True copies of the original papers are required in order to guarantee that the copies are legitimate, accurate, comprehensive, and unaltered. The notary is simply stating that the document photocopy is a "true" and complete copy of the original document that was presented.A Certified Copy typically includes an additional page with a certification stamp and signature stating that the document(s) are true and complete copies. Here's what you need to know when a customer presents a set of documents for copy certification. Original and certified copy are basically the same. Certificate: An official copy created on a preprinted form whose blanks are populated with data from the original or the record copy. " Requirements for document copies. While original documents can be used in most situations, this is not always practical. You found an original document for your ancestor! A notarized copy and a certified true copy are the same.