Copy Certifications

In California, notaries public are strictly limited to certifying copies of documents:

​

• Powers of Attorney​​​

​

ILLEGAL: It is illegal for a California notary to certify copies of vital records (birth, death, marriage certificates), court documents, or public records that are available through a public agency.

​

Alternative: For documents not listed above (e.g., passports, diplomas, licenses), the owner of the document must use a procedure known as "Copy Certification by Document Custodian," where the owner signs an affidavit.

​​​​