Copy Certification

A copy certification confirms that a reproduction of an original document is a full, true, and accurate transcription or reproduction of the original.

Documents requiring copy certification may include: diplomas, driver’s licenses, leases, contracts, vehicle titles, Social Security cards, medical records and bills of sale.

To perform a copy certification, the person in possession of an original document (known also as the "document custodian") takes the original document to a notary public. The Notary typically will make a photocopy of the document and complete a certificate for the copy certification to confirm that the photocopy is a true, accurate and complete copy of the original.

While copy certifications are considered a common notarial act, nearly half of the U.S. states bar Notaries from performing this type of notarization. Make sure to check your state's guidelines to see if you may certify copies.

Of the states that do authorize this act, some stipulate that you may only certify copies of documents, not images, or other items. Other states allow Notaries to certify copies of both “records” and “items,” such as graphs, maps or images. California only allows Notaries to certify copies of powers of attorney or the Notary’s journal if requested by state officials or a court of law.

Many states, including Florida and Texas, also forbid the copy certification of vital, public documents, such as birth, death or marriage certificates. Certified copies of these documents typically must be obtained from the agency that holds the originals.

Notaries in Texas and Montana are allowed to certify that a physical copy of a notarized electronic record (such as a printed copy of an electronic document) is a true and correct copy.

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