Include the code edition and any prior review letter. The seal is applied only by a Wisconsin credential holder who directed and controlled the work, or who completes the out-of-state review certificate.

Start a new quote with Wisconsin prefilled. Intake typically responds within 24–48 hours. Stamp turnaround then follows page count and whether rush service is selected.

FAQ

Can I use a scanned signature on a Wisconsin electronic plan set?

No. A-E 2.02 allows a handwritten signature in ink, including on a digitally placed seal, or an electronic signature that uses a Chapter 137 security procedure. A scanned image of a signature does not take the place of that electronic signature.

Does every Wisconsin commercial project go to the state?

Delegated municipalities review many projects, within the limits of their delegation. The owner may still submit to DSPS. State-owned buildings are reviewed by the department. Name the city so intake can tell which path applies.

Which building code applies to a new commercial submission?

Plans submitted on or after November 1, 2025 follow the Wisconsin Commercial Building Code adoption of the 2021 International Building Code, with the SPS 361 to 366 amendments. One- and two-family dwellings follow the Uniform Dwelling Code.