How To Get A Certified Copy Of A Document

Regular photocopies are not accepted for many government, commercial or academic processes, which require a certified copy (or “true copy”) of necessary documents.

Say you’re making a government application and need proof of citizenship. Or, you are applying for a new passport and need to submit a marriage certificate. Having a certified copy on hand would help you avoid loss or damage to your original document, while fulfilling the same purpose of providing documentation.

Examples of common requests for certified copies include the following documents:

• Diplomas
• Birth certificate
• Driver’s license
• Passport

It’s easy to get a certified copy in Vancouver, simply by scheduling an appointment with us at Morris Notary. We can accommodate your request and provide a certified copy of your document(s) within the same day, and can even provide mobile notary services to notarize documents at your location.

How Do I Get A Certified Copy?

There are two ways in which you can obtain a “true copy” of your document – both are acceptable ways to submit your documents for any official purposes.

Method One – Certified Copy

All you have to do is bring in your original document, and we will create a photocopy for you on the spot. We will then create the certified copy by affixing an endorsement stamp to the document itself, indicating that it is a “true copy” of your original document.

Please note that a “true copy” indicates that the certified copy is a replication of the original – this does not guarantee that the original is genuine.

This process of creating a certified copy does not add credibility to the original document, and only creates authentic copies of the original.

Method Two – Notarized Copy

This method is particularly useful if the document itself is frail and old, or if you would rather not disturb its original shape. For example, it may unwise to take a very old diploma out of its frame.

Here, instead of applying the stamp directly to the copy, we use a notarial certificate to guarantee the authenticity of the copy. The difference using this method, is that the endorsement stamp is not affixed directly to the photocopied document.

You can even take a photo of the diploma while it is still in its frame, bring the original diploma (frame and all) to our notary office, and we can notarize the photo as a true copy after inspecting both the photo and the original.

This is known as a “comparison method,” and is a perfectly acceptable way to create a certified copy without harming your original document.

Useful Notes About Certified Copies

When requesting a certified copy, you can acquire as many copies as you want and we can endorse them all within the same visit.

While certified copies and notarized copies are both accepted by the Canadian government, you may require an apostille for documents that are to be used overseas.

Whether you require certified copies for court, commercial or even academic purposes, our notary public at Morris Notary will help you prepare a certified copy of your document today. Call (778) 819-8553 or email Kieran Morris at [email protected] and we will be more than happy to help.