We are getting a lot of requests for certified copies of documents such as passports, driver’s licenses, birth certificates, etc. A notary public in Tennessee is NOT authorized to certify copies and it is actually ILLEGAL for a notary to certify a copy of a vital document (such as a birth certificate).

Notaries in Tennessee can notarize what is called “Copy Certification by Document Custodian”. It is essentially a statement that YOU are the custodian (owner) of a document and that you have sworn before a notary public under penalty of perjury that it is a true copy of the original. As a notary, I am notarizing the fact that you have sworn or affirmed before me that the copy is a true reproduction, NOT that I (the notary) am certifying the authenticity.

This type of notarization lets the requesting agency, government or organization know that you, the custodian or owner of the document, have sworn under oath and penalty of perjury that the document is a true copy.

Please note that we are not giving legal advice and are not instructing you to utilize this type of notarization. We are not attorneys and cannot give legal advice. We are simply informing our clients that this is the only way that we would be able to serve this type of request, and it is up to the client to either instruct the notary to perform this type of notarization OR to ask the agency requesting the copies if they will accept this type of notarization.

In our experience, Copy Certification By Document Custodian have met the requirements for most passport renewal and other needs. However, we cannot guarantee that the agency requesting the document(s) will accept this type of notarization.

Should you decide to have your copies notarized via “Copy Certification by Document Custodian” you can do the following:

It would be greatly appreciated if you, the client, could prepare the copy with the appropriate wording BEFORE coming by our office or before we arrive at your location for an on-call notarization.

The easiest way to prepare your document is:

Using a computer:

1. Download the DOCUMENT CUSTODIAN certificate shown below. (right click and save image to your computer)



2. Scan your document and make sure to insert the DOCUMENT CUSTODIAN certificate below the image you have scanned. Make sure it doesn’t cover any of the image. Use legal size paper if needed. Use one certificate per page.

3. Print the document including the certificate.

4. Bring the document to our office where we will verify your ID, have you sign the certificate, have you swear or affirm the oath and notarize your document.



Using a photo copier:

1. Print the DOCUMENT CUSTODIAN certificate shown below.

2. Print the certificate

3. Cut out the certificate

4. Put the certificate on the copier below the document you need to copy

5. Copy the documents with the certificate

6. Fill out the certificate with your name (printed), a description of the document(s) shown, then sign and date. Everything from “State of Tennessee” to “Notary Public” LEAVE BLANK. That is for the notary to fill out.

Bring the documents to us and we will notarize them!