Rule 11-1005 Copies of public records to prove content.

If you need to prove what's in a public record, like a deed, court file, or government document, you usually don't need to bring the original to court. You can use a copy instead, as long as two things are true. First, the record has to be the kind of document that's normally allowed as evidence. Second, the copy has to be certified as accurate, or someone has to testify under oath that they compared the copy to the original and it matches.

If you try to get a certified or verified copy but genuinely can't, even after making a real effort, you're not stuck. You can use other evidence to show what the record said. This might include things like witness testimony about the record's contents or other documents that reference it.

This rule exists because public records often can't leave the office where they're kept, and there may be many copies floating around for legal or business reasons. Instead of forcing everyone to track down the original, the law lets you use a reliable copy. The key is making sure that copy is trustworthy, either through official certification or through someone's firsthand comparison.