Resources > Glossary > Marriage Certificates

Glossary of Notary Public, Mortgage, Signing Agent, and Loan Signing Terms.

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Common Terms 1   Common Terms 2

Marriage Certificates

Function: noun

Individuals who need to get a marriage certificate notarized should talk to an attorney, as notaries are not authorized to do this act. Vital records, Wills, and a few specific types of immigration documents are the only types of documents that notaries are specifically discouraged from notarizing. It is also recommended to correspond with the government agency who has the marriage certificate on file rather than contacting a notary about this matter.

Definition 1:
A marriage certificate is a certificate from a government agency which documents a marriage.

Definition 2:
Notaries in most states are not permitted to notarize certified copies of marriage certificates. However, it is possible for the notary to have the signer sign a certified copy by document custodian form which certifies that the signer swears under oath to the completeness of the document. That way you get a notarized certified copy of a marriage certificate without the notary certifying anything and without breaking any laws.