Certified records
Do you need a certified weather record?
Updated October 15, 2026
Usually not for a claim, sometimes for a lawsuit. Our report is not a certified record. Here is the difference, so you can pick what your situation needs.
What "certified" means
NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) can certify copies of its own weather records, so they meet the authentication rules for records used as evidence in court. Only NCEI does this for NOAA data. You order it from NCEI and pay a fee; see NCEI's certification page for current prices and turnaround.
A certified copy is the raw record, such as a station's observations. It does not interpret the record for your address or say how far the station was from it.
When you may need one
- A lawsuit, appraisal or hearing where your attorney asks for authenticated records.
- A subpoena or court rule that requires certified copies.
When you may need an expert
If the cause of damage or the date of loss is disputed and the claim is large, a consulting meteorologist can study the event and testify. That costs far more and takes longer, and is the right tool when the outcome depends on expert opinion.
What an address report is for
For most claims the question is simpler: what did public records show near this property on this date? The report answers that in one PDF: measured gusts at named stations, whether the property was inside a warning area, storm reports and NOAA Storm Events, radar hail and lightning, each with its distance and direction. It is useful for a claim file, a conversation with an adjuster, or as a starting point for an expert, who can trace every number back to its source.
| Weather Evidence report | NCEI certified copy | Consulting meteorologist | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you get | Records for one address and date, with distances | Authenticated raw records | Expert analysis and testimony |
| Certified for court | No | Yes | Expert's own opinion |
| Turnaround | About a minute | Days or longer | Days to weeks |
| Price | $9.99 | NCEI fee | Quoted per case |
Not legal advice. Ask your attorney or adjuster what they need before you order anything.
Related
- How to get NOAA weather data for an insurance claimStep by step: find storm reports, NOAA Storm Events, station wind measurements, warnings and radar hail for your address and date of loss, all from free public sources.
- How to check the weather on your date of lossWhy the date of loss matters for a weather claim, how to confirm which day the storm hit your address, and what to do when the damage was found days or weeks later.
- How to find the wind speed at an address on a specific dateWind is measured at weather stations, not at every address. How to find the nearest station, read gusts versus sustained wind, and judge how close the measurement is.