Certified true copies: what a notary can and cannot certify

A certified true copy is one of the simplest notarial acts and one of the most misunderstood. Clients often arrive expecting me to verify that a document is genuine. That is not what is happening.

What the certification actually says

When I certify a true copy, I am attesting to one narrow fact: that the photocopy in front of me is a complete and accurate reproduction of the original document I was shown. That is the whole claim. I am not vouching that the original is authentic, that the contents are true, or that the issuing body stands behind it.

That narrowness is the point. The institution asking for the certified copy — a university, an immigration office, a bank — does not want your original passport sitting in their file. They want assurance that the copy they hold matches an original that a commissioned officer laid eyes on.

Why I must see the original

There is no way around this. I cannot certify a copy from another copy, from a scan, from a photograph on your phone, or from a PDF you email me. If I have not physically examined the original, I have nothing to compare against, and the certification would be meaningless.

Documents that commonly need certifying

• Passports and driver's licences
• Birth, marriage and death certificates
• Academic transcripts, diplomas and degree certificates
• Permanent resident cards and immigration documents
• Legal name change certificates
• Photographs, for passport and identity purposes

Where it gets complicated

Some issuing bodies will not accept a notarial certified copy at all and insist on a certified copy from the issuer itself — some universities are strict about transcripts, for example. Before you book, check what the receiving institution will actually accept. It is a five-minute email that occasionally saves a whole appointment.

And if your document is heading overseas, a certified copy may not be enough on its own. It may also need an apostille, which is a separate process.