# Help Needed---Certified Replacement Copy of USA Birth Cert. (CA) Sent Internationally? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 27, 2018, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-needed-certified-replacement-copy-of-usa-birth-cert-ca-sent-internationally/825162 "2018-11-27T15:53:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-needed-certified-replacement-copy-of-usa-birth-cert-ca-sent-internationally/825162/21 "2018-11-28T07:20:23Z")
> [@Snnipe\_70E](#): > > I picked up one at the Monterey county office of records. Well, that will save a step, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-needed-certified-replacement-copy-of-usa-birth-cert-ca-sent-internationally/825162/22 "2018-11-28T07:29:35Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > Lots of states use VitalChek - they don’t actually issue the certified copies, the government agency does that… As a corollary to this, I think in some states a Notary is not supposed to photocopy a birth certificate and certify that it’s a genuine copy, as can be done with other documents when you need to mail them to someone. You’re supposed to go through the official process. (I discovered this when I tried to get a Notary to do that with my _British_ birth certificate, although I eventually convinced him to do it.) ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-needed-certified-replacement-copy-of-usa-birth-cert-ca-sent-internationally/825162/23 "2018-11-28T11:49:49Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > As a corollary to this, I think in some states a Notary is not supposed to photocopy a birth certificate and certify that it’s a genuine copy, as can be done with other documents when you need to mail them to someone. You’re supposed to go through the official process. (I discovered this when I tried to get a Notary to do that with my _British_ birth certificate, although I eventually convinced him to do it.) I issue certified copies of different documents at my job all the time . They are notarized- but all the notary is doing is stating that I am the person who signed the statement. When I sign that statement, I am certifying that the copy is an accurate and true copy of the information contained in our official records. The notary can’t truthfully sign that statement- and neither can Vital Chek or anyone else who cannot compare the copy with the original. Sure, a notary can sign that the photocopy is a true copy of another copy - but that’s never what’s needed. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-needed-certified-replacement-copy-of-usa-birth-cert-ca-sent-internationally/825162/24 "2018-11-29T20:40:49Z")
When I needed a copy of my birth certificate I wrote to something like the PA bureau of vital statistics in Harrisburg and they were perfectly willing to mail it to Canada. I think that in 1999, they charged only $6. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-needed-certified-replacement-copy-of-usa-birth-cert-ca-sent-internationally/825162.md?page=1)