Deed Poll Office (D·P·O)

Certified copies

A certified copy is a copy of an original document with an endorsement saying that it’s a true copy of the original.

In theory, you can make a certified copy of any document, but there are special rules for some kinds of document

Deed Poll Office doesn’t provide a certified copy service. However, if you’ve got your original document, you can easily make a certified copy by taking a photocopy of it to any solicitor or magistrate and asking them to certify it for you.

If you’ve lost the original document though you’ll have to get a replacement first.
If you need a copy of your deed poll (or other change of name document), we can prepare a replacement deed poll for you.

You cannot make certified copies of certain kinds of documents — such as birth / marriage / death certificates. If you do, they generally won’t won’t be accepted, because you’re expected to get official certified copies from the registry office (or other body) where they were originally issued. (This doesn’t apply to deed polls or statutory declarations though.)

How to make a certified copy

Make a photocopy of your document (it may need to be a colour photocopy, depending on what it’s for)
Take the photocopy and the original document to a suitable person, e.g. a solicitor
The solicitor (or other suitable person) should write somewhere on the document:

I hereby certify that this is a true copy of the original seen by me
They should add —
- their personal signature (not their company signature)
- their name (clearly printed) and (if applicable) their firm’s name, under the signature
- the date
- their occupation
- their address (and possibly other contact details, e.g. telephone number)
If a notary public is certifying the copy, and they’re applying a notarial certificate to it, there should be a detailed specific reference to the document behind it. The certified copy should be attached to the notarial certificate.
If a notary public from England, Wales or Northern Ireland is certifying the copy, they should also stamp or emboss it with their notarial seal. A notary public from Scotland can also use their notarial seal, but they’re not required to do so.

The person certifying your copy may charge you a fee.

Bear in mind that there are some special rules for some kinds of document, including —

certificates from U.K. register offices, including birth / marriage / death certificates
lasting powers of attorney
translations

Who can certify a copy for you

A certified copy doesn’t have to be endorsed by whoever issued the original document. A certified copy doesn’t certify that the original document is genuine or legally valid — only that it’s a true copy of the original (so in theory anyone could certify something as a copy).

In fact there’s no law which governs who can endorse a certified copy — ultimately it’s the decision of the body you show it to as to whether they’ll accept it, and therefore a matter of convention. Bodies may even have different rules, depending on what kind of document has been copied.

HM Passport Office, though (and many other bodies) will generally only accept a certified copy if it’s been endorsed by —

a solicitor
a notary public
a barrister
a Licensed Conveyancer (in England & Wales)
a Chartered Legal Executive (in England & Wales)
any Commissioner for Oaths
a Justice of the Peace (that is, a magistrate)

However, the person who certifies your copy mustn’t be a relative, your partner, or someone you live with.

Some bodies may accept a copy certified by a “professional person” or the Post Office.

Rules for certain kinds of document

Certificates from U.K. register offices

For documents which were originally issued by a register office in the U.K., you should get an official certified copy from the register office itself. If you make your own certified copy, it may not be accepted by the body you show it to, and you won’t be able to get it legalised.

This applies to the following kinds of document:

birth certificates
adoption certificates
marriage certificates
civil partnership certificates
death certificates
certificates of no impediment
letters of no trace

It does not apply to:

non-register office marriage certificates (e.g. Islamic marriage certificates)
baptism certificates

Lasting powers of attorney

A copy of a lasting power of attorney (LPA) can be certified in two ways —

By the “donor” of the LPA

The “donor” of the LPA — that is, the person who has appointed the attorney — can certify a copy of their own LPA in the following way:

The donor should write at the bottom of every page of the copy:

I certify that this is a true and complete copy of the corresponding page of the original lasting power of attorney.

On the last page of the copy, they must also write:

I certify that this is a true and complete copy of the original lasting power of attorney.

The donor also needs to sign and date every page.

By a solicitor or notary public

A solicitor / notary public would simply certify a copy of a lasting power of attorney in the same way as they would any other kind of document.

Translations

If you need to certify a translation of a document that isn’t written in English or Welsh, ask the translator / translation company to confirm in writing on the translation —

that it’s a “true and accurate translation of the original document”
the date of the translation
the full name and contact details of the translator or a representative of the translation company

Fees

There is no set (statutory) fee for certifying a document as a true copy. Thus you should make clear beforehand what you will be charged, and it’s a good idea to shop around for the best fee.

In England & Wales, solicitors and notaries public (as “Commissioners for Oaths”) often charge £ 5 — which is the statutory fee for taking an oath or statutory declaration. Commissioners for Oaths are not bound to charge this fee, though, because certifying a copy is not the same thing as taking an oath. We therefore recommend you ask beforehand what the fee will be.

Some bodies may accept a certified copy from the Post Office, but you should make sure beforehand whether they will or not. (HM Passport Office for example will not accept a certified copy from the Post Office.) The Post Office currently charges £ 8.75 to certify up to 3 documents with their Identity Checking Service . You should check whether your local branch offers the service before visiting, and you should bring your own photocopies with you.

If you want to find solicitor or notary public in your area, you can contact the relevant society or faculty office:

in England & Wales:
- the list of solicitors is maintained by the Law Society of England & Wales
- the list of notaries public is maintained by the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury
in Scotland, the list of solicitors is maintained by the Law Society of Scotland
(Note that in Scotland there is no published list of notaries public, but almost all solicitors can act as a notary.)
in Northern Ireland, the list of solicitors and the list of notaries public are both maintained by the Law Society of Northern Ireland

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a certified copy endorsed by a “professional person”?

Maybe. Some bodies may accept a copy which has been certified by —

a “professional person” — such as a teacher, police officer, librarian, etc.
staff at the Post Office

But unless you have a specific purpose in mind and you’ve checked that the person certifying your document will be acceptable, we’d recommend that you ask a solicitor / notary public / magistrate to certify your document.

Can I get a certified copy legalised?

Generally speaking, yes — so long as it’s been certified in the U.K. by a U.K. solicitor or notary public with a current practising certificate.

Certified copies of some kinds of document though cannot be legalised, e.g. birth / marriage / death certificates (unless you have an official certified copy from the register office)..

Find out more about legalisation

Can I use a certified copy of a document in place of the original?

It depends on what kind of document has been copied, and who you want to show it to.

A certified copy of a deed poll or statutory declaration though can generally be used anywhere instead of the original document — including at HM Passport Office and the DVLA.

Where can I get official certified copies of registry office certificates?

You can only get official certified copies (or “extracts”) of the following kinds of certificate from the register office itself:

birth certificates
adoption certificates
marriage certificates
civil partnership certificates
death certificates
certificates of no impediment
letters of no trace

You need to get a certified copy from the register office where the event took place; so —

for events that took place in England & Wales, from the General Register Office
for events that took place in Scotland, from National Records of Scotland (formerly the “General Register Office for Scotland”)
for events that took place in Northern Ireland, from the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI)
for events that took place in the Isle of Man, from the Isle of Man General Registry
for events that took place in Jersey, from the registrar of the parish where the event took place
for events that took place in Guernsey, from the Office of Her Majesty’s Greffier
for events that took place in Alderney, from the Court Office of the Court of Alderney