![]() Vital records are those that document citizens’ “life events” within a particular state or country, such as birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage and divorce records. A public record is any document that is recorded in a county clerk's office or held by some government agency and is open to the public for inspection. The document must not be a public record, or a vital record. If asked to certify/attest a photocopy that has already been made, you must also be presented with the original document for comparison purposes, and your state law must allow the comparison method for this notarial act ( see NOTE above). Make or witness the making of a certified/attested photocopy only when you are presented with a true original document. No state or country would give up the original copy of a vital record. If a person brings in a certified copy of a birth certificate, for example, and tells you that it is the original birth certificate, it is not. You must be presented with the original document for comparison purposes or to make/witness the photocopy. A certified copy issued by the official document custodian (for example, a certified copy of a marriage record, issued by a county clerk) is not an original document - it is a copy. You Must Be Presented With the Document Original To complete the certified/ attested photocopy notarial act, you must observe several conditions and follow certain procedures:ġ. It is therefore wise to positively identify this person. ![]() You will also want to record the name of the document custodian in your recordbook entry. ![]() While your state statutes or rules may be silent on this matter, the notarial certificate for an attested photocopy generally states the document custodian’s name. Please note that when a notary makes an attested copy of a document, he/she is not guaranteeing the authenticity of the original document, its contents, or its effects. The notary is simply stating that the document photocopy is a "true" and complete copy of the original document that was presented. The notary’s certification is made in a notarial certificate worded expressly for this purpose.ĪSN recommends that you positively identify the person presenting a document for copy attestation as a best practice. ( * NOTE: Only certain states that authorize copy certification/attestation allow the comparison method. They are CA-POAs only, CO, ID, ME, MN, MO, MT, NH, ND, OK, PA, VT, WA, WV, WI, WY.)įor clarity, ASN avoids use of the term "certified" copy except in states whose statutes actually refer to the act in this manner. We more frequently use variations of the term “attest” i.e. Instead, you make or witness the making of a photocopy of a document, or you compare a photocopy* against the original document, and then certify or attest ("affirm to be correct") that the photocopy is a true copy of the original. You do not administer an oath or take an acknowledgment from anyone. ![]() The act of copy certification/attestation is completely different from notarial acts involving a signed document. Not all documents are eligible for copy certification/attestation by a notary. The following discussion will help you navigate these sometimes murky waters. Not all states, however, authorize notaries to perform this act. Notaries are frequently asked to make a certified or attested copy of an original document. ![]()
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