To find a Justice of the Peace in Massachusetts, start with your city or town clerk’s office, which keeps records of officials authorized to perform marriages locally, or call the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Commissions Section at 617-727-2836. The Commonwealth does not publish a single online directory of every active Justice of the Peace, so these two phone calls are the reliable path.1Mass.gov. Getting Married in Massachusetts: Before the Wedding
Where to Look
The Governor appoints Justices of the Peace with the advice and consent of the Executive Council, and the Secretary of the Commonwealth tracks active commissions. There is no centralized public search tool to browse them online. Your town or city clerk is the practical first stop because the office maintains current records of officials in the area. The Commissions Section at the Secretary’s office can confirm whether a specific person’s commission is active.
Third-party listings exist, but treat them cautiously. Commissions run on a seven-year cycle and expire, so a name on an older website may belong to someone whose authority has lapsed. Any legitimate Justice of the Peace can tell you their commission expiration date when asked.
You Are Not Limited to Your Own Town
One detail widens your options considerably: every Justice of the Peace holds jurisdiction throughout the entire Commonwealth.2General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 222 Section 1A – Appointment and Jurisdiction of Justices of the Peace and Notaries Public An official commissioned in Springfield can legally perform a ceremony on Cape Cod with no additional permit or paperwork. If your local clerk’s list is short or no one is available on your date, you can call clerks in neighboring communities or anywhere else in the state.
What to Ask Before You Book
Fees vary. The statutory rates in Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 262 are historic and modest, but wedding ceremony pricing is negotiated privately. Most officials factor in preparation time, ceremony customization, travel, any rehearsal, and the ceremony itself. Some quote a flat rate; others break out travel and preparation separately. Ask for the total before you commit so you can compare offers.
Also confirm two things on the call: that the commission is current, and that the person will sign and return your marriage license to the issuing clerk after the ceremony. Until the signed license is filed, the marriage is not recorded.1Mass.gov. Getting Married in Massachusetts: Before the Wedding
If You Can’t Find One
Justices of the Peace are one category of officiant, not the only one. Massachusetts law also authorizes ordained ministers, rabbis, commissioned cantors, Buddhist priests and ministers, Unitarian Universalist ministers in fellowship, Imams of the Orthodox Islamic faith, authorized representatives of Baha’i Spiritual Assemblies, leaders of Ethical Culture Societies, and Quaker and Friends meetings according to their own usage. City, town, court, and legislative clerks who also hold a Justice of the Peace commission are separately authorized.3General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 207 Section 38 – Solemnization of Marriage Nonresident clergy may be authorized by the Governor to perform ceremonies in Massachusetts under certain conditions.4Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Marriages Performed by Nonresident Clergy
The One-Day Designation
If you’d rather have a friend or family member officiate, Massachusetts allows a one-day marriage designation under Chapter 207, Section 39. The Governor authorizes a specific person to solemnize a single marriage on a particular date in a particular city or town.5General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 207 Section 39 – Solemnization of Marriage The person you designate does not need to hold any prior authority to perform marriages, and there is no residency requirement for the designee or the couple.
Applications go through the Secretary of the Commonwealth, online or by mail:
- Online: $20 plus a $3.50 expedited fee, with the certificate issued within five business days of Governor’s office approval.
- Mail: $25 by check or money order, with processing taking four to six weeks after approval.
You can apply as early as six months before the wedding and as late as one week prior. For urgent situations, call the Commissions office at 617-727-2836.6Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. One Day Designation: Welcome The certificate covers only the ceremony named in the application, and the designated officiant still has to return the signed marriage license to the issuing clerk.
Have Your License Ready
No officiant, Justice of the Peace or otherwise, can marry you without a valid Massachusetts marriage license. Both parties file a Notice of Intention of Marriage with a city or town clerk, then wait three days before the license becomes active. The license is good for 60 days from the original filing date. The filing fee varies by municipality and is typically around $50.1Mass.gov. Getting Married in Massachusetts: Before the Wedding
If an urgent situation makes the three-day wait impossible, you can apply for a Marriage Without Delay waiver through a probate or district court. The court charges $195 total, consisting of a $180 filing fee and a $15 surcharge, separate from the license fee itself.7Mass.gov. Instructions: Marriage Without Delay Court Form Line up your officiant and your license on parallel tracks so neither one holds up the other.