Original, Copy, and Certified Copy

The differences among an original document, an ordinary copy, and a certified copy, including why certification depends on the office or organization responsible for the record.

An original, an ordinary copy, and a certified copy describe different document forms. The difference matters most when another organization cares about where the copy came from or who certified it.

Original

An original is the document or record in its original issued or executed form. “Original” does not by itself determine whether the document is current, legally effective, or acceptable for a particular purpose.

Ordinary copy

An ordinary photocopy or digital reproduction can show the contents of a document without carrying certification from the office or organization responsible for the underlying record.

Certified copy

A certified copy is accompanied by certification from the relevant issuing office, clerk, records office, or other authorized source. The certification concerns the copy’s relationship to the record maintained by that source.

Certified copy vs. notarized copy

A notarial act involving a copy is not automatically the same thing as certification by the office that keeps the original record. Public records such as vital records and court records can have their own certified-copy systems.