Certified Copies by a Florida Notary in Fort Myers
Florida notaries can certify that a photocopy is a true copy of an original — but only for certain documents. A great deal of what people are asked to bring us legally cannot be certified by a notary at all, and knowing which is which saves a wasted trip.
Fastest way
(941) 405-3180Mon–Sat 8am–8pm · Sun 9am–6pm · After-hours by appointment. For anything urgent, call — the phone is answered between appointments and email is the slower path.
Or tell us what you need and we’ll call you back
Same-day reply during working hours. No obligation, and we will tell you on that call if a notary is not the right answer.
What we can certify
Florida Statutes §117.05 permits a notary to make an attested photocopy of a document, provided the original is presented and the document is not a public record.
In practice that means private documents: passports, diplomas, transcripts, contracts, medical records you hold, insurance policies, immigration documents you have been issued, and identity documents.
- Passports and photo identity documents
- Diplomas, degrees and transcripts
- Private contracts and agreements
- Medical records in your possession
- Insurance policies and private financial records
What we cannot certify — and this is most of it
A notary cannot certify a copy of a document that is a public record. Birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, court orders, deeds already recorded, and state-filed corporate documents are all public records.
The reason is not bureaucratic fussiness. Those records are held by an office whose job it is to issue certified copies, and that office’s certification is the one that has legal force. A notary’s stamp on a photocopy of a birth certificate is worthless — and worse, it can make the document unusable for an apostille.
For those you go to the issuing agency: the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics or the county health department for vital records, the Clerk of Court for court records, the Division of Corporations for corporate filings.
The process, which is stricter than people expect
You must bring the original, and it does not leave your hand. We make the photocopy ourselves — we cannot certify a copy you made earlier and brought with you, because we did not witness that copy being made from that original.
We then attach a certificate stating that we made the copy, that we compared it to the original, and that it is a true and complete reproduction.
How it works
Four steps, no surprises
- 01
Check it is not a public record
Call first if unsure. This one question prevents most wasted appointments.
- 02
Bring the original
The original itself, not a copy. It stays with you throughout.
- 03
We make the copy
We must make it ourselves — we cannot certify a copy you brought.
- 04
Certificate attached and sealed
The attestation is attached to the copy and sealed.
Questions
About certified copies
Can a notary certify a copy of my birth certificate in Florida?
No. A birth certificate is a public record and Florida notaries are prohibited from certifying copies of public records. You need a certified copy from the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics or the county health department. Having one notarised can also make it unusable for an apostille.
Can you certify a copy of my passport?
Yes. A passport is not a public record in this sense, and passport copy certification is one of the most common requests we handle — usually for overseas banking, foreign property purchases or visa applications.
I already made the photocopy. Can you just stamp it?
No. The certification says that we made the copy from the original and compared them. We have to actually do that. Bring the original and we will make the copy on the spot.
What about a certified copy of a will?
While the testator is alive and the will is a private document, yes. Once a will has been filed with the Clerk of Court in probate it is a public record, and the Clerk issues the certified copies.
Related
You may also need
Apostille Services
A document must be recognised by a foreign government and needs state-level authentication.
Read moreImmigration Documents
Someone needs immigration paperwork notarised and may be at risk of notario fraud.
Read moreBusiness & Corporate Notary
A business needs documents notarised, often several signers at once, without disrupting the workday.
Read moreNeed certified copies in Fort Myers?
Call (941) 405-3180 and tell us what the document is. We will tell you what Florida requires and what it will cost before we leave.
Mon–Sat 8am–8pm · Sun 9am–6pm · After-hours by appointment