Rule 902. Self-authentication. - North Carolina Statutes

Rule 902. Self‑authentication.

Extrinsic evidence of authenticity as a condition precedent toadmissibility is not required with respect to the following:

(1)        Domestic Public Documents Under Seal. – A document bearing aseal purporting to be that of the United States, or of any state, district,commonwealth, territory or insular possession thereof, or the Trust Territoryof the Pacific Islands, or of a political subdivision, department, officer, oragency thereof, and a signature purporting to be an attestation or execution.

(2)        Domestic Public Documents Not Under Seal. – A documentpurporting to bear the signature in his official capacity of an officer oremployee of any entity included in paragraph (1) hereof, having no seal, if apublic officer having a seal and having official duties in the district orpolitical subdivision of the officer or employee certifies under seal that thesigner has the official capacity and that the signature is genuine.

(3)        Foreign Public Documents. – A document purporting to beexecuted or attested in his official capacity by a person authorized by thelaws of a foreign country to make the execution or attestation, and accompaniedby a final certification as to the genuineness of the signature and officialposition (A) of the executing or attesting person, or (B) of any foreignofficial whose certificate of genuineness of signature and official positionrelates to the execution or attestation or is in a chain of certificates ofgenuineness of signature and official position relating to the execution orattestation. A final certification may be made by a secretary of embassy orlegation, consul general, consul, vice consul, or consular agent of the UnitedStates, or a diplomatic or consular official of the foreign country assigned oraccredited to the United States. If reasonable opportunity has been given toall parties to investigate the authenticity and accuracy of official documents,the court may, for good cause shown, order that they be treated aspresumptively authentic without final certification or permit them to beevidenced by an attested summary with or without final certification.

(4)        Certified Copies of Public Records. – A copy of an official record or report or entry therein, or of a document authorized by law to be recordedor filed and actually recorded or filed in a public office, including datacompilations in any form, certified as correct by the custodian or other personauthorized to make the certification, by certificate complying with paragraph(1), (2), or (3) or complying with any law of the United States or of thisState.

(5)        Official Publications. – Books, pamphlets, or otherpublications purporting to be issued by public authority.

(6)        Newspapers and Periodicals. – Printed materials purportingto be newspapers or periodicals.

(7)        Trade Inscriptions and the Like. – Inscriptions, signs,tags, or labels purporting to have been affixed in the course of business andindicating ownership, control, or origin.

(8)        Acknowledged Documents. – Documents accompanied by acertificate of acknowledgment executed in the manner provided by law by anotary public or other officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments.

(9)        Commercial Paper and Related Documents. – Commercial paper, signatures thereon, and documents relating thereto to the extent provided bygeneral commercial law.

(10)      Presumptions Created by Law. – Any signature, document, orother matter declared by any law of the United States or of this State to bepresumptively or prima facie genuine or authentic. (1983, c. 701, s. 1.)