the When legal or social issues affect our membership’s marriage-related duties, JPus gets involved. JPus represents membership, advocating on their behalf: Supporting legislation, engaging the media, training officiants Are there policies or legislation brewing in your community that affect justices of the peace? Let JPus know – we’re here to support you! At the Justice of the Peace Association, we work for the change we want to see. We are an inclusive organization that believes in the equality of all people. Our activities reflect our core values. Amateur Marriage Officiants Lay-officiants give professional JPs a bad name. This includes state-sanctioned […]

We are thrilled that Senator Anne Gobi is taking the lead and resubmitting the Resolve to Evaluate the One-Day Solemnizer Rule. In addition, she is also submitting two Bills that support JPs. Before doing this, she asked Massachusetts JPus members to weigh in. These are the poll results. 100% of the Massachusetts JPs who responded to our poll would like to have the fees they may charge increased.   93% of the JPs who responded to our poll would like the application fees for 1-Day Solemnizers increased.   Comments provided by survey respondents, edited for clarity & length Thank you […]

Updated November 19, 2020 Stay home orders are changing, depending on the coronavirus’ community spread. Governors are redefining guidelines and policies for group gatherings in each state. To help keep track of what the rules are, we are listing them, organized by state, here. We also have a member support article about operations in each state’s municipal offices, and what to do if the clerk’s office is closed. Please remember, safety is paramount. Social distancing rules continue. When conducting marriages, officiants are working and therefore must wear a face covering. See our 8 Things to Do article on performing marriages […]

Always looking to build relationships between officiants, or strengthen collaboration with our partners, networking is an important aspect of JPus. Networking Between Officiants Providing opportunities for JPs, notaries and other officiants to get to know each other promotes growth – and learning! Naturally, this helps our members do better ceremonies. Therefore, when we are able we hold networking social events at various locations. Since COVID, we Zoom! These gatherings provide opportunities for personal and more intimate conversations. See our Zoom schedule and recordings of previous sessions. In-Person Before the pandemic, we got together in-person. We hope to resume these events […]

We think of ourselves as the hub for civil marriage officiants. As such, we take our responsibility to support our members seriously. This includes providing the resources to support them during the coronavirus pandemic. Our priority is safety. That also includes making sure couples know that professional officiants are equipped with the knowledge needed to solemnize their marriage during these uncertain times. Similarly, we are partnering with our state government leaders to both share protocols and advocate for policies that meet all stakeholders’ needs. Resource Pages See JPus’ COVID-19 Resources for officiants. Resources to help couples navigate weddings during the […]