Posted by Jeremy Miller on 1/2/13 10:15am
Msg #448463

Certified Copies

Hello everyone

This may sound like a ridiculous question but I have gotten quite the run around.
So my situation is that I am applying for a medical license in Australia. In the process I need to make "Certified Copies" of the documents they are requesting, the DO NOT want the originals. In Australia anyone that works for the state/government can use their signature and sign it to be authentic (including postal workers and police officers). I have called several notaries on this web site and no one seems to be willing or comfortable to make certified copies and I dont know why. So if anyone could help me it would be greatly appreciated or point me in the right direction.

Jeremy Ryan Miller
[e-mail address]

Reply by Kevin/Ct on 1/2/13 10:28am
Msg #448464

Notaries generally do not have the authority to issue certified copies. They are usually issued by the authority with whom the originals are filed...court, state or federal agency. The issuing authority is attesting that the copies are genuine copies of the originals on file with the particular authority.

Reply by VT_Syrup on 1/2/13 10:37am
Msg #448465

It depends on the state where the notary is located, and what kind of documents are to be certified. The National Association of Secretary of States has a survey of the laws in the various states, located at

http://www.nass.org/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=1084

If notaries in conveniently located states can't do it for you, try contacting a lawyer to see what can be done.

Reply by VT_Syrup on 1/2/13 10:45am
Msg #448468

There is a manual for Arizona notaries at

http://www.azsos.gov/business_services/notary/Notary_Public_Reference_Manual.pdf

If you look at the section beginning on page 23, you will see there are some documents the notary can certify copies of, and others the notary cannot certify. Since you didn't state which documents you want to have certified, the forum participants can't answer your question.

Reply by CinOH on 1/2/13 10:38am
Msg #448466

Kevin is correct. A notary cannot certify the authenticity of your medical license. Simply ask the issuing body to certify it or ask them to provide a letter verifying the authenticity of your license and/or credentials.

Reply by dgd/CA on 1/2/13 10:44am
Msg #448467

In California, we can only perform this with regards to two functions. POAs (we must copy the original) and, of course, various requests for line items dealing with our Journals. However; we do have a form that the owner of the original documents can utilize to Certify as True and Correct Copies of those documents. We, then, witness and notarize his/her signature.

Reply by ReneeK_MI on 1/2/13 10:46am
Msg #448469

Jeremy - if you are in Arizona, as your post indicates ...

As long as the document is not a public record nor publicly recordable, the AZ notarial law does allow for copy certification:

Copy Certifications A.R.S. § 41-311(3)
A copy certification is a notarial act in which the notary certifies that a photocopy
of an original document was made that is neither a public record nor publicly
recordable.

It may be that the particular documents you're needing copies of ARE actually already certified copies ( birth certificate, for example), or are recordable (I doubt, but for example, a Deed).

Reply by HisHughness on 1/2/13 11:55am
Msg #448477

Am I splitting hairs here?

Is there not a difference between an issuing agency providing a copy that it certifies is as good as the original, and a notary certifying that a copy of a document is an exact copy of a document he has been provided? Seems to me there is a b-i-g difference. The notary would have no way of knowing whether the document he has been provided has been altered, and thus would not know -- nor be able to certify, of course -- that the document he has been presented is identical to the document originally issued.

Reply by VT_Syrup on 1/2/13 12:34pm
Msg #448479

Re: Am I splitting hairs here?

It isn't quite fair to say the notary would have no way of knowing whether the document he has been provided has been altered; depending on the security features of the document, the notary may have a fairly good idea if it has been altered. For some documents, such as a medical license, the agency that issues the certified copy can be virtually certain the copy is authentic. In the case of land records, the land record can be quite certain the document was recorded, but can offer little assurance that the signatures or notarization on the document are authentic.

In sum, certified copies from issuing agencies are nearly always better than certified copies from notaries, but occasionally the notary's certification may be more convincing if the notary was involved in the execution of the original document.

Reply by Lisa Cirillo on 1/2/13 12:42pm
Msg #448480

Re: Am I splitting hairs here?

I'm with HisHugness on this one. I would think that the only party that can provide a "certified copy" would be the issuing agency. The issuing agency is the one that originally issued said document, therefore, they would be the only one that could certify as to it authenticity.

Reply by Shoshana/AZ on 1/2/13 11:34am
Msg #448475

What do you need certified copies of? n/m

Reply by Jeremy Miller on 1/2/13 12:48pm
Msg #448481

Re: What do you need certified copies of?


So, to make a long long story short. Yes I am in phoenix AZ. And to clarify, I need copies of everything! Everything from my medical licenses (which I have already had them send a duplicate to me with a statement of authenticity) to copies of my Sylabus from the school I attended (WAY over the top and ridiculous). I have letters from my employers stating dates that I worked at each job, verification of my continueing education, personal statements and so on. Alot of the things they have asked for are information regarding my education. A Copy of the credit hours and program outline including a sylabus from each class.
I hope this makes it more clear.

Reply by ToniK on 1/2/13 2:31pm
Msg #448499

Re: What do you need certified copies of?

I get alot of these requests here in Va from foreigners who are going overseas as notary public in foreign countries are different than here in the States. I always point out to them that even though these countries require all this they are not aware of the difference here in the States. A certified copy of your transcripts can be obtained from your school. You probably should call your school registrar. As for a syllabus of each class (which I find odd but hey its a different country) you would best go to the school and get that or talk with your professors if they still are there (dont know how long you have been out of school as it might be difficult if your classes are over 2-3 years old).

Reply by Shoshana/AZ on 1/2/13 2:42pm
Msg #448504

Re: What do you need certified copies of?

Ok. so the licenses are taken care of, correct? Copies of your transcripts should be official copies from the school. I don't see why the otherthings couldn't be notarized. If there is a problem, double check with the SOS, Notary Division.

Reply by VT_Syrup on 1/2/13 3:48pm
Msg #448519

Re: What do you need certified copies of?

I applied for a teaching license and had to submit copies of course descriptions from the university catalog. They would have accepted copies made by me, but I didn't keep my catalog. I wrote to the university and (for a fee) they provided copies from the catalog pages for the years I attended, and placed an embossed registrar's seal on each page.

Reply by SharonMN on 1/2/13 5:03pm
Msg #448533

Re: What do you need certified copies of?

Hey, Jeremy, here in MN we can make certified copies all day long as long as it's not an official record that is kept somewhere else. The certificate would read (per MN law):

I certify that this is a true and correct copy of a document in the possession of (Jeremy).

Note that the notary does not determine the authenticity of the original. The certificate states where the original came from so that the person receiving the certified copy can decide whether that is good enough for them. For example, I would think a certified copy of a page of an antique book in the custody of the Library of Congress or a university would be a lot more credible than a certified copy of something Joe Blow on the subway pulled out of his pocket and said was a page from an antique book, even if the contents were identical.

I'd be happy to certify your whole package (minus the official records) for the MN statutory fee of $1 per doc plus return postage fee. Just mail 'em to me!