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National Notary Association
The National Notary Bulletin

Can I Notarize A Birth Certificate That I Translated?

By NNA Staff on February 23, 2017

Unfortunately it is never OK to notarize your own signature. Usually, the translator signs a statement verifying the translation is accurate as part of the process of translating a birth certificate, and then has their signature notarized. You must have another Notary notarize your signature on the translator’s declaration.

Hotline answers are based on the laws in the state where the question originated and may not reflect the laws of other states. If in doubt, always refer to your own state statutes. – The Editors

Confronted with a tricky notarization? Unsure how to proceed? NNA members have unlimited access to our expertly trained NNA Hotline counselors to help you with all of your notarial questions. Call 1-888-876-0827, Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. PST; Saturday, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST.

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16 Comments

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PuntusTrans

01 Mar 2017

Is it only in CA or all states? My translation company Punctus Temporis Translations, does translations for Immigration purposes, so we do lots of birth certificates, marriage decrees... Just want to make sure. We never have the translator notarize their own translations though.

National Notary Association

01 Mar 2017

Hello. No state permits a Notary to notarize his or her own signature.

Muth

31 May 2017

I sent my birth certificate to www.promisetranslation.com to be translated and notarized. it was notarized by NC Notary. Now is that valid outside the U.S as well.

National Notary Association

01 Jun 2017

Hello. Can you tell us what type of notarization was performed? For example, did the Notary simply notarize the translator's signature on a written statement by the translator, or did the Notary perform a different notarial act.

Adriana

08 Jan 2018

Can you translate a birth certificate and then take it to a notary?? Or does the notary have to translate it?

National Notary Association

09 Jan 2018

Hello. While a Notary may notarize a translator's signature on a statement verifying a translation is accurate, as a general rule a Notary may not certify or notarize a birth certificate. A Notary may not certify his or her own translation because Notaries may not notarize their own signatures.

Yi Xuan Cheng

01 Jun 2018

Hello. Can I translate my own birth certificate from my native language and bring it to the notary to get it notarized?

National Notary Association

04 Jun 2018

Hello. To help us answer your question can you please tell us what state you are located in?

Karem

05 Jun 2018

Can I translate my cousins birth certificate and then get it notarized? He’s trying to get his KY license but was born in Mexico and his birth certificate is in Spanish and they will not accept it.

National Notary Association

08 Jun 2018

Hello. Typically, Notaries cannot certify whether or not a document was translated accurately. You may wish to contact the agency you are submitting the birth certificate to and ask if they will accept a notarized statement from you certifying the translation's accuracy. If so, you could translate the certificate, write and sign a statement certifying the accuracy of the translation, and ask a Notary to notarize your signature on the statement instead. However, remember that you may not notarize your own signature as the translator--you must ask a different Notary to notarize your signature on the statement.

Mike Spencer

20 Sep 2018

It is always recommended to have an official certified translations for uscis and for any other official purposes inside the US. And if needs to be notarized, it cant be from the same place who translated the documents. Source: https://www.elitetranslingo.com

Pooja Agarwal

15 Mar 2019

I was born in India and my birth certificate is in Hindi. I am applying for Canadian Permanent Resident so how can the birth certificate be translated and notarized in order for it to work for applying.

National Notary Association

18 Mar 2019

Hello. You would need to contact the agency requesting the birth certificate to request instructions from them.

ching ching

27 Jul 2019

I have the same question as Yi Xuan Cheng. I live in washington state and already translated my birth certificate. Trying to find someone who can notarise. Any suggestion?

Dians Garcia

07 May 2021

Hi, I am in Nevada. I am a notary. My friend needs her birth cert (from mexico) translated. I told her I can’t do that. She wanted wanted me do both. Now if she gets it translated, BY LAW can I notarize it? and If so, what will I be notarizing? Her signature? The translator’s signature? Must the translator come before me and acknowledge his signature? or will I be simply certifying a copy? I’m not sure…..

National Notary Association

10 May 2021

Hello. You would need to ask the signer to clarify what specific type of notarization (e.g. acknowledgment, jurat, copy certification, etc.) she is requesting before you can determine if you can proceed with the notarization or not. As a Notary, you cannot determine what type of notarization is required for the document.

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