Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates

I am often asked to certify copies of birth, marriage and death certificates issued in England and Wales. What many people are not aware of is that they are subject to crown copyright. This means that they cannot be reproduced, photocopied or scanned. Due to lack of awareness, lots of people freely photocopy and certify them as copies of the original. If you look at a death certificate for example, at the top of the certificate it states it is a 'certified copy'. If you look towards the bottom of the certificate, you will see that there is a copyright logo and that it is subject to crown copyright. Therefore, if you photocopy and certify a death certificate, you are actually certifying a certified copy of a death certificate without seeing the original. 

Depending on which country the certificate is needed in, it may be that you can send the original. You can also obtain an apostille from the FCO to be attached to the certificate which confirms the registrars signature. Another option is for a Notary to obtain a copy of the certificate from the GRO and attach their notarial attestation to the certificate.

If you need an English and Welsh birth, marriage or death certificate for use abroad, please do not hesitate to contact me for a no obligation chat.

I am a Notary Public offering full range of Notarial services at offices throughout Lancashire.