A notarized copy of a passport is a photocopy that a notary public has certified as a true and complete reproduction of your original passport. The notary compares the photocopy to the physical passport, then attaches a signed and sealed certificate confirming the two match. It carries more weight than a plain photocopy because a commissioned official has put their credential behind it, but it won’t work in every situation, and the process depends on which state you’re in.
What the Notary Is Actually Certifying
The notary’s role here is narrow. They look at your original passport, look at the photocopy, and confirm the copy matches the original page for page. That is the entire act. The notary is not vouching for the legitimacy of your passport, not verifying your identity for immigration purposes, and not confirming that the passport was lawfully issued.
That distinction matters. A notarized passport copy has the authority of a verified photocopy. It does not have the authority of the passport itself.
When You Would Need One
Notarized passport copies come up most often when you need to prove identity remotely. Opening a bank account in another country, registering an international business, and completing cross-border financial transactions are common examples: the receiving institution wants something more reliable than a plain scan but doesn’t require the original.
Employment verification, educational admissions, some legal proceedings, real estate transactions involving foreign buyers, and certain insurance applications may also call for one. The common thread is that the requester wants assurance that an official has seen the original and confirmed the copy against it.
When a Notarized Copy Won’t Be Accepted
This is where people run into expensive surprises. Not every entity that asks for passport verification will accept a notarized copy.
The IRS is the well-known example. If you’re applying for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number using Form W-7, the IRS requires either your original passport or a copy certified by the issuing government agency. A notarized copy from a local notary public will be rejected. The U.S. State Department can provide certified copies of your passport records for a $50 fee, which may satisfy agencies that won’t accept notarized copies.1U.S. Department of State. Get Copies of Passport Records
International use adds another layer. If your document needs to be authenticated for use in a country that participates in the 1961 Hague Convention, you may need an apostille certificate instead. The State Department warns against notarizing federal documents that need apostilles, stating that notarization will invalidate the document for that purpose.2U.S. Department of State. Preparing a Document for an Apostille Certificate
Before you pay anyone, confirm with the requesting entity that a notarized copy is what they actually want, rather than a government-issued certified copy or an apostille.
Whether Your State Allows It
Not every state authorizes notaries to certify copies, and this catches people off guard. New York, New Jersey, Michigan, and Indiana do not grant their notaries the authority to certify copies of documents at all. California notaries can only certify copies of powers of attorney and their own journal entries. Other states prohibit copy certification for specific categories of documents but allow it for others.
If you’re in a state that allows it, the process is direct: the notary compares your original to the copy, confirms they match, and attaches a notarial certificate.
If you’re in a state that doesn’t, the standard workaround is a copy certification by document custodian. You, as the person holding the original passport, sign a sworn statement declaring the copy is a true and complete reproduction. The notary then notarizes your signature on that statement rather than certifying the copy directly. The paperwork looks different, but most requesting entities accept either format.
How to Get One
Start by confirming what the requesting entity actually needs. Ask whether they want a notarized copy, a certified copy from the issuing government, or an apostille. Getting the wrong one wastes time and money.
Once you’ve confirmed a notarized copy is appropriate, the process has three steps.
- Bring your original, unexpired passport and a clear photocopy of the relevant pages, typically the photo and signature page. Bring a second form of ID such as a driver’s license, since some notaries require separate identification before performing any notarial act.
- Find a notary. Banks, shipping stores, law offices, and dedicated notary services commonly offer notarization. Many states now permit remote online notarization by video call; if you go that route, you’ll need to display your original passport on camera so the notary can compare it against a digital copy.
- Complete the certification. The notary compares your photocopy to the original, confirms they match, and either certifies the copy directly or notarizes your sworn statement, depending on your state’s rules. They then attach the certificate, apply their seal, and sign.
If you arrive prepared, the whole appointment usually takes under fifteen minutes.
What It Costs and How Long It Stays Usable
Notary fees for copy certification are set by state law and vary widely. Maximum fees per notarial act range from as low as $2 in some states to $25 or more in others, and a few states don’t cap fees at all. Mobile notaries who come to you and remote online notarization services typically charge more than a notary you visit at a bank or shipping store. In most parts of the country, expect to pay somewhere between $5 and $25 for a standard in-person copy certification. Some states allow a per-page charge on top of the base fee when multiple pages are certified.
The notarization itself doesn’t expire. It’s a record of a specific event on a specific date, and that record doesn’t become untrue with time. But many institutions impose their own freshness rules. Banks, immigration offices, and government agencies frequently require notarized documents to be no more than three to six months old. A notarized copy that sits in a drawer for a year may be rejected, and you’ll be sent back for a fresh one. Check the receiving organization’s timing requirements before assuming an older copy will be accepted.