Sometimes, you may need to have a document notarized as a certified true copy. Normally, this means bringing a physical document to a notary, who compares it to the copy to ensure it’s an exact match. However, with so much of our information now being stored and delivered online, many documents like bills, bank statements, and utility records are only available in electronic format. This creates a bit of a challenge, as traditional notarization was designed for physical documents, not digital ones. When it comes to certifying electronic documents as true copies, the process is a little different and involves some extra steps.

If you need to have an online document notarized, the notary can't just look at a printed version. Instead, they will ask you to log into the website where the original document is located, whether that's your bank account, utility provider, or any other service. The notary will observe you signing into the website and verify that the document truly originated from the source. This is important because they need to confirm that the document isn’t altered and is an official record. After this, the notary will write a note on the notarized copy, stating that the original document was viewed online, specifying the website it was accessed from, and that the copy they are notarizing is a true copy of the online version.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that notaries usually only certify true copies of physical documents. The laws around notarizing electronic documents haven’t fully caught up with the realities of our increasingly digital world. This means that while your notary can provide you with a notarized true copy of an online document, the organization you’re dealing with may not accept it. That’s why we at Notary-Toronto.ca recommend that you check with the organization requesting the notarized document to see if they will accept a notarized true copy of an electronic document. It can save you time and hassle later on if they require something different.