Notarized True Copies

A notarized true copy is a photocopy of an original document that a notary public has reviewed, compared to the original, and certified as a "true and correct copy." The notary attaches a statement confirming accuracy, signs it, and applies their seal.

A certified copy is issued by the authority that holds the original record (like the USPTO), while a notarized true copy is prepared by a third-party notary from an existing document. In the U.S., a certified copy is considered more authoritative. However, some countries view notary authentication as a higher authority and may require notarized true copies — or even require that a certified copy have additional notary authentication added.

Common scenarios include: urgent filing deadlines where there isn't time for the full legalization process (a notarized true copy can be prepared and legalized locally in D.C. within 1–2 business days); filing in countries like the UAE that accept notarized true copies without requiring legalization for certain filings; and situations where a foreign office requires a certified copy to also have additional notary authentication.

We prepare notarized true copies in Washington, D.C. and can typically turn them around in 1–2 business days. Our couriers take the copy along with the original to a D.C. notary for notarization and sealing.

No. Not all countries accept legalized true copies, which is why we typically recommend this approach as a last resort for urgent deadlines when the standard process won't work in time. If you're considering this route, contact us and we can advise on whether the destination country is likely to accept it.

Our $60 fee covers preparing and having 1 document notarized in Washington, D.C. as a true and correct copy. Additional notarized true copies are $20 each. If the notarized true copy also needs to be legalized, we offer combo pricing — $225 for the 1st document with apostille, or $325 with consular legalization — for the 1st document through the 1st legalization step. Additional documents or steps are priced at standard legalization rates. Printing and copying charges are $0.40 per page.