We have this in CT (see page 2). I will never release a cad file with a seal on it, even to another surveyor. I will send a scanned pdf with my seal on it.
Here's the law from The Garden State:
13:40-8.1A DIGITAL SIGNATURES AND SEALS
a) A digital signature and seal shall carry the same weight, authority, and effect as a
handwritten signature and impression-type seal when the following criteria are met:
1) The digital signing and sealing process satisfies the requirements of the Digital
Signature Standard (DSS) established by the National Institute of Standards and
Technology, FIPS PUB 186-4, Digital Signature Algorithm Validation System, (2014),
which is hereby incorporated by reference, as amended and supplemented. This
standard may be obtained at the following website: http:www.NIST.gov/. The digital
signature and seal must be:
i) Unique to the licensee;
ii) Verifiable by a trusted third party or some other approved process as belonging
to the licensee;
iii) Under the licenseeÛªs direct and exclusive control; and
iv) Linked to a document in such a manner that the digital signature and seal is
invalidated if any data in the document is changed. Once the digital signature and seal
are applied to the document, the document shall be available in read-only format if the
document is to be digitally transmitted.
b) A licensee who digitally signs and seals a document shall maintain a digital copy of the
electronically transmitted document that has also been digitally signed and sealed for
future verification purposes in accordance with N.J.A.C. 13:40-3.4(b).
c) The pictorial representation of the digital signature and seal shall be readily available to
the Board upon Board request and shall be produced in a manner acceptable to the
Board. It shall contain the same words and shall have substantially the same graphic
appearance and size as when the image of the digitally transmitted document is viewed
at the same size as the document in its original form.
d) Licensees are responsible for the use of their private digital keys. A lost or compromised
key shall not be used and the licensee shall cause a new key pair to be generated in
accordance with the criteria described in (a) above. A licensee shall take all reasonable
steps to ensure that a compromised key is invalidated, and shall inform all affected
clients that the digital key has been compromised.
Jethro, post: 400464, member: 7322 wrote: My digital seal is not a copy of my professional seal and signature. I use GlobalSign digital signatures for PDFs. The signature shows my name (w/PLS), email, and date. Once a PDF is signed there is a bar at the top of the drawing that shows the signature as valid. If the PDF is altered or edited the bar shows the PDF as altered and the signature is invalid. The digital signature is on a USB which is password protected. You can add a scan of your professional seal and signature if you like. GlobalSIgn also conforms to my Board of RegistrationÛªs standard.
Jethro,
What is GlobalSign charging you a year for the service? If you don't mind me asking.
I'm thinking it was around $800 for three years.
My GlobalSign class 2 is $79/year.
We use https://www.identrust.com/certificates/aces.html for all of our site/plot plan digital signature submissions to various governmental municipalities.
You can have a jpeg, bmp etc. image of your seal made from various sites on the web.
All of our submissions are dwgÛªs converted to pdfÛªs prior to emailing. (has to be in pdf form to validate/secure signature).
I have a client that is blowing up my email to sign up to DocuSign to be paid paperless with them to direct deposit to my bank.
I can pay my state renewal fees for nothing by simply entering my routing info for free.
My answer was that they would need to pass more work my way to do that because of the yearly fees.
At one to three jobs per year, it is not a solution.
I am old school mostly, email is a digital media I can work with and scanning an actual signed document in color at 600dpi works very well.
Andy Nold, post: 400455, member: 7 wrote: I used a digitally encrypted signature on PDF files for a little while and thought it was ok. If someone wants to forge your seal and signature, not using a digital signature won't stop them. We are required to keep wet sealed paper copies in our files, but as I have stated numerous times before, I also number and journal my signatures as well as the color of ink I sign with. I never sign with black or use a black stamp pad. You might copy my seal and signature but it is unlikely that you can alter my journal. I just hit certification number 3400 friday. I am just about to fill up my second journal, too.
Ultimately it is your signature and seal to protect as you see fit.
Apparently the TBPLS approved the rule change to allow electronic seal and signature at their monthly board meeting last Friday. The meeting is online on the TBPLS website. In listening to the discussion, the board members cautioned that it is still the RPLS's responsibility to maintain control of their certification and to have verifiable copies on file.
For recorded surveys in the VI, it doesn't matter what you do. The Public Surveyor, who runs the Cadastral Office thinks he has the authority to change recorded surveys if he thinks they are wrong.
For Title Surveys, I occasionally use a digital signature, but mostly an embossed seal with "not valid without embossed seal and original signature"
cls5095, post: 400442, member: 6344 wrote: could i request an opinion of the digital seal and signature, pros and cons, and do you use it and would you recommend it?
thank you.
My opinion is that if it doesn't have a handwritten signature its not an original document.
Concerning digital or handwritten signatures, what's the difference and benefit of one over the other? Without a notary acknowledgement a fraudulent use may have a similar frequency of occurrence in either type of signature. Is a "wet seal & signature" or an "original seal & signature" more secure? Will a digital signature lead to more fraudulent land survey plats? Maybe with digital technology & method there can be a more secure seal & signature.
Larry Best, post: 429965, member: 763 wrote: For recorded surveys in the VI, it doesn't matter what you do. The Public Surveyor, who runs the Cadastral Office thinks he has the authority to change recorded surveys if he thinks they are wrong.
For Title Surveys, I occasionally use a digital signature, but mostly an embossed seal with "not valid without embossed seal and original signature"
Larry,
Check Your inbox I have a question for you.
David
Jim in AZ, post: 429983, member: 249 wrote: My opinion is that if it doesn't have a handwritten signature its not an original document.
So how does that work in a paperless office? Seems pointless to print a copy just to put a stamp on it and then scan it. Why not affix a digital signature and stamp that conforms to the laws and rules of your state? Since we lost every piece of paper in our office during the flood last August, we are 99% paperless now.
andrewm, post: 430529, member: 10888 wrote: So how does that work in a paperless office? Seems pointless to print a copy just to put a stamp on it and then scan it. Why not affix a digital signature and stamp that conforms to the laws and rules of your state? Since we lost every piece of paper in our office during the flood last August, we are 99% paperless now.
It works very easily:
Maps: Plot it, sign it, scan it, record it.
Descriptions, reports, etc.: Print it, sign it, scan it, record it or give it to the client.
I don't see anything pointless at all...
Do you not record anything? Or do your counties accept scans for recording?
Jim in AZ, post: 430530, member: 249 wrote: It works very easily:
Maps: Plot it, sign it, scan it, record it.
Descriptions, reports, etc.: Print it, sign it, scan it, record it or give it to the client.
I don't see anything pointless at all...
Do you not record anything? Or do your counties accept scans for recording?
I'm not a surveyor, so no, I don't record anything. Most of my clients want their document emailed anyways. So digitally signing is much easier. I add my embossed seal to hard copies that I deliver.
