HOW DO I KNOW IF THE COPY I HAVE OF MY CERTIFICATE IS A VALID, LEGAL DOCUMENT?

All new certified copies of birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates issued by the Oregon Vital Records Office are printed on intaglio banknote paper with the seal of the State of Oregon in the lower left corner and the seal of the Oregon Health Authority/Public Health Division in the lower right corner. The border should have a perceptible "rough" feel to it. Any erasures or additions to the record invalidate it. Because any document that has been photocopied could be altered and then recopied to disguise the changes, a copy you make on plain paper will not be accepted by state and federal agencies as a legal document.

In the past certified copies have been made on a wide variety of paper types. All of the older types of certified copies can be identified by the raised, notary type seal. If you have a photocopy and cannot feel the raised seal, most agencies will not accept it as a certified copy since they cannot tell whether the document has been altered.