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People are often asked to obtain a certified copy of documents such as passports, transcripts, birth certificates, translations, etc. In California, the law only allows a Notary Public to certify copies of his/her journals and Power of Attorney documents (CA Government Code sections 8205(a)(4), 8205(b)(1), and 8206(e)).
It is absolutely illegal for a California Notary to certify a copy of anything other than the aforementioned documents.
VITAL RECORDS (Birth, Death, Marriage)
Certified copies of birth, fetal death, death, and marriage records in California may be made only by the State Registrar or County Recorder (Health & Safety Code section 103545). If you need to request a certified copy of these records by mail, then your signature on the Certificate of Identity that accompanies the application for the copy usually needs to be notarized. Applications are available online for this purpose. For more details (and to download the paperwork) see:
Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk
Kern County Assessor-Recorder
San Bernardino County Recorder
Ventura County Clerk & Recorder
Orange County Clerk-Recorder
For other California county websites, see: www.csac.counties.org
If the vital record document did not originate in California, you will need to contact the original source for more information on obtaining a certified copy.
OTHER RECORDS
If you need an official copy of any document, it is best to go to the source and inquire about obtaining certified or official copies. If you do not need an official copy, but are still being asked to have it certified, a California Notary will not be able certify the copy except for the two examples mentioned above (journals and powers of attorney).
A notary can, however, notarize the signature of an individual on a statement or letter indicating a copy is genuine. Please be aware that this does not mean the notary is certifying the copy - only the identity of the individual signing the document. It is the individual signing the document that is responsible for the document's content.
COPY CERTIFICATION BY DOCUMENT CUSTODIAN
In some cases, people choose to use a form called "Copy Certification by Document Custodian" as a substitute for a certified copy from the original source. Please be aware that there is no guarantee that the document will be acceptable to the entity requesting the copy certification. You should always ask the entity that is requesting the certification if this solution will work for them.
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