The Justice of the Peace Association was founded by Saul Haffner and Barbara Jay in 2001. It was the dawn of the Internet age. As a newly appointed Connecticut JP, Saul, a longtime marketer, saw the potential of the World Wide Web to connect couples and officiants in a personalized fashion. His wife, Barbara, was, conveniently, a Website developer. The Association started first in Connecticut and eventually expanded to other states where JPs and notaries perform marriages. Saul loved the connections he made with couples and his fellow wedding officiants. He was an early advocate of marriage equality and led […]

Make new connections and nurture opportunities! Mix and mingle with your fellow JPs and town clerks. We hope to see you at our Holiday Networking Event   **UPDATE: Event at Bertucci’s in Waltham, MA has been rescheduled. Stay-tuned for new date.**   Getting together with our colleagues creates new opportunities and connections – and it’s fun! JPs, town clerks and other stakeholders are all invited to attend. This will be a terrific opportunity to meet and connect with our fellow officiants, municipal and state leaders on a social level. Let’s build upon our shared interests and find new ones. Getting to know some of […]

Don’t be caught behind the times. Stay current on new laws that affect JPs and notaries. Connecticut Gender Neutral Terms on Marriage License Effective July 1, 2021, the terms Bride and Groom are no longer on Connecticut marriage licenses, replaced with Spouse 1 and Spouse 2. Read how JPus took action to make this validating change happen. Race Information Not Collected The marriage license application will no longer seek a couple’s race, effective July 1, 2021. Probate Judge Required for 16, 17 Year Olds to Marry Effective October 1, 2017, in addition to parental consent, anyone under the age of […]

Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight On October 1, 2019, the Massachusetts Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight held a hearing on the Resolve to evaluate the One Day Solemnizer rule. This hearing was in response to JPus’ members concerns, conveyed through JPus’ January 2019 white paper. Senator Julian Cyr sponsored a Resolve to create a commission study on the One-Day Solemnizer rule. JPus and the Town Clerk Association would be members of the Commission. To be successful, JPs and town clerks will need to engage legislators. Call Committee Chairs and let them know you support the […]

Your voice counts! THE ISSUE In March 2018 a new Bill was raised in Connecticut, An Act Concerning Justices of the Peace Who May Serve as Marriage Officiants (SB 396), which would allow anyone to be a JP for a Day in the state. Connecticut legislators need to hear from their constituents WHAT JPus IS DOING The Judiciary Committee held a public hearing on Friday, March 9, 2018 where JPus presented testimony opposing the legislation. We are also working with state Senators and Representatives, and talking with the Secretary of State’s Office, advocating to have the bill killed in committee. HOW TO SUBMIT TESTIMONY You may submit […]

This page is not being updated. The following bills were submitted to the Massachusetts General Court in 2019: S 1831  establishes a commission study to evaluate the One-Day rule (Cyr) SD 941 increases application fees for 1-Dayers (Gobi) SD 943 broadens JP’s advertising to include in “any public media” (Gobi) S1833 increases the fees that JPs may charge to $120 in-town, and $180 for out-of-town ceremonies (DiDomenico). See JPus’ statement of support. Background: One-Day Rule: Senator Cyr’s bill, S 1831, is in response to JPus’ white paper outlining the problems with the One-Day rule. The bill would develop a committee to […]

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This event has ended. Please visit our Event Page for Upcoming Activities. Mix and Mingle with your fellow JPs and town clerks. We hope to see you at our Networking Event Wednesday December 19, 5-7:00pm at Bertucci’s in Newington, CT Getting together with our colleagues creates new opportunities and connections – and it’s fun! JPs, town clerks and other stakeholders are all invited to attend. This will be a terrific opportunity to meet and connect with our fellow officiants, municipal and state leaders on a social level. Let’s build upon our shared interests and find new ones. Getting to know some of the others […]

On March 10, 2023, the Justice of the Peace Association submitted testimony to the Connecticut’s Planning & Development Committee. It supported the Secretary of the State’s recommendation for a JP working group, which she submitted after a meeting with JPus managing member and reviewing its white paper, Related Links The backstory. How and why JPus researched the JP appointment process. JPus researched and authored a white paper about the Connecticut JP appointment process. See JPus’s survey results about officiant qualifications and appointments. See how JPus is advocating to address the problems with amateur officiants Learn about the JP and notary role, state-by-state We advocate on […]