Certified Copies and Official Records
“Certified,” “official,” “original,” “notarized,” and “sent directly” describe different features of a record or delivery process.
Who stands behind the copy?
| Type | What it generally describes |
|---|---|
| Ordinary copy | A reproduction such as a photocopy, scan, or printout. |
| Office-issued certified copy | A copy issued or certified by the office that maintains the official record. |
| Official school record | A record issued through the school’s approved records process, sometimes with direct delivery. |
| Notarized copy or statement | A separate notarial act where permitted; not automatically an office-issued record. |
Who issues the record and how it is delivered are different questions
The office that maintains the record determines what forms it can issue. The organization using the record may separately state whether it accepts a sealed record, direct delivery, an electronic record, or another format.
Replacement and correction are different
A replacement supplies another copy of the existing record. A correction or amendment changes information in the underlying record maintained by the responsible office.
Certification usually comes from the record system, not from the paper alone
A certified copy is generally a copy accompanied by a certification from an office or person authorized to certify that kind of record. For vital records, that authority is ordinarily the state or local vital-records system. For court records, it may be the clerk. For education records, the school or its authorized records service controls what it issues as an official transcript or record.
Certified copy, official copy, and notarized copy can describe different things
“Official” often describes a record issued through the institution’s own system. “Certified copy” generally emphasizes a certification attached to the copy. “Notarized copy” can refer to a copy involved in a notarial act, but a notary is not automatically the office that keeps the record and cannot convert every photocopy into an office-issued certified record.
Certified copy vs. notarized copy and original vs. certified copy address those distinctions directly.
Official sources
USA.gov: Get copies of vital records and ID cards links to public offices responsible for common government records.
This page explains record and copy types. It does not determine what a particular organization will accept.