What is a certified true copy?
If someone asks you for an original document, but you don’t want to give that original document away, you can give them a certified true copy instead.
A certified true copy is a special copy of an original document, made by certain specialized kinds of people.
The person making the certified copy takes the original document and makes their own copy of that original. They then make a certificate to go with the copy they made, stating that the certifying person has compared the original against the copy, and they are certifying the copy is an exact duplicate of the original document, which they have seen.
Can I make my own certified true copy?
No. Just making a copy of a document doesn’t make it a certified copy.
Copies of documents you make yourself will often not work for official purposes. In most cases, the person making your certified true copy must hold a particular role – usually a notary public, lawyer, commissioner, or other person in a similar role.
What happens if I don’t have the original?
A certified true copy must be made from an original document.
If you don’t have an original document, we cannot make you a certified true copy, since the language in the certificate says the copy was compared with the original.
Can you make a certified true copy of a document I download from the internet, or get from my e-mail?
No. We need an originally issued document, not a printout from the internet or an e-mail.
A copy of the internet document might be acceptable if it is attached to a statutory declaration. Please ask the people looking for the document if they will accept a copy of the internet document if it is attached to a statutory declaration.