Cart 0

Things we won't do

Better you hear it here than after you've paid. Seven limits, each with a next step.

  1. We don't notarize, and we don't do apostilles.

    Those are done by a notary or a government office, not a translation bureau.

    Instead

    Take the signed statement we give you to a notary yourself, if your recipient wants one. For an apostille, the office that issued your document can tell you the process.

  2. We don't take medical records or anything with PHI.

    No patient charts, lab results or claim files. We can't sign a HIPAA agreement.

    Instead

    Ask a provider that works under HIPAA rules. If a document you need has health details mixed in, take them out before you send it.

  3. We don't translate legal contracts, and we don't give legal advice.

    We'll do a summary of a contract, and a summary isn't legal advice. We don't tell you what a clause means, or whether it holds up.

    Instead

    For the contract itself, use a law firm or a legal translator. Bring us the summary job.

  4. We can't promise anyone will accept it.

    Schools, evaluators, employers, courts and agencies each set their own rules, and they change them.

    Instead

    Get the required-documents list from whoever receives it. Check it first, then order.

  5. We don't certify compliance.

    We translate what you hand us. We don't write safety programs, train people, run audits or tell you what OSHA requires.

    Instead

    Delivery of training, checking that people understood, and records stay with you or your safety consultant.

  6. We don't interpret.

    Written translation only. No phone calls, meetings, appointments or live events.

    Instead

    Look for an interpreting service. Tell us what you need after the meeting, in writing, and we'll translate that.

  7. We don't work from scans or handwriting without a quote.

    A flat, readable scan is a quote request. Handwritten pages are a quote request too. Both take extra time.

    Instead

    Send a Word file or an editable PDF if you have one, or ask us.

    Ask for a quote

What "certified" means, and what we sign instead

You’ll see “certified translation” a lot. No single government license covers the phrase in the US. What a school or an agency usually wants is a short signed statement from the translator that the translation is complete and accurate and that they’re competent in both languages.

That’s what we sell. We call it a signed statement of accuracy. It says who translated and reviewed, which languages, that the translation is complete and accurate to the best of their knowledge, the date, and our address. It’s signed per order by the person who compared the full text, never in advance. It doesn’t come from a government or an accrediting body, and it isn’t a notary’s stamp.

Two things to do before you order. Read the required-documents list from your school, evaluator or office. And look at whether they ask for something we don’t do, like notarization.

The statement is included in the Diploma + transcript set, free on the Paper, abstract or survey package on request, and $49 on any other package.

See the add-ons

What to do instead

  • Need a notary or apostille: get it from them, after our statement.
  • Need medical, legal-contract or interpreting help: use a provider that does those.
  • Not sure we fit: ask first, it’s free.
Back to the pricesAsk us first