Contact YOUR STATE SENATOR and REPRESENTATIVE ask them to Vote YES on SB1140 Inclusive of Section 3 Working Group Please take a few minutes to email your Senator and Representative and ask them to vote YES on SB1140 inclusive of Section 3, creating a JP Working Group Look up your State Representative and Senator Call or send your State Representative and Senator an email asking them to support SB1140 – Inclusive of Section 3. See talking points and sample e-mail language below. The details are important. Current Situation On May 16, 2023, a new amendment was submitted in the Senate that guts the part […]
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About Vermont JPs
Looking for a Vermont wedding officiant? Visit findaJP.com to learn more about Vermont wedding laws and to Search for a Vermont Justice of the Peace. Are you a Vermont JP? Learn more about the benefits of a JPus membership. NEW! Check out our Vermont Member Rate Sheet to learn more about discounted memberships: 50% discount for all Vermont JPs. Use coupon code VERMONT. How to become a Vermont Justice of the Peace Information from the Vermont Justice of the Peace Guide To become a justice of the peace, you must be elected at a general election or be appointed to […]
About Connecticut JPs
Looking for a Connecticut wedding officiant? Visit findaJP.com to learn more about CT wedding laws and to search for a Connecticut Justice of the Peace. Are you a Connecticut JP? Learn more about the benefits of a JPus membership. The Connecticut Justice of the Peace Manual How to become a Justice of the Peace in Connecticut Connecticut JPs are authorized to perform the following functions: Marriages When a secular ceremony is desired, a JP is frequently called upon to be the officiant. The rules for obtaining and filing marriage licenses are: The marriage license must be obtained in the town […]
Vermont Membership Rates
Find the right fit for your listing on findaJP.com. This guide will help! We’ll help you choose from one town, one region, or multiple regions. Even the entire state of Vermont! Use the guide below or mix and match towns and regions according to how much exposure you want on findaJP.com. The higher-level plans include more towns, photos, and testimonials. When purchasing a Vermont membership at JPus.org, please use coupon code VERMONT to receive a 50% discount at checkout. Prices below reflect reduced rate. Please note, the number of towns listed by name in each state are limited. For this […]
A Unity Ceremony can make your Wedding Unique
Is your heart set on a wedding ceremony that is unique? Are you searching for the perfect signature elements that will capture the intensity of your commitment to one another or the bonds of the new family you are creating together? If so, here are three of the most popular trends in “ceremonies within the ceremony” that might be just the thing you are looking for. A longtime favorite is the Unity Candle Lighting ceremony, in which the couple lights a candle to solemnize their joining. Today Justices of the Peace are seeing more and more variations of this symbolic […]
Conferences and Workshops
The 2021 JPus conference for professional marriage officiants was a hit! We celebrated the 20th anniversary of JPus with our first virtual conference. Conferences provide opportunities for professional civil officiants to learn new skills, hear important news that affects their practice, network and refine their craft. Keynote speakers include Secretary of the State, Registrars, Attorney Generals and other state leaders. Topics range from setting fees to securing insurance; crafting custom vows to changing laws. In addition to the main speakers, breakout workshops and vendor booths round off the event. Some of our Past Keynote Speakers & Workshop Presenters Richard Blumenthal, Attorney […]
Resolve Action Alert
S.2063 Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight On September 22, 2021, JPus managing member Loretta Jay testified (51:25) at the Massachusetts Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight on S.2063, the Resolve to create a commission to evaluate the One Day Solemnizer rule. This hearing was in response to JPus’ members concerns, conveyed through JPus’ January 2019 white paper. JPus and the Town Clerk Association would be members of the Commission. Background: A summary of the problems with the One-Day Solemnizer rule and the Resolve’s legislative history is available. Action is needed now. To be successful we need Massachusetts […]
Amateur Officiants
Online Officiants Online officiants are individuals who secure permission to solemnize marriages through the auspices of a religious organization, most often the Universal Life Church (ULC). Typically, they are lay people who fill out a form online so they can marry their friend or family member. Some use the authorization to circumvent JP rules which limit the number of civil officiants per town. There are no regulations or oversight to ensure compliance with state laws. Oftentimes the ULC ministers treat the legal act of marrying couples as frivolously as the ULC distributes certifications, invalidating marriages. Massachusetts’ One-Day Solemnizers The biggest […]
2020 Legislative Wrap-up
All of the legislation that JPus has been following has wrapped up for the 2020 spring session. A summary of each follows. Amateur Officiants Massachusetts The Resolve for a commission study to evaluate the one-day solemnizer rule passed out of committee favorably at the end of February. But, then it got stuck and died in March. In order to plan for next year, we’ve spoken with Senator Cyr’s office and requested that the bill be resubmitted in January. More about our work to address one-day solemnizer problems. New Hampshire After the special marriage officiant bill died in the House, it […]
Who Should be Your Officiant: A JP or Your Best Friend
Your wedding: imagine that magical moment when you say “I do” and your life changes forever. Who could be better than your best friend to join you in marriage? STOP. Are you sure about that? In recent years, some states have relaxed the rules for who can officiate a wedding, authorizing almost anyone to be “officiant for a day.” Fill out a one-page form, bring it to your town hall, give them a check, and voila! For one day, you’re official. From the government’s perspective, it’s an easy way to generate a little revenue. In Vermont, for $100 any adult can now […]
MA Call to Action – End Child Marriage
Updated 11/7/2021 If passed, S937 (Senator Harriette Chandler) and H1709 (Representative Kay Khan), would End Child Marriage in Massachusetts. Please call your Representative and ask them to cosponsor and support the legislation to #EndChildMarriage. You may use the script below for some guidance. Please look up your Legislators at https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator Testifying to Committee Members Instructions to submit written or oral testimony to the Massachusetts Legislature when a hearing is scheduled Contacting Your Legislator Conducting a Successful Call Introduce yourself and what town you live in. The office will want to know your zip code to make sure you’re a constituent! If the Representative […]
Bring back the real JPs!
Is the title “Justice of the Peace” destined to become a generic term for marriage officiant? Not so long ago, most states elected or appointed JPs whose primary duty was to perform marriages. Today many of those states have abolished that role and that official title. Justices of the Peace in Nevada, Texas, Florida and other southern and western states are primarily the lowest level of court justice for whom officiating at marriages is a subordinate (and happy) perk of the office. In some states, a law degree is a prerequisite; in others, not. The New England states are the […]
Fees – Survey Results
What do you charge to perform a marriage ceremony? That was the question posed by the Justice of the Peace Association in its anonymous survey of marriage officiants. Most respondents have been officiating for more than eight years, and 82% are members of JPus. All of the almost 100 people who completed the survey live in New England. The Justice of the Peace Association encourages a range of fees, depending on the circumstances of the ceremony. One third of respondents charge $100 for their low-end. On the other hand, three people indicated that $500 is their lowest rate. Eleven percent […]
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