Plan Review

Digital Signature Instructions

A professional engineer or architect who uses a digital signature to electronically sign and seal engineering plans must have their identity authenticated by one of the following certification authorities:

1. IdenTrust
2. Entrust
3. DigiCert
4. Global Sign
5. Notarius Inc
6. Sectigo
7. Docusign Digital Signatures (Digital Certificates Only)
8. Adobe Digital Signatures (Digital Certificates Only)

Submit plans using one of the two methods below:

1. Submit Hard Copies:
   Print the Accela confirmation page containing the permit number and attach to the hard copies of plans which have been hard or wet sealed (three sets) and submit in person or via mail, FedEx, UPS, runner, etc.
2. Submit Electronically:
   Download instructions to meet state statute requirements using a third-party certificate authority.

Professional Engineers

Upload digitally signed and sealed plans meeting Polk County’s adopted requirements for state licensed design professionals such that each licensee’s digital signature appearance is to be accompanied by language that coincides with requirements adopted by the Florida Board of Professional Engineers (FBPE) on Nov. 3, 2015. For more information on acceptable seals, please refer to Florida Board of Professional Engineers Organization Chapter 61G15 Organization & Purpose document.

This language must be present when the digital signature is applied to any document or drawing that requires signing and sealing by any Florida State Licensed Design Professional. The purpose of this additional requirement is to ensure certainty in how a file was originally signed and sealed and to show that the file is not valid for re-filing as an original document

As with paper plans, each plan set needs to be signed and sealed by the professional of record. For PDF files, each document must contain an original verifiable digital signature. Scanned copies of digitally signed plan sheets are not acceptable. Signing with a digital signature issued to you by a Third Party Certification Authority that is accompanied by a digitally created image of your seal and required language (see bulleted sentences below). Signing information should be placed where an original signature would appear if the item were being physically signed, dated and sealed. The seal image and sentences should be placed on the document outside of the digital signature appearance and flattened before applying the digital signature. You must ensure that the seal meets the size requirements of the Florida Board of Professional Engineers.

• This item has been electronically signed and sealed by [Licensee, PE] on the Date and/or Time Stamp shown using a digital signature.
• Printed copies of this document are not considered signed and sealed and the signature must be verified on any electronic copies.

Architects and Landscape Architects

Signing with a digital signature issued to you by a Third Party Certification Authority.

Place a digitally created image of your seal and the following sentences where an original signature would appear if the item were being physically signed, dated and sealed. The sentences should be placed on the document outside of the digital signature appearance and flattened before applying the digital signature.

• This item has been electronically signed and sealed by [Licensee, RA, or LS] on the Date and/or Time Stamp shown using a digital signature.
• Printed copies of this document are not considered signed and sealed and the signature must be verified on any electronic copies.

General Document Standards

There are a few document standards that we recommend for best uploading performance. Please follow these guidelines in your document design to ensure correct processing in the Plan Room.

• All files must be in PDF file format other than boundary and topo surveys must be DWG and CSV files cannot be PDFs
• Maximum file size is 200MB
• Do not use encrypted or password-protected files
• Please do not combine any supporting documents in the same PDF file with any plan sheets
• Supporting documents will need to be uploaded as separate files (Building Ex. energy calcs, truss layouts, Florida Product Approvals, etc.)

Plans:

• A professional engineer or architect must leave a blank space on the top right hand corner of all construction plans to accommodate the county’s approval stamp
  • Building Division – 2-inch by 4-inch blank space on construction plans
  • Land Development – 2-inch by 2-inch blank space on construction plans
• An index of plan sheets must be provided (table of contents when exporting/publishing to the PDF (ex. include “Create Bookmarks”) setting in AutoCad. Include sheet titles within a table of contents when possible
  • Sheet Numbering for Plans
    Each sheet number must be unique. Take that into account when the number is entered manually and also when verifying the sheet numbers.
    Tip – For best results your plan sets should include a table of contents, i.e., bookmarks, of the sheet names.
    Suggested order for table of contents is as follows:
    1. C (ex: cover sheet, construction plans)
    2. B (ex: boundary survey)
    3. G (ex: general notes)
    4. S (ex: structural, survey)
    5. A (ex: architectural)
    6. E (ex: electrical)
    7. M (ex: mechanical)
    8. P (ex: plumbing, preliminary plat)
    9. L (ex: landscaping)
    10. I (ex: irrigation)
    11. T (ex: topo)
• All Plans and profiles shall be at appropriate scale of sufficient size to show all detail.
• A title block shall be shown on all sheets, and shall contain the following:
  1. Name of project
  2. Sheet number and total number of sheets
  3. Name, address and phone number of the responsible individual or professional
  4. Preparation date and date of any revisions
• Plan shall be on one or more sheets 24 inches by 36 inches
• Make sure sheet numbers are unique and consistent for each version of submitted plan pages
• When submitting revisions, please do not resubmit the entire plan set. Only upload the sheets containing changes from the previous submission. Be sure to name each sheet exactly the same as the original.

Supporting Documents:

• You can submit supporting documents as individual files or as a single file with multiple pages
• Document files may be oriented in either landscape or portrait view

Contact Us

Are you having difficulties accessing a building permit record in Citizen Access, uploading plans or receiving status alert emails? Your Citizen Access account may not be linked to the permit record in question. Please contact the appropriate division below for access to the record in question.

Building Division
Phone: (863) 534-6080
Email: buildingdivision@polk-county.net

Land Development
Phone: (863) 534-6449