Circular No. 08/TT-BNV(C13) stipulates the model, engraving, usage, and management of seals for levels and units within the public security sector.

CIRCULAR

Circular No. 08/TT-BNV (C13) dated November 21, 1995 of the Ministry of Public Security stipulates the model, engraving, use, and management of seals for levels and units within the public security sector.

Pursuant to Point 4, Article 9 of Decree No. 62/CP dated September 22, 1993 of the Government on seal management and use;
To ensure strict and uniform seal management and use for levels and units within the public security sector, the Ministry of Public Security promulgates and guides the model, engraving, use, and management of seals for levels and units under the public security sector as follows.

I. PRINCIPLES, CONDITIONS AND SCOPE OF LEVELS AND UNITS WITHIN THE PUBLIC SECURITY SECTOR ELIGIBLE TO USE SEALS.

1. Levels and units within the public security sector eligible to use seals bearing the public security emblem.

a - Levels of public security:

- Provincial and centrally-administered city public security.

- District, county, town, and provincial city public security.

- Town public security, ward public security, commune public security.

b - Units directly constituting the level of public security:

- Departments under the Ministry of Public Security.

- Department Command, Bureau, Institute, Investigation Agency, Inspectorate of the Ministry of Public Security.

- University of Public Security, College, High School of Public Security.

- Prison, Detention Center, Educational Reform Center, Educational Institution.

- People's Public Security Newspaper, Public Security Magazine, Public Security Publishing House, Hospital 19-8, Hospital 30-4.

- Industrial Zone Public Security.

- Mobile Police Battalion, Traffic Police Company.

- Police Post.

- Special Task Force Team, Police Station.

c - Types of smaller seals and raised seals of certain levels and units of public security to be affixed to citizen identification cards; public security personnel certificates, and driver’s licenses.

2 - The Minister of Public Security decides to permit the use and recall of seals of levels and units within the public security sector as specified in Point 1 above.

3 - Organizations and units that may use seals not bearing the public security emblem.

a - Economic units of the public security sector (under the Ministry of Public Security and local public security).

b - Professional and service units directly under the Ministry, Departments, General Departments, Department Commands, Bureaus, Institutes, Schools, and provincial-level public security (such as Youth Work Office, Women's Work Office, Health Care Center, Service Printing House, Medical Clinic, Retired Police Club...).

II. MODELS OF SEAL TYPES:

The seal model includes shape, size, border, and content of the seal:

1. Shape: Seals of levels and units within the public security sector are circular (except for some economic units as prescribed in Circular No. 05/TT-BNV of the Ministry of Public Security dated June 6, 1994).

2. Size:

a. Type of seal with the public security emblem:

- Levels and units of public security:

+ Seals of General Departments, Inspectorate have a diameter of 37 mm.

+ Seals of Department Command, Bureau, Institute, and Investigation Agency under General Departments; seals of University of Public Security; seals of provincial and centrally-administered city public security have a diameter of 36 mm.

+ Seals of Colleges, High Schools of Public Security, Prisons, Detention Centers, Educational Reform Centers, Educational Institutions under General Departments, Bureaus have a diameter of 35 mm.

+ Seals of People's Public Security Newspaper, Public Security Magazine, Public Security Publishing House, Hospital 19-8, Hospital 30-4 have a diameter of 35 mm.

+ Seals of district, county, town, and equivalent public security have a diameter of 34 mm.

+ Seals of units under provincial and centrally-administered city public security (at the department level or equivalent): Traffic Police Department, Industrial Zone Public Security, Prison, Detention Center, Investigation Agency, Security Investigation Agency, Inspectorate; seals of Mobile Police Battalion, Police Company have a diameter of 34 mm.

- Seals of Border Public Security, Town Public Security, Ward Public Security, Commune Public Security, Police Post have a diameter of 32 mm.

- Seals of Special Task Force Team, Police Station, Police Station... have a diameter of 30 mm.

- Type of wet seal or raised seal reduced in size:

+ Wet seal has a diameter of 23 mm.

+ Raised seal has a diameter of 21 mm.

b - Type of seal without the public security emblem:

- Seals of economic units under the public security sector shall comply with the provisions of Circular No. 05/TT-BVN dated June 6, 1994 of the Ministry of Public Security.

- Seals of professional and service units under the Ministry, General Departments, Department Commands, Bureaus:

+ Youth Work Office, Women's Work Office of the Ministry have a diameter of 34 mm.

+ Youth Work Office, Women's Work Office of General Departments, Department Commands, Bureaus have a diameter of 32 mm.

+ Health Care Center, Service Printing House... have a diameter of 32 mm.

- Seals of professional and service units under provincial and centrally-administered city public security:

+ Youth Work Office, Women's Work Office have a diameter of 32 mm.

+ Medical Clinic have a diameter of 30 mm.

3 - Border: Seals of levels and units of public security have two borders; the outer border consists of two adjacent circles, the outer circle being bold and the inner circle being fine; the inner border is a single fine circle. The distance between the two borders of the seals is as follows:

- For seals with diameters of 35 mm, 36 mm, 37 mm, the distance is 5 mm.

- For seals with diameters of 30 mm, 32 mm, 34 mm, the distance is 4 mm.

4 - Content of the seal:

a - The emblem engraved inside the seals of levels and units within the public security sector mentioned in Point 1, Part I is the public security emblem. The emblem is engraved in the center of the seal and surrounded by an inner border which is part of the seal's border.

Specifically, the seal of the investigation agency bears the security emblem, and the seal of the police investigation agency bears the police emblem.

b - Content of the seal with the public security emblem:

- The seals mentioned in Points a and b (items 1 and 2) of Point 1, Part I of this Circular shall be engraved as follows:

+ Outer ring at the top: Socialist Republic of Vietnam, with two small stars at the beginning and end of the line of text.

+ Outer ring at the bottom shall be engraved with the name of the unit using the seal. If the unit has a superior supervisory authority, then the name of the supervisory authority shall also be engraved before the name of the unit using the seal.

(See Part I of the annex, Model No. 1)

- The seals mentioned in Point b (remaining items) of Point 1, Part I of this Circular shall be engraved as follows:

+ Outer ring at the top shall be engraved with the name of the level or direct superior supervisory unit, with two small stars at the beginning and end of the line of text.

+ Outer ring at the bottom shall be engraved with the name of the unit using the seal. If the unit is subordinate to a direct supervisory unit (General Department, Department Command, Bureau, or provincial-level public security), then the name of the direct supervisory unit shall also be engraved before the name of the unit using the seal.

(See Appendix I, Model Number 2, Number 3 of the Appendix)

c - Types of seals without the Public Security emblem:

- Specialized units and service units under the Ministry:

+ The outer ring engraves: "Ministry of Interior" with a small star at the beginning and end of this line.

+ In the middle of the seal engrave the name of the unit using the seal.

- Specialized and service units under the General Bureau, Public Security Command, Department, Bureau, Institute, School:

+ The upper outer ring engraves the name of the Ministry of Interior or the name of the General Bureau, with two small stars at the beginning and end of this line.

+ The lower outer ring engraves the name of the Department, Bureau... of the superior management level.

+ In the middle of the seal engrave the name of the unit using the seal.

- Units directly under the Provincial Public Security, City Public Security under the Central Government.

+ Engrave the name of the Provincial Public Security, City Public Security around the outer ring of the seal, with a small star at the beginning and end of this line.

+ In the middle of the seal engrave the name of the unit using the seal.

(See Part II of the Appendix, Model Number 5)

III. PROCEDURES FOR ENGRAVING SEALS, MANAGING AND USING SEALS.

1. Procedures for engraving stamps:

a - A letter requesting to engrave a seal accompanied by the decision establishing the organization and permission to use the seal from the competent authority (as stipulated in Section 2, Part I of this Circular)

b - An introduction letter and presentation of the ID card or certificate of People's Police Officer of the person sent to engrave the seal.

c - For Provincial Public Security, City Public Security, District Public Security, County Public Security, and Ward, Village Public Security, they are automatically processed for engraving seals, only needing a letter attached to the general decision, without requiring a decision from each unit (except in cases where the unit was newly established after the issuance of the general decision)

2. Procedures for re-engraving seals: In cases where the currently used seals are lost, worn out, damaged, or units change their names, they are allowed to re-engrave seals.

a - In case of losing a seal: The unit must immediately establish a record after discovering the loss of the seal, have a plan to search for it and report to the higher-level Public Security agency managing it about the loss of the seal and the actions taken after the seal was lost, while proposing procedures to re-engrave the seal.

- In cases where the seal is found after reporting its loss, it is not permitted to use it again and it must be returned to the agency issuing the permit to engrave the seal.

b - For worn-out or damaged seals:

+ At the local level: The unit using the seal sends a letter to the Provincial Public Security (PX13, PC13) detailing the wear and damage and requesting to re-engrave the seal.

+ Units under the Ministry: The unit using the seal sends a request letter and assigns an officer to directly contact the General Bureau of Public Security (C13) to handle the procedures for re-engraving the seal.

- Seals of units changing names: When a unit using a seal has a decision to change its name (merger, division, renaming), that unit sends a request letter attached with the decision to establish a new unit or rename it to PC13 or C13 to handle the procedures for re-engraving the seal.

3 - Preservation and use of seals:

- Seals can only be affixed on documents and papers after being signed by authorized officers (heads, deputy heads of agencies or units, or those directly delegated by the head).

- Seals must be carefully preserved, stored in locked boxes or cabinets. They must be entrusted to staff trained in archiving and sealing. When affixing seals, they must be clear and neat, placed one-third to the left of the signature, and the surface of the seal must be cleaned to ensure clear imprint.

- Strictly prohibit affixing seals on blank paper, pre-affixing seals on blank paper, or affixing seals on documents signed by unauthorized persons.

4 - Ink for seals: All seals of all levels and units within the Public Security sector must use red ink.

IV - IMPLEMENTATION:

1- The C13 General Bureau of Public Security is responsible for:

a- Handling procedures for issuing permits to engrave seals, registering and keeping samples of seals, and issuing certificates of registered seal samples for all levels and units under the Ministry, and also responsible for inspecting the management, use, and preservation of seals of these units.

b - Processing procedures for issuing permits to local Public Security agencies to engrave seals with the Public Security emblem, Security emblem, Police emblem at the Ministry of Interior engraving facilities. Provincial and Municipal Public Security agencies under the Central Government must register and keep samples of seals and issue certificates of registered seal samples before use.

2 - From April 1, 1996, all levels and units within the Public Security sector must use new unified seals according to the models prescribed and guided in this Circular. Old model seals will no longer be valid and must be recalled.

During the period before new seals are engraved, old model seals will continue to be valid for use. After announcing the use of new seals, old seals must be returned to PC13 or C13 (where the sample seals were registered and kept).

3 - When the competent authority issues a decision to suspend operations or dissolve organizations, units, in the decision, clearly state the recall of the currently used seals. After recalling, the seals must be returned to the Public Security agency where the sample seals were registered and kept.

4 - Heads of General Bureaus, Public Security Commands, Departments, Bureaus, Institutes, Schools, Directors of Provincial and Municipal Public Security agencies under the Central Government must plan to inspect the management and use of seals of the levels and units under their management, and organize the implementation of re-engraving or engraving new seals for timely use as prescribed.

5 - This Circular takes effect from the date of signing and replaces Circular No. 01/TT-BNV dated January 2, 1980 of the Ministry of Interior regarding the models, procedures for engraving, management, and use of seals in the Public Security sector. Other guiding documents on the management and use of seals in the Public Security sector contrary to this Circular are abolished.

The General Bureau of Public Security (C13) guides, monitors, inspects, and urges the implementation of this Circular.