Statutory declarations, witnessed signatures and certified copies — free of charge

What a Peace Commissioner does

Peace Commissioners are appointed by the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, and the Department maintains the Roll of Peace Commissioners. The role exists so that ordinary people can get a document formally witnessed locally, quickly, and without paying for it.

It is deliberately narrow. A Peace Commissioner is an impartial witness, not an adviser and not a legal representative. I do not read your form to check whether you have filled it in correctly, and I do not vouch for whether what you have written is true — that is what your declaration does.

The four things I can sign

1. Taking statutory declarations

A statutory declaration is a written statement that you formally declare to be true. You sign it in my presence and I attest it. Under the Statutory Declarations Act 1938 the declaration must be signed in front of the person attesting it — which is why a form you signed at home cannot be accepted.

2. Witnessing signatures

Where a department, agency, bank, insurer or employer requires your signature to be witnessed by a specified officer, I can act as that witness. Again, you sign in front of me, not beforehand.

3. Certifying true copies

I compare a photocopy against the original document and certify that the copy is a true likeness. You keep your original. This is what Immigration Service Delivery requires for citizenship applications, and what many banks, universities and employers ask for.

4. Signing certificates and orders under various Acts

A number of Acts of the Oireachtas name a Peace Commissioner as a person who may sign a particular certificate or order. These are less common, but if your form specifically names a Peace Commissioner, bring it.

Documents people bring me

This is a list of what comes through the door in practice, not a list of everything that is possible. If your document is not here, ask — the answer is usually yes, provided the receiving body accepts a Peace Commissioner.

Irish citizenship and immigration

• Certified colour copy of a passport biometric page, with the ISD passport certification form
• Certified copy of an Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card
• Certified copy of a birth certificate, with the certification form
• Certified copy of a marriage or civil partnership certificate, with the certification form
• Statutory declaration by an Irish spouse or civil partner supporting a naturalisation application
• The ISD residency, passport and birth affidavit forms, which name a Peace Commissioner as an acceptable witness

The full document requirements are set out in my Irish citizenship guide.

Family and personal status

• Statutory declaration of joint guardianship by unmarried parents
• Declarations confirming a change of name, or that two names refer to the same person
• Declarations of dependency or of financial support
• Declarations that a document has been lost, destroyed or stolen

Government departments and State bodies

• Department of Social Protection forms requiring a witnessed signature or declaration
• PPS number and Public Services Card supporting declarations
• Habitual residence and address declarations
• SUSI grant supporting declarations
• Passport application witness sections, where a Peace Commissioner is listed as an acceptable witness

Employment, education and finance

• Certified copies of degree certificates, transcripts and professional qualifications
• Certified copies of identity and address documents for banks, credit unions and insurers
• Employment and salary declarations where a witness is specified
• Declarations of no insurance claims, or of vehicle ownership and transfer

What I cannot do

What to bring

• The original document for anything you need certified as a true copy
• A clear photocopy of it — in colour, if the original is in colour, and one copy per certification you need
• Photo identification — your passport, national ID card, IRP card or Irish driving licence
• Proof of your address — a recent utility bill or bank statement
• Any certification or declaration form the receiving body supplied, printed and filled in but not signed
• The name of the body the document is going to, in case their requirements need checking

Rules that catch people out

• One photocopy per certification. If three different bodies each want a certified copy of your passport, bring three photocopies. I cannot certify one copy and have you photocopy it afterwards — a copy of a certified copy is worthless.
• Colour matters. Immigration Service Delivery requires a full-colour copy of a passport biometric page. A black-and-white copy will have your application returned.
• The certification form is part of the job. Many bodies, ISD included, want the certified copy and a completed certification form. Bring both.
• Foreign-language documents. I can certify that a copy matches the original whatever language it is in, but I cannot translate it or certify a translation. That needs a professional translation service.
• Expired documents. I can certify a copy of an expired passport, but the body receiving it may not accept an expired document. Check first.

Booking an appointment