GUIDE · UPDATED NOVEMBER 2026
Can You Notarize a Birth Certificate?
No. A notary cannot notarize a birth certificate or certify a copy of one. Here is what courts, agencies and foreign governments accept instead, and how to get it.
The short answer
No. A birth certificate is a public record, and only the office that keeps it, the city or town clerk or the state registry of vital records, can issue a certified copy. A notary cannot notarize the certificate itself, and a notary-certified photocopy of a birth certificate is not an acceptable substitute. Offices that ask for a birth certificate almost always want an official certified copy issued by the vital records office.
What to get instead, depending on where it is going
| Where the birth certificate is going | What you usually need |
|---|---|
| A U.S. court, agency or school | A certified copy from the city or town clerk or the state registry |
| A foreign government, consulate or university (Hague country) | A certified copy plus an apostille from the issuing state |
| A non-Hague country | A certified copy plus authentication and embassy legalization |
| USCIS, for a foreign birth certificate | The document plus a complete certified English translation; no notarization required |
| Form I-9 | A certified copy is acceptable as a List C document |
Need a birth certificate for use abroad?
We retrieve the certified copy and handle the apostille for you.
Using a Massachusetts birth certificate abroad
- Get a certified copy from the city or town clerk where the birth occurred, or from the Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics. Eligibility rules apply, and we can retrieve it for you. See Vital Records Retrieval.
- Confirm the version. Some countries require a particular format or a copy issued within the last few months. Check with the recipient before ordering.
- Get the apostille from the Secretary of the Commonwealth, which places it directly on the certified copy. No notarization is needed.
- Add a certified translation if the destination country requires one.
See How to Apostille a Massachusetts Birth Certificate and Birth Certificate Apostille. A birth certificate from another state is apostilled by that state, and we handle all 50.
What a notary can do with birth certificate matters
- Notarize an affidavit that relates to a birth record, such as a one-and-the-same-person affidavit for a name discrepancy.
- Notarize a translator’s certification when a foreign authority requires a notarized translation. See Birth Certificate Translation.
- Notarize consent forms that accompany a child’s documents, such as a travel consent letter.
Common mistakes
- Sending a notarized photocopy, which vital records offices, consulates and USCIS will not accept as a birth certificate.
- Ordering the wrong version of the record for the destination country.
- Getting the apostille from the wrong state. The apostille must come from the state that issued the certificate.
- Translating before the apostille. When both are needed, the apostille is usually translated too, so plan the order with us.
Good to know
Not notarized
Birth certificates are public records.
Certified copy
Issued by the clerk or state registry.
Apostille
Placed directly on the certified copy.
Translation
Certified, when required.
Official sources
- Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics
- Secretary of the Commonwealth: apostilles and certifications
- USCIS: Form I-9 acceptable documents
This guide is general information about Massachusetts and federal requirements. It is not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Can a notary notarize a birth certificate?
No. A birth certificate is a public record. Only the issuing city, town or state office can certify a copy.
Can a notary certify a copy of my birth certificate?
No. Offices that ask for a birth certificate need an official certified copy from the vital records office, not a notary-certified photocopy.
Does a birth certificate need to be notarized before an apostille?
No. In Massachusetts, the apostille is placed directly on the certified copy issued by the clerk or the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics.
Does USCIS require a notarized birth certificate?
No. USCIS requires a complete certified English translation for foreign-language documents; notarization is not required.
Can you get the certified copy for me?
Yes, when you are eligible to request it. See our Vital Records Retrieval service.
My birth certificate is from another state. Can you help?
Yes. The apostille comes from the issuing state, and we handle apostilles for all 50 states.
Need a birth certificate apostilled or translated?
Tell us the destination country and your deadline, and we will handle every step.