Justices of the Peace in Connecticut are municipal officials
elected or appointed in their town of residence for a term of four
years. See Connecticut General Statutes Sections 9-183a through 184c.
The term of all currently serving Justices of the Peace will expire on
January 3, 2005. The authority of each Justice of the Peace extends
throughout the State of Connecticut and each Justice of the Peace can
perform his/her duties in any town in the state.
Question 1:
Is there something
the Justice of the Peace should do when presented with the marriage
license prior to performing the marriage?
Your JP should:
1.
Verify that the bride and groom are the persons who are named on the
license.
2.
Be
sure the license was issued by the town in which the marriage is
taking place.
3.
Obtain signatures of the bride, groom and ensure the registrar of
vital statistics signature is on the marriage license.
4.
If
either the bride or groom is under Age 18, assure that parental
consent has been
recorded on the back of the license.
5.
If
either bride or groom is under Age 16, obtain consent from the Judge
of Probate. This endorsement must also appear on the back of the license.
6.
The
raised seal of the registrar of vital statistics must be on the
license.
7.
The
time period of the license has not expired prior to the ceremony.
Question 2:
Who has the responsibility to file the license after the
marriage?
The Justice of the Peace has the responsibility to sign and
return the license to the Town Clerk/Registrar of the town who
issued the marriage license.
Question 3:
Can the JP change
any of the information on the license even if the bride and groom say
it is wrong?
No! All changes,
corrections or amendments are the responsibility of the registrar of
vital statistics who issued the license.
Question 4:
How many witnesses
are needed?
The Connecticut
General Statutes do not require witnesses to the marriage. The
marriage is performed by an official (Justice of the Peace) empowered
by statute to do so.
Question 5:
How soon after the
wedding should the license be returned?
As soon as
possible. The couple may need to obtain other documents proving their
marriage is legal. Once again, this is the duty of the Justice
of the Peace. Connecticut state statutes provide guidelines.
Question 6:
Is there a standard
wedding ceremony that can be performed?
Yes, it is provided
to the Justices in a handbook, but you may customize your ceremony.
Question 7:
What should be
included in the ceremony?
If performed by the
Justice of the Peace, it must contain this line:
In
accordance with law of
Connecticut
and by virtue of the authority vested in me by the law of the State of
Connecticut,
I do pronounce you husband and wife.
Question 8:
Will the bride and
groom receive anything from the Justice of the Peace as proof that the
marriage has taken place?
No. Proof of your
marriage is available at the town hall of the town you were married in
and there may be a town fee to obtain copies.
Question 9:
I reside in
Connecticut but wish to get married in an adjacent state, can you still
perform my wedding?
Yes, a waiver can be
obtained from
the adjacent state for the Justice of the Peace making it possible to
perform the marriage in another state. The waiver is only for a
specific date in the town where the wedding will be performed.
