Indiana Notary Public Practice Exam

What defines a certified copy?

1. A copy that may be issued by any organization

2. A copy of a record issued only by the original issuing organization

3. Any notarized document

4. A copy that can be certified by any notary

The correct answer is: A copy of a record issued only by the original issuing organization

A certified copy specifically refers to a duplicate of a document that has been verified as a true and correct representation of the original. This type of copy is only issued by the organization that originally created or maintains the record. The original issuing organization is responsible for ensuring the authenticity of the certified copy, which is why this option is accurate. Others, while potentially related concepts, do not fit the precise definition of a certified copy. For instance, a copy issued by any organization may not have the same level of verification and authenticity required for a certified copy. Similarly, not all notarized documents qualify as certified copies since notarization is focused on the authenticity of the signature rather than the document's correspondence to an original record. Lastly, while notaries can certainly certify certain documents, they do not have the authority to certify copies of records that are not under their purview or that do not come from the original issuing organization.