This symbol was adopted as the Great Seal of the State of Minnesota on May 11, 2024.
The Minnesota Secretary of State is the keeper of the Great Seal of the State of Minnesota and affixes the seal to government documents to make them official. Just as people authenticate a document by signing their name to it, the state seal acts as the State’s signature.
The state seal is contained within a traditional round design. Elements of the seal, listed from the outside into the center of the circle, are as follows:
The outer circle of the seal contains 98 rectangular golden bars, representing the state’s 87 counties and the 11 federally-recognized American Indian Tribes within the border of Minnesota;
Lettering of the seal is in Georgia bold font and states “The Great Seal of the State of Minnesota,” and, moving towards the center, then contains a series of blue roundels, which are decorative only;
The innermost part of the circle contains several symbols representing the State of Minnesota, including:
In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature created a State Emblem Redesign Commission to reimagine the state’s seal and flag. The commission received 399 seal design submissions from Minnesotans. From these submissions, the commission chose one finalist for a seal concept created by Ross Bruggink. The concept design was altered to replace the French motto, “L’Étoile du Nord,” meaning “the Star of the North,” with the phrase “Mni Sóta Makoce,” the original rendering of the name Minnesota. The historic seal was retired, and the new seal was adopted on May 11, 2024.
View a copy of the State Emblem Redesign Commission’s final report to the Office of the Governor and the Minnesota Legislature.
The state seal is used on official documents, including notaries’ stamps, as well as stationery of government officials; it is also used in formal settings of government buildings on podiums and walls.
The seal is public domain. Private use of the seal is allowable, with limited restrictions outlined in a 1984 attorney general’s interpretation of Minnesota Statutes:
Minnesota Statute 1.135, subd. 4 (1983 Supp.) states that section 1.135 does not "prohibit the enlargement, proportioned reduction, or embossment of the seal for its use in official acts." This suggests...that the private enlargement, reduction or embossment of the seal by private citizens is not prohibited.
There are a number of consumer protection statutes that could conceivably prohibit the use of the state seal if it is used to misrepresent the nature of a business (Minnesota Statute 325D.12) or if a person in the course of his business, vocation or occupation engages in any conduct which creates a likelihood of confusion or of misunderstanding (Minnesota Statute 325D.44(12)). In addition, in some circumstances, reproduction of the seal may constitute aggravated forgery. See Minnesota Statute 609.626, subd. 1(2). It provides that "whoever, with intent to defraud, falsely makes or alters [an official seal] so that it purports to have been made by another or by himself under an assumed or fictitious name...or by authority of one who did not give such authority, is guilty of aggravated forgery...”
Minnesota Statutes 1983 section 1.135
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State Symbols