Posted by Gary Boehm on 3/30/10 5:29pm
Msg #329678

Passports

I just did a quick search and did not find much. I just received a phone call from a fellow (with an India accent) asking me to verify his passport on a copy of it. He said he needs to send it somewhere. He said he also has about 10 other pages.

I have not done this before. Since I am not verifying a signature, what am I doing as a Notary?

Is there a link or reference for this?

Forgive me for not already knowing this, any help would be appreciated.

Reply by Michelle/AL on 3/30/10 5:36pm
Msg #329682

Check you P/M. n/m

Reply by Ernest__CT on 3/30/10 11:47pm
Msg #329744

Private replies to questions ...

... such as this one serve no useful purpose.

Reply in the Forum so that newbies can see the answer and those of us who have more experience can see that the answer is appropriate.

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 3/30/10 5:38pm
Msg #329684

Gary
How can you verify his passport? Not in our scope of duties.
He could make a copy of it and sign a statement that it is a true copy and you could notarize his signature.

Reply by Michelle/AL on 3/30/10 6:17pm
Msg #329701

Gary, if you go along with what Sylvia suggests, one of

the forms I sent you will take care of that - Copy Certification by Document Custodian.

Reply by Gary Boehm on 3/30/10 7:28pm
Msg #329717

Passports - Ohio

I think he is asking me to do what Sylvia said. Anyone in Ohio know if this is ok (reference?) or if I can make a copy and certify that is it a true copy of what he handed to me? Of course I can't certify the Passport itself, just that I made a photocopy of whatever he gave me and it is a true copy?

Reply by LKT/CA on 3/30/10 7:41pm
Msg #329721

Re: Passports - Ohio

I agree that the customer is probably asking you to do what Sylvia said. The best way to find out what a customer wants and guide them without committing UPL is to ask them, "What is it that you need?" The customer tells you, then you say, "Okay, write that down and sign and date the letter and I'll notarize your signature to your statement". By telling the customer to write down what they just verbalized doesn't cross any lines or violate rules regarding UPL.

Reply by Notarysigner on 3/30/10 5:38pm
Msg #329685

Funny I just got a call for a birth certificate, from Germany..I directed them to the county clerk's office.

Reply by LKT/CA on 3/30/10 7:37pm
Msg #329720

James: Some countries (and even other U.S. states) give an original birth certificate copy, which means they can photocopy it and write a statement about it being a copy of the original - it really is from the original. In CA, no one gets the original - only a certified copy - which is why we must refer people to the county clerk or an online source such as www.vitalchek.com for them to get additional copies.

Reply by Cari on 3/31/10 9:41am
Msg #329775

If the b.c. is in English, you can notarize the same type of

document as it is suggested here i.e., the Document Custodian Affidavit, - though there are various versions out there, the basic wording is that the signer is the owner/custodian of the original document and that the attached "copy" is true and correct copy of the original.

if the document is in German, they could translate it themselves, bring both to you, sign a Translator's Certification and a Document Custodian Affidavit and would be good to go.

In my experience, these types of documents are primarily used for either immigration purposes or the signer is applying for a job at a university or medical profession.

Reply by Cari on 3/31/10 9:43am
Msg #329776

NOTE: my reply was for FOREIGN B.C's only....Notarysigner... n/m

Reply by Cari on 3/31/10 9:48am
Msg #329779

same premise for passports...remember, all the notary is

doing is verifying and notarizing that the signer is in fact the signer by verifying their identification...

the subject matter of the docs is really not our concern though they must be in English for obvious reasons....

Reply by Notarysigner on 3/31/10 10:31am
Msg #329787

Re: If the b.c. is in English, you can notarize the same type of

This document ,the birth certificate was German, the person wanted me to certify it because they were applying for a pension in Germany, not in California. Are you saying that is something I could have done?

Reply by JanetK_CA on 3/31/10 7:28pm
Msg #329861

Re: If the b.c. is in English, you can notarize the same type of

Cari is in Illinois, I believe, so they might be able to do that, but all we can do here in CA is notarize the document holder's statement. We can't certify a vital record - only copies of our journal or copies of Powers of Attorney.

Reply by Ernest__CT on 3/30/10 11:51pm
Msg #329745

As others have said, a copy certification by document custodian is what you probably want to do.

Regarding birth certificates, marriage certificates, and other vital records: In Connecticut _at least_ it is against the law for a Notary to do a copy certification for a vital record. The only way to get a _legal_ copy of a birth certificate, death certificate, etc., is to go to the town hall.

Reply by Robert/FL on 3/31/10 9:47am
Msg #329777

Same in FL

We can not certify birth certificates or other vital records regardless of whether they originated here or in another country.

Even though every "certified copy" issued by the Bureau of Vital Statistics becomes an original document in and of itself, I see no reason why a person would need a birth certificate certified by a notary, rather than the appropriate government agency, other than because of laziness, or they don't want to pay for the costs of securing an additional certified copy.

If Germany gives their citizens their "original" birth certificates, then how do German authorities issue additional copies? They must have recorded the document somewhere. Like in Florida, when you record a deed, the clerk scans the document and then returns the original to the customer. But it is still publicly recorded and therefore can not be certified by a notary.

Reply by Cari on 3/31/10 5:01pm
Msg #329843

same here for Illinois...but NOT for foreign docs...big diff n/m

Reply by Ernest__CT on 4/12/10 3:16pm
Msg #331373

Copy certification by document custodian

For a foreign passport, birth certificate, etc., our state's prohibition against copy certification would obviously not apply because it would not be a vital record in out state. (Passports fall under Federal jurisdiction, of course.)