Imperial Court System - Chapters

Chapters

The court system has grown to over 70 court chapters in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Some realms cover entire states, such as Alaska, Hawaii or Iowa, while others cover cities, counties or regions, such as the city of Toronto, the communities of Alameda County, California or the Greater Niagara Region.

Most chapters are Imperial Courts and are also known as "empires". A few chapters are called "ducal court" (infrequently called a "duchy") or "barony" (infrequently called a "baronial court"). The term ducal court is typically used in the rare situation when one chapter's area overlaps with the territory of an already established chapter, as is the case with the Ducal Court of San Francisco. The term barony is typically used when a new chapter has yet to fully realize the level of infrastructure and successful fundraising characteristic of those chapters deemed full-fledged Imperial Courts. Except for the titles used by the monarchs (i.e. baroness rather than empress, etc.) baronial and ducal chapters function in essentially the same way as those chapters headed by emperor and empresses.

Indicative of the IICS's continued growth, in the past decade, two of North America's largest metropolitan areas -- Boston and Chicago -- established baronies which have since become prominent and successful Imperial Courts.

As the oldest chapter in the organization, the Imperial Court of San Francisco is considered the Mother Court of the Imperial Court System. The term "Mother Court" is also used for a court whose members establish a new court. For example, the Imperial Court of Rhode Island is the Mother Court of the Imperial Court of Massachusetts.