A document validation system receives a scan of a certified document. The system identifies a security template for the document, prompts a user to enter a validation document into the scanning device, receives the validation document, uses the security template identify the location of one or more security elements on the certified document, and analyzes the validation document to identify expected content that should appear on the certified document at the security element locations. The system determines whether the expected content matches actual content of the scan at the security element locations and generates a report of the result.