Skip to content | Change text size

Certified copies

What are certified copies?

A certified copy is a copy of an original document which has been certified as being a true copy by an authorised person.

How to have a document certified

To have a document certified you should take the original and a copy to an authorised person. The person must then write on every page of the copy document:

'I have sighted the original document and certify this to be a true copy of the original.'

The person should sign each statement and provide their designation, for example, 'Pharmacist'.

Who is authorised to certify a document?

Authorised persons include:

  • justice of the peace or a bail justice
  • a public notary
  • an Australian lawyer (within the meaning of the Legal Profession Act 2004)
  • a clerk to an Australian lawyer
  • the prothonotary or a deputy prothonotary of the Supreme Court, the registrar or the deputy registrar of the County Court, the principal registrar of the Magistrates' Court or the registrar or the deputy registrar of the Magistrates' Court
  • the registrar of probates and the assistant registrar of probates
  • the associate to a judge of the Supreme Court or of the County Court
  • the secretary of a master of the Supreme Court or of the County Court
  • a person registered as a patent attorney under Chapter 20 of the Patents Act 1990 of the Commonwealth
  • a member of the police force
  • the sheriff or deputy sheriff
  • a member or a former member of either House of the Parliament of Victoria
  • a member or a former member of either House of the Parliament of the Commonwealth
  • a councillor of a municipality
  • a senior officer of a council as defined in the Local Government Act 1989
  • a registered medical practitioner within the meaning of the Medical Practice Act 1994
  • a registered dentist within the meaning of the Dental Practice Act 1999
  • a veterinary practitioner
  • a pharmacist
  • a principal in the (State) teaching service
  • the manager of a bank
  • a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia or CPA or the National Institute of Accountants
  • the secretary of a building society
  • a minister of religion authorised to celebrate marriages (not a civil celebrant)
  • a person employed under Part 3 of the Public Administration Act 2004 with a classification that is prescribed as a classification for statutory declarations, or who holds office in a statutory authority with such a classification
  • a fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives (Victoria).