Duties of a Connecticut Justice of the Peace

Ernest Adams, Your CT JP
(860) 543-2334

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A Connecticut Justice of the Peace may perform weddings and other acts anywhere in Connecticut.

Marrying people is a joy-filled Justice of the Peace duty for me! Not all Justices of the Peace are willing to travel. Being a mobile Justice of the Peace, I am happy to go where I'm needed, whether you want to get married in Elizabeth Park Rose Garden in Hartford, have your handfasting at Mystic Seaport, or have your wedding at home! (In fact, you can visit my Elizabeth Park Rose Garden Weddings Page, Mystic Seaport Weddings Page, and Home Weddings Page to see some of the couples I've married in those places.)

Some Justice of the Peace duties are a joy!

The following two paragraphs are taken directly from the Connecticut Justice of the Peace Manual. (The Justice of the Peace Manual is sometimes called the Justice of the Peace Handbook.)

"The office of Justice of the Peace originated in England and was brought to this country by the early colonists. The office existed in Connecticut in some form from the beginning of the colony.

"At one time when this State had a multi-tiered Court system with substantial judicial business being conducted by municipal and city Court judges, the elected Justice of the Peace had substantial authority with respect to the administration of minor Courts in this State. Over the years the scope of authority of this official has been narrowed so that in 1988 the role of the Justice of the Peace was limited to certain grants of authority enumerated by statute. Justices of the Peace have general oath giving powers [ ... ] may take acknowledgments [ ... ] may join persons in marriage [ ... ] and may take depositions...."

In general, these days Justices of the Peace in Connecticut are considered Wedding Officiants and administer oaths. Please see the Disclaimer if you are looking for legal advice.

Some Connecticut Justices of the Peace appear to be reluctant to marry same-sex couples. I am happy to join any loving couple in marriage. That is why there is a Gay Wedding Questions Page in addition to the general Wedding Questions Pages. You are always welcome to call me at (860) 543-2334 with your questions!

JP Questions?

If you have questions about the duties and responsibilities of Connecticut Justices of the Peace please feel free to call me at (860) 543-2334. If you prefer, please visit the Connecticut Secretary of State's Web Site (WWW.sots.ct.gov/sots/site/) to download the Justice of the Peace Manual in PDF format.

By the way, "Justices of the Peace" is the correct plural of "Justice of the Peace". Like "Attorneys General" and "Notaries Public", the noun comes before the adjective, and therefore the noun has the "s" added.

"Justice of the Peaces" has the "s" misplaced. "Justice of the Piece" is a misspelling.

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Disclaimer

Please note that I am not an attorney. I am a Connecticut Justice of the Peace and Connecticut Notary Public. I cannot give legal advice. The information given here was derived from information publicly available, especially the Connecticut Justice of the Peace Manual cited above. You are encouraged to do your own research. Please check with your Town Clerk or Town Attorney's Office; they will help you if they can. Otherwise, you must consult an attorney authorized to practice law in Connecticut.

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Version 6.00   10 September 2013