Copy Certification

A certified copy is a notarial act in which a Notary certifies that a photocopy of an original document is a complete and true reproduction of the original document.



A Notary may only certify copies of powers of attorney (Probate Code section 4307) and his or her notary public journal (Government Code sections 8205(a)(4), 8206(b)(1), and 8206(e)).

​

A certified copy means that the certifying person has examined the original document and its copy and that the copy is a true and correct duplicate of the original document. When a client brings to Mobile Notary Public a copy of a power of attorney to be certified, the Notary Public must have both the original and the copy for comparison purposes..​

​DOCUMENTS NEVER TO BE COPY CERTIFIED BY NOTARY PUBLIC:​
• U.S. Naturalization Certificates (U.S. Penal Code section 75 and U.S. Code, title 18, section 137}.
• Vital Records, such as birth or death certificates.
• Recordable Documents, such as deeds.



Certified copies of birth, fetal death, and marriage records my be made only by the State Registrar, by duly appointed and acting local registrars during their term of office, and by county recorders (Health & Safety Code section 103545).

STEPS TO CERTIFY A COPY  
1. The document custodian personally appears before the Notary.
2. The Notary identifies the custodian.
3. The Notary examines the copy or makes a photocopy.
4. The Notary completes certificate wording for a copy certification and affixes the official signature and seal.
5. The Notary affixes the certificate to the first page of the copy