Can a Certified Copy Be Made From a Certified Copy?

Usually not. A certified copy says the copy matches the original document the certifier has seen, so it must be made from the original, not from another copy. Official copies issued by a registry or court are different: they usually count as originals.

Key takeaways

• A certifier, whether a JP, notary or other authorised person, must see the original to certify a true copy.
• A copy made from a certified copy is only a copy of a copy, and most bodies will not accept it as a certified copy of the original.
• Some certifiers will certify a copy of a certified copy, saying exactly that. Check whether the receiving body accepts it.
• Official copies issued by a registry or court, such as a birth certificate or sealed court order, usually count as originals.
• If the original is lost, get a new official copy from the issuer rather than relying on old certified copies.

Why must a certified copy come from the original?

When a JP, notary or other authorised person certifies a copy, they are making a specific statement: that they have compared the copy with the original document and it is a true copy. The receiving body relies on that comparison, because it cannot see the original itself. If the certifier only sees another copy, they cannot know whether that copy was accurate, altered or incomplete, so the statement would not be true.

That is why the rule is almost universal. Home Affairs, banks, universities, super funds and overseas authorities all expect certified copies to be made from originals, and many forms say so explicitly. Our guide to a certified true copy explains what the certification involves and what the certifier checks.

Can a certifier certify a copy of a certified copy?

Some can, if they say exactly what they did. A JP or notary may be willing to certify that a photocopy is a true copy of a certified copy produced to them, with wording that makes clear they did not see the original. That is an honest statement, but it only proves that the new copy matches the earlier certified copy. The receiving body then has to rely on the earlier certifier as well.

Many bodies will not accept that, and some forms prohibit it. Others may accept it for limited purposes, particularly where the earlier certification was by a notary or official. If you are considering this route, ask the receiving body first whether it will accept a copy certified as a copy of a certified copy. Never ask a certifier to certify a copy as a true copy of an original they have not seen.

When does an official copy count as an original?

Many documents that look like copies are, in law, originals for certification purposes. A birth, marriage or death certificate issued by a registry is itself an official certified copy of the register entry, and a certifier can certify a photocopy of it as a true copy of that certificate. The same is usually true of a sealed copy of a court order, a certified extract from a company register, and many other documents issued by public bodies as official copies.

So if you have a registry-issued certificate, you have what counts as the original. What you cannot do is take someone else's certified photocopy of that certificate and have it copied and certified again as though it were the original. Our guide to a certified copy of a birth certificate explains the difference for the most common document.

What you hold	Can it be certified as a true copy?
The original document	Yes
A registry-issued certificate	Yes; it is an official copy that counts as the original
A sealed court order or registry extract	Usually yes, as an official copy
A certified photocopy made by a JP or notary	Only as a copy of a certified copy, if the body accepts it
An uncertified photocopy or scan	No
A screenshot or phone photo	No

What if you need several certified copies?

The simple answer is to get them all made from the original at the same time. A certifier can certify as many copies as you need in one sitting, as long as they see the original for each. That is quicker and more reliable than making one certified copy and trying to multiply it later. If you expect to need copies over time, for several applications, ask for a few extra at the start. Our guide to getting several certified copies explains how certifiers usually handle this.

Also check how recent the certification must be. Some bodies want copies certified within a recent period, so a stack of old certified copies may not help even if it is made from the original. It is usually better to keep the original safe and have fresh copies certified when each application comes up.

What if the original has been lost?

Then the answer is usually a new official copy, not an old certified copy. For registry documents, such as birth, marriage and death certificates, order a new certificate from the registry that holds the record, in Australia or overseas. For degrees and transcripts, ask the university for a replacement or an official transcript. For court orders, ask the court for a sealed copy. Once you have the new official document, it can be copied and certified as normal.

Where no replacement is possible, for example because the issuing body no longer exists or the record was destroyed, tell the receiving body and ask what it will accept instead, such as a statutory declaration with whatever evidence you have. Our guide to what to do when an original document is unavailable covers the options.

What does the certification wording say?

The wording matters, because it tells the receiving body exactly what the certifier did. A standard certification reads along the lines of "I certify that this is a true copy of the original document sighted by me", followed by the certifier's signature, name, qualification or role, and the date. Some bodies specify their own wording, and some want each page certified separately.

Where a certifier agrees to certify a copy of a certified copy, the wording should say so plainly, for example "a true copy of a certified copy produced to me". A certification that says "original" when the certifier saw only a copy is inaccurate, and making or relying on it can cause real trouble, including rejection of an application and, in some contexts, questions about the certifier's conduct. If you are unsure what wording a body expects, check its instructions before the appointment.

What about documents going overseas?

For documents going overseas, the rule is usually stricter. Foreign bodies that want a notarised copy expect the notary to have seen the original, and DFAT apostilles the notary's signature on that basis. A notary will not certify a copy of a copy as a true copy of an original for overseas use. If you hold only a JP-certified photocopy, you will need the original or a new official copy before a notary can help. Our guide to originals and copies covers when a foreign body wants the original itself instead.

How do you get it right?

1. Find the original, or the official registry or court copy that counts as the original.
2. If lost, order a new official copy from the issuing body.
3. Check how many copies you need, and how recently they must be certified.
4. Have all copies certified from the original in one sitting.
5. Ask the receiving body first if you are considering a copy of a certified copy.

What does this look like in practice?

Here is an illustration, not a real case. Nadia needs certified copies of her university degree for three job applications and a skills assessment. She has one JP-certified copy from last year, but the original degree is in storage.

She asks a JP to certify photocopies of her old certified copy, but the JP explains they can only certify it as a copy of a certified copy, which the skills assessor's form does not accept. Nadia retrieves the original degree, and the JP certifies five fresh copies from it in one sitting, enough for all four applications and a spare.

In short

A certified copy should be made from the original, because the certifier is confirming they compared it with the original. A copy of a certified copy is weaker, and most bodies will not accept it. Official copies issued by registries and courts count as originals. If you need more copies, go back to the original; if it is lost, get a new official copy from the issuer.

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