Legal Definitions - certificate of capacity

A certificate of capacity is a document that authenticates a notarized document being sent to another jurisdiction. It assures the recipient that the notary public has a valid commission. It is also known as a certificate of authority, certificate of official character, certificate of authentication, certificate of prothonotary, certificate of magistracy, apostille, or verification.

• When a person needs to send a notarized document to another state or country, they may need a certificate of capacity to ensure that the document is valid and authentic.
• A corporation that wants to do business in a state other than the one where it is registered may need a certificate of capacity from the secretary of state to operate legally in that state.

These examples illustrate how a certificate of capacity is used to verify the authenticity and validity of a notarized document or a corporation's right to do business in a state.