What does it mean to certify a copy?#
Someone who has seen the original compares the copy with it and signs the copy to say it is a true copy. The organisation that receives it then relies on that person's statement instead of seeing your deed. GOV.UK's guidance on certifying documents describes it as having the copy signed and dated by a professional person, such as a solicitor, and says you may be asked for certified copies when you apply for something like a bank account or a mortgage.
The certifier vouches for the copy, not for you or your change of name. The Post Office makes the point directly: it certifies copies of documents, not the identity of the person who brings them in.
Who can certify it?#
GOV.UK says a professional person or someone well respected in your community, "of good standing", and suggests asking any of these, if they offer the service:
- a bank or building society official
- a councillor
- a minister of religion
- a dentist
- a chartered accountant
- a solicitor or notary
- a teacher or lecturer
The person should not be related to you, live at your address, or be in a relationship with you. GOV.UK adds that they may charge a fee, and that the organisation asking for the copy may have its own rules about who can certify, which is the next thing to check.
What does the certifier write?#
Take the original and the photocopy together. GOV.UK describes the certifier writing a short statement on the copy that it is a true copy of the original they have seen, then signing and dating it, printing their name beneath the signature, and adding their occupation, address and telephone number. Those last details give the certificate its value, because they let the organisation find and check the person who signed.
The Post Office sells a version of this at selected branches. It writes or stamps a statement that the copy is a true likeness of the original, with a signature and a branch date stamp, and charges £12.75 for up to three documents for one person. It will not certify copies of UK birth, marriage or death certificates, citing Crown copyright, and it says not every organisation accepts its service.
Which organisations have their own rules?#
GOV.UK's list is a starting point. These organisations publish rules of their own:
| Who asks | What they accept |
|---|---|
| HMRC | When it asks for evidence, an image of the original or of a copy stamped with a date and signed by an employee of a government department, a legal organisation such as solicitors or accountants, or a medical body such as a doctor's surgery |
| Barclays | For a change of name by post, copies signed and dated by a professional, such as a solicitor, dentist or teacher |
| DVLA | For identity documents, no certified copies at all, including the Post Office's; send originals |
| HM Passport Office | The original deed, never a certified copy of it |
| The Legalisation Office | For an apostille, a copy certified by a UK public official such as a notary or solicitor |
If an organisation names a solicitor or a notary, use one; a teacher's certificate does not meet that rule however carefully it is written. If it names nobody, a certifier from GOV.UK's list is the safe choice. Either way, ask before you pay anyone. Will organisations accept a photocopy or a PDF? covers who wants what.
What about copies for use abroad?#
Other countries set their own requirements, which may involve a notary. GOV.UK's Legalisation Office will attach an apostille to a document like a copy of a deed poll only once a UK public official, such as a notary or solicitor, has certified it, and it tells you to ask whoever wants the document whether it must be the original or a certified copy, and whether a particular person has to sign it. A copy certified by a teacher, a bank official or us is made for use in the UK. What a notary public does explains notarised copies, and using a UK deed poll abroad covers apostilles.
How do your certified copies work?#
We certify copies only of the deed polls we draft. Copies ordered with your deed are printed with it, sealed as certified copies and posted in the same envelope. You then sign each one, and your witnesses sign it, at the same sitting and in the same way as the deed, so the deed and its copies match in every signature and in the date. That is why we cannot certify a deed drafted elsewhere, and why copies are not sold on their own.
They cost £6 for 2, £10 for 6, £15 for 10, £20 for 15 or £25 for 20; if you need more later, ask us. If your deed came from somewhere else, or is lost, a replacement deed poll with copies gives you both.
Questions people ask
Can I certify my own copy of my deed poll?
Only where the organisation says so. HM Land Registry's guidance on form AP1, written for people applying without a conveyancer, tells applicants how to certify copies themselves, with a signed and dated statement on the face of the copy. GOV.UK's general guidance has someone else certify the copy, and most organisations expect that.
Can a doctor certify a copy of my deed poll?
A doctor is a professional person, which is what GOV.UK's general guidance asks for, although its list of examples names a dentist rather than a doctor. HMRC's rule names a medical body such as a doctor's surgery. Check with the organisation first, and ask the surgery whether it offers the service and what it charges.
Will a solicitor certify a deed poll they did not draft?
Yes, if they offer the service. A solicitor certifies that the copy matches the original in front of them, whoever drafted the deed. We are different: we certify copies only of the deeds we draft.
Something else? Ask us, and a person replies by email, normally the same working day.
