Laws › Title XLII: Notaries, Commissioners, Justices of the Peace, and Acknowledgments
RSA 455-A
Chapter 455-A: Justices of the Peace
The text as the General Court's table holds it. Includes changes through 2026; 2027 laws not yet included. Taken from the General Court's database on October 19, 2026. The official text on gc.nh.gov.
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- MLA
- “Chapter 455-A: Justices of the Peace.” Granite Record, https://graniterecord.org/laws/455-a. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.
- APA
- Granite Record. (n.d.). Chapter 455-A: Justices of the Peace. Retrieved 19 Oct. 2026, from https://graniterecord.org/laws/455-a
- Chicago
- Granite Record. “Chapter 455-A: Justices of the Peace.” Accessed 19 Oct. 2026. https://graniterecord.org/laws/455-a.
- BibTeX
@misc{laws-455-a, title = {Chapter 455-A: Justices of the Peace}, howpublished = {Granite Record}, url = {https://graniterecord.org/laws/455-a}, note = {Accessed 19 Oct. 2026} }
455-A:1 Appointment.
Justices of the peace shall be appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the executive council, and shall be commissioned for 5 years, as provided in the New Hampshire constitution.
Source. 1988, 121:10, eff. Oct. 1, 1988.
How it has changed
From the section's source note, newest first.
- 1988 Laws of 1988, chapter 121
455-A:2 Application.
I. Any person applying to be a justice of the peace shall indicate on the application whether he or she has been a registered voter in this state for at least 3 years immediately preceding the date of application. The applicant must sign a written statement under oath stating whether the applicant has ever been convicted of a crime that has not been annulled by a court, other than minor traffic violations. The applicant shall be endorsed for appointment by 2 justices of the peace and a registered voter of this state.
II. A person shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000 if he or she negligently or recklessly makes a material false representation on the application form when applying for a commission as a justice of the peace. A person is guilty of a class A misdemeanor if he or she purposefully or knowingly makes a material false representation on the application form when applying for a commission as a justice of the peace. The civil penalty shall be imposed in the same manner as set forth in RSA 455:16.
Source. 1988, 121:10. 1997, 102:2. 2005, 118:12, eff. Jan. 1, 2006.
How it has changed
From the section's source note, newest first.
Other bills that proposed changes
Bills whose own text says they change this section, and that are not in its history above.
- HB 127 1995-1996 Died
Cites
455-A:3 Powers.
Every justice of the peace shall have the power to administer oaths, perform marriage ceremonies, acknowledge instruments, and any other power prescribed by law. A justice of the peace signing an acknowledgment or jurat on any document or instrument shall type, print, or stamp the name of the justice of the peace and state the expiration date of his or her commission on the document or instrument. However, failure to meet these requirements shall not impair the legal validity of any acknowledgment or jurat.
Source. 1988, 121:10. 1999, 153:1, eff. Jan. 1, 2000.
How it has changed
From the section's source note, newest first.
- 1999 Laws of 1999, chapter 153 · SB 111
- 1988 Laws of 1988, chapter 121