Here in Virginia notaries are authorized to certify a copy of a document, as long as it's not a vital record such as a birth or death certificate, or a document in the custody of a court. I was once asked to certify a copy of an immigration certificate, but it clearly stated on the front that it was not allowed to be copied, which I pointed out the requester. In those cases, people must obtain a certified copy from the issuing government entity. In Virginia, I would be allowed to certify a copy of the driver's license - not sure about the MD license.
In CA, if memory serves from what I've read on here, CA notaries are not allowed to certify copies, but instead have the requester write a statement that he/she is the document custodian and the attached is a copy of the original document, then the notary notarizes the signer's signature. |
