FAQs

A justice of the peace must not charge a fee or accept a gift for providing justice of the peace services..

A justice of the peace must be familiar with and follow the provisions in the Department of Justice’s publication, Justice of the Peace Handbook, and in any guidelines issued by Minister with respect to the exercise of specified functions by justices of the peace under the Act.

You may be surprised to know that there could very well be a JP just minutes away from you. The best way to find a local JP is the go the the JP Register at the www.jp.nsw.gov.au web site. You can enter your postcode and the system will provide you with possibilities. Also many libraries across the state have volunteer JP's on a regular basis, phone your local libraries, or check the NSW Justices Association web site for a full list of signing desks. You can click on this link to gain access

Justices of the Peace (JPs) are volunteers appointed by the Governor of New South Wales. The primary role is to witness a person making a statutory declaration or affidavit, and to certify copies of original documents. JP's come from all sections of the highly respected members of the community and are available across NSW.

There are a number of instances where a NSW JP is not authorised to witness documents ad the mainly are:
- Documents for use overseas, including "proof of life" forms to claim overseas pensions
- Certify a copy of a laminated Australian Citizen Certificate
- General Power of Attorney or an Enduring Power of Attorney
- Documents for use overseas and documents in a foreign language
- Certify that a photograph is a true likeness
- Wills and private letters
There are other conditions not explained here. Your JP will help you find the answer to this formality