The Howard County Code of 1977 stipulates that the seal of the county shall be a copy of the seal designed by Edward Stabler in 1840. The seal depicts "a shock of wheat, centrally dominant, with a hand plow to the left, and a spike harrow to the right. All three (3) are centered on a plowed field with tobacco plants growing in the foreground. Trees and rolling hills form the background, and a cloudless sky forms the upper third of the design."

The County Code describes the colors that are to be used when the seal is rendered in color. The sky--Prussian blue-med.; the wheat--yellow ochre; the hills--graduated shades of teraverte; the tobacco plant in the foreground--Chrome green-med.; the trees--a dark shade of chrome green; the soil--burnt umber-med;.; the spike harrow and the plow blade--Ivory black diluted to gray; and the plow handles--Burnt sienna-med.