Justice of the Peace Appointments

A Justice of the Peace (JP) is a volunteer appointed by the state to witness and certify important documents, offering a free community service.

Interested in making an appointment with a Justice of the Peace? Here’s everything you need to know:

What can a JP do that a pharmacist can't?

Justices of the Peace are able to:

Service / Document Type	Justice of the Peace (JP)	Pharmacist
Statutory Declarations	✔ Can witness and sign	✔ Can witness and sign
Certified True Copies	✔ Can certify	✔ Can certify
Affidavits (for court use)	✔ Can witness and sign	✘ Not authorised
Oaths & Affirmations	✔ Can administer	✘ Not authorised
Powers of Attorney / Guardianship / Health Directives (where legislation requires a JP, lawyer, or similar)	✔ Can witness (depending on state laws)	✘ Not authorised
Court & Tribunal Functions (e.g., summonses, warrants – in some states)	✔ May perform (depending on appointment)	✘ Not authorised
International Recognition	✔ Often accepted overseas (though some authorities may require a notary public instead).	✘ Rarely recognised outside Australia; usually not accepted for visas, courts, or overseas institutions.

What can't a JP do?

There are some services that require a higher authority than a JP can provide. These are typically a paid service and are offered by a Notary Public. The things that a JP cannot do include:

• A JP cannot certify or authenticate documents where a notary is specifically required.

• A JP cannot give legal advice or prepare legal documents (beyond witnessing/certifying).

• A JP cannot charge fees – it’s strictly a voluntary service.

What do I need to do before my appointment?

• Certifying Documents:

Photocopy or print your documents before the appointment – we cannot do photocopying for you.

If the document is a double-sided document (like a driver’s licence, a Uni transcript, a bankcard or a birth certificate) the photocopy has to also be double-sided.

• Witnessing statutory declarations/affidavits:

Complete the content of the statutory declaration or affidavit before the appointment.

Do NOT sign the document before you come! The signing must be done in the presence of the Justice of the Peace (JP). You will need to show identification (e.g. driver’s licence or passport) so the JP can confirm your identity.

How much does a JP cost?

All JPs volunteer their time and cannot charge for their services!

How do I make an appointment with the JP?

Request an appointment via email to Info Desk. Alternatively, our JP also offers a drop-in service between 10am-2pm, Monday to Thursday.

Where else can I get access to Justices of the Peace?

All police stations are able to perform the tasks of a JP. Some pharmacists may be able to certify documents and witness statutory declarations but may charge a fee.

Here’s a list of all JPs in Victoria.

Can a JP write on the back of my photo in order to verify that it’s me?

We are only able to do this in some cases – it depends on the situation. Please do not be offended if we’re unable to do it.

I have a document that originates online – can it be certified?

Victorian legislation does not allow a method for a document that originates online to be certified as a true copy.

If you need an online document to be certified we recommend you print the document you need certified, and then fill in a statutory declaration stating that the printout is a true copy of the online original and attach the document as an appendix.

Here’s a good example of what you could write on such a statutory declaration:

“I solemnly and sincerely declare the attached document marked appendix A <title or identifying name> is a true and correct printed version of the same document available/issued online. I printed the attached marked documents on <insert date>”

Statutory Declarations can be found here.

I have a document in a language other than English.

We are able to certify that a document is an exact copy of the original document if it is in a language other than English.

We’re not able to sign documents as witnesses if we’re unable to understand what we’re signing. If you need a signature witnessed for a document in another language, please check ‘Find a JP’ to obtain the services of a JP who understands the language of the document.

Are you a notary?

No, a JP cannot provide the services of a Notary. You can find a list of notaries here.

Please note you will be required to pay for the services of a Notary and you should ask about fees before making an appointment.