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Notary · Types of Notarial Acts

What is a copy certification, and an important limitation on it?

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Correct answer

A notarial act certifying that a copy is a true and complete reproduction of an original — but notaries generally may not certify copies of vital or public records such as birth or death certificates

  1. A Notarizing a signature
  2. B A notarial act certifying that a copy is a true and complete reproduction of an original — but notaries generally may not certify copies of vital or public records such as birth or death certificates
  3. C Certifying a copy of any document, including vital records
  4. D Translating a document

Why this is the answer

A copy certification is a notarial act (where authorized) in which the notary certifies that a photocopy is a true, accurate, and complete reproduction of an original document presented to them. An important limitation is that notaries generally may not certify copies of vital records (such as birth, death, or marriage certificates) or other publicly recorded documents, because certified copies of those must be obtained from the official record-keeping agency. The notary also typically must be able to compare the copy to the original. Knowing both what a copy certification is and the common restrictions on it is standard notary content, and the rules vary by state.
Source: NNA Notarial Acts, Copy Certification

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About this topic: Types of Notarial Acts

Types of notarial acts questions cover acknowledgments, jurats, oaths and affirmations, copy certifications and signature witnessing — what each certifies, the wording required and which act fits which document. This is one of 17 Notary questions on types of notarial acts, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

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