Under Rule 902(a) of the Federal Rules of Evidence, an exception exists for a select group of documents where no authentication is required in order for the document to be admissible as evidence. Self-authenticating documents in which authenticity is not a prerequisite to admissibility include: (i) acknowledged documents (documents that are notarized or sworn under oath); (ii) newspapers or magazines; (iii) trade inscriptions; (iv) commercial papers or documents; and (v) public records or official records with proper certification.