A certified copy is a signed copy of the original entry in a document. Certified copies are usually requested for legal purposes. For parish register entries, we provide a transcript of an entry. For other records, we provide a copy.
If you require us to certify a document as a true and accurate copy of an original entry in a document in our collections you can request a certified copy or transcript of:
Give us as much information as possible (including the document's reference number) so we can check if the items can be reproduced. This may take us some time so please do give us as much notice as possible.
We usually only grant permission for a specific use. You'll need to contact us again if you want to use it elsewhere in the future.
Once permission is granted, you'll need to credit "Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies (HALS)" and include the reference number where the document is reproduced.
It might not always be possible to reproduce items if they're subject to copyright or if the owner has placed restrictions on their reproduction. Many documents in the collections are still in copyright, even if they're very old.
If the copyright owner is not known, it'll be your responsibility to trace them.
When you find a record that you want to view in person, you can pre-order the document so it's ready when you arrive. You don't need to book a seat ahead of your visit.