Registration
Requirements for certifying photo ID: what you need to know
There have been recent changes to what needs to happen when you have your photo ID certified for registration. To protect against identity theft, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission has introduced some new requirements for certifying documents, including photo ID.
What needs to happen now?
For photo ID, like your driver’s licence or passport, the authorised officer needs to write or stamp the following:
‘I certify that this is a true copy of the original and the photograph is a true likeness of the person presenting the document as sighted by me.’
This is different to documents without a photograph, including for single-page and multi-page documents. You can find the full list of requirements for certifying documents relating to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency here.
What happens if I don’t have my documents certified properly?
If your documents aren’t properly certified, or use the wrong wording, your registration may be delayed. You may also be required to resubmit documents if they do not meet the required standard.
Don’t get caught out by these changes! If you’re a member of the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association and you’re experiencing delays to your registration, make sure to contact us.
Helen gilhome says
As a JP in victoria i am bemused by this. Often the person who presents the documents is not the person tbe documents belong to. For instance, the owner may be overseas and asked a family member to have the documents certified or the owner is ill or in hospital. Jps are being now asked to do 2 things, certify the documents are a true copy AND verify the persons identity during the process of certifying the document. What a mess! JPs have not been advised nor provided with the stamps. We see hundreds of people and do not have time to write this on every document for nurses. We also man jp rosters in police stations where we can have long queues.
Meg Ross says
I totally agree with Helen. It’s not just JP’s attending this certification and really those doing so are just verifying the copy. I don’t feel it’s fair to expect people to verify an identity. I don’t see the difference anyway, yes it’s a true copy, it either is or isn’t, if the photo doesn’t match the person presenting, it doesn’t mean it’s a fake, just that someone else presented it for verification. Not only that, passports can be 10 years old, not fair to expect a volunteer to verify identity considering 8-10years of natural changes.
Trish says
As a JP, I invested in a stamp, best investment I ever purchased, time efficient and professional looking.
Steve McGuirk says
As a NSW JP, this new wording does not match the JP Handbook. (See http://www.jp.nsw.gov.au)
Under NSW Law, I am required to comply with the Code of Conduct, including:
“A Justice of the Peace must be familiar with and follow the provisions in the Department of Attorney General and Justice’s publication ‘Justice of the Peace Handbook’ and in any guidelines issued by the Minister with respect to the exercise of specified functions by Justices of the Peace under the Act.”
Section 2.5 of that Handbook states:
“You must always use the following words, or words substantially the
same as the following:
‘I certify this to be a true and accurate copy of the document reported to me to
be the original document.’
Use of this wording (or substantially the same wording) is required by law, and
also helps to clarify that you are not certifying the document is authentic.”
NSW JPs are not required to check the identity of the person requesting a certified copy, only the identity of those making Statuatory Declarations and Affadavits. A person may present another person’s original document for copy certification as we are certifying the document/image and nothing else.
The NSW Justice’s Association has confirmed that JPs are to comply with the wording in the Handbook until instruction is issued by the Minister.
I believe NSW Members will experience difficulty having their photographs/ID documents certified with the new wording until such instruction is received from the Ministry.