The difference between certified and notarized translations

By: bctranslator

Jul 24 2012

Tags: certified, notaire, notarisé, notarized, notary, services

Category: Services

8 Comments

Prospective clients often ask me whether I offer a notarized translation service. The answer is “Yes,” and it’s not a particularly complicated or expensive process. Once I’ve finished a translation, I simply print out the source text and the translated document, and book a short appointment with a notary in town to sign a simple declaration (affidavit) to the effect that my translation is a true representation of the original document. The notary charges me a nominal fee for the service, which I simply add to my invoice for the client, without seeking any markup.

How does a certified translation differ from a notarized translation?
Simply put, only a professional certified translator can provide a certified translation of a document. Certification involves preparing an official signed translator’s declaration and rubber-stamping or embossing each page of the document with my professional seal (from the BC professional association or Quebec professional order, depending on the client’s preference). In other words, a certified translation comes with a guarantee of quality, because my skills and experience as a translator have been certified by an official governing body. As a professional certified translator, I attest to the quality of my translation.
In contrast, any translator can provide a notarized translation. There is not necessarily any guarantee of quality, because the translator does not have to be certified. The only official aspect in the process is I swear an oath and sign an affidavit before a notary. The notary simply affirms that I have given my word that the translation is a true representation of the original, but does not assess the quality of my work per se.

Who needs certified or notarized translations?
In a nutshell, translations for legal, contractual or immigration purposes (for instance, court transcripts, service agreements, or birth or marriage certificates) often need to be certified, whereas translations for administrative purposes (such as college and university admissions) might only need to be notarized. In some cases, a client may ask for a translation to be certified and notarized. As far as I can see, the notarization simply adds an extra layer of “officialness” to the certified translation, which can either stand alone in its own right or be accompanied by the affidavit of notarization, depending on the client’s needs.

In the United States a certified translation consists of the following three parts:

1) The source-language (original) text

2) The target-language (translated) text

3) A statement signed by the translator or translation company representative, with his or her signature notarized by a Notary Public, attesting that the translator or translation company representative believes the target-language text to be an accurate and complete translation of the source-language text. Sometimes this statement bears the title “Certificate of Accuracy” or “Statement that Two Documents Have the Same Meaning.” ATA-certified translators can attach their certification stamp to the notarized statement.

Please note that any translator and any translation company representatives, regardless of credentials, may “certify” a translation in this way. A translator does not need to be “certified” in order to provide a “certified translation.” It is also important to realize that the Notary Public seal assures only that the signature is that of the person who presented him or herself to the notary; The Notary Public is not attesting to the accuracy of the translation.

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