When a county clerk issues an authentication certificate under Executive Law §133, the certificate states, among other things, that:

Detailed Explanation

Authentication concerns the notary, not the document’s truth. Executive Law §133 says the county clerk certifies that the notary’s commission or certificate of official character is on file, that the notary was duly authorized at the time, and that the signature is believed genuine. For contrast, authentication does not certify the substantive correctness of the underlying document.