# Nota\[r\]y/passport questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 14, 2008, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nota-r-y-passport-questions/472725 "2008-11-14T16:48:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NoLAFIN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e9bcb4/32.png) [@NoLAFIN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoLAFIN)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nota-r-y-passport-questions/472725/1 "2008-11-14T16:48:44Z")
My husband needs a passport. Since he’s never had one before, he’s required to present a notarized birth certificate\* as per State Deparments requirements. Only thing we have is a photocopy, which is definitely **not** notarized. In fact, I don’t recall the original being notarized either. Anyway, my questions are; a) Can he go to any notary with the photocopy and get it notarized? and b) Will this fulfill the State Departments requirement? [\*A certified birth certificate has a registrar’s raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal, registrar’s signature, and the date the certificate was filed with the registrar’s office, which must be within 1 year of your birth. Please note, some short (abstract) versions of birth certificates may not be acceptable for passport purposes.](http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_830.html) ---
**Author:** ![hellpaso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@hellpaso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hellpaso)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nota-r-y-passport-questions/472725/2 "2008-11-14T16:51:47Z")
No–you have to have a certified copy. I recently obtained birth certificates for myself and my husband. You can do it online, with a minimal charge. Google certified birth certificates. It only took a couple of days to receive them. Just contact the county of his birth. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nota-r-y-passport-questions/472725/3 "2008-11-14T16:53:06Z")
You’ll probablay have to get a new birth certificate with the certification on it. It’s not a notary seal per se, but a similar seal used by the town/city clerk’s office. I doubt a notary public could help you. They certify your signature, but they have no way to verify that the birth certificate (which obvious doesn’t have your signature on it) is legitimate. Contact the bureau of records/town clerk/city clerk in the jurisdiction you were born. They may even have instruction on their web page on how to get a certified copy. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nota-r-y-passport-questions/472725/4 "2008-11-14T16:53:36Z")
Edited thread title to correct typo. **Gfactor** General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nota-r-y-passport-questions/472725/5 "2008-11-14T16:54:22Z")
Whether you can do it online depends on where you need the birth certificate from–I needed to show proof that I was a person who had a legitimate interest in acquiring the birth certificate, which required presenting myself and my driver’s license to a notary to fill out a form which I mailed in. The birth certificate itself did not cost much or take long to arrive. ---
**Author:** ![NoLAFIN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e9bcb4/32.png) [@NoLAFIN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoLAFIN)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nota-r-y-passport-questions/472725/6 "2008-11-14T17:10:56Z")
First of all: Thanks, Gfactor! Second: My husband was born in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana. Louisiana: Home of the slowest bureaucracy in the US. Great!:smack: It seems he’ll need to take some time off work and drive to the [Vital Records Office](http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/offices/page.asp?id=252&detail=7752), because getting the birth certificate by mail takes 4-6 weeks! ---
**Author:** ![NoLAFIN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e9bcb4/32.png) [@NoLAFIN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoLAFIN)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nota-r-y-passport-questions/472725/7 "2008-11-14T17:35:02Z")
Oooh, nevermind the Vital Records Office. Hello VitalCheck! It’ll cost him $50, but no missed work.