Most states have a general public notice statute that determines which newspapers are eligible to publish notices and satisfy public notice requirements. In many cases, a state’s public notice law may also establish advertising rates, type size, requirements for proof of publication, and other details. A few states even include in this section specific instances in which notices are required, rather than spreading them throughout its code.
Links to each state’s general public notice law are provided below. Wherever possible, we’ve linked to official state websites, although in many cases we were required to link to private websites featuring statutory codes.
Updated Sept. 3, 2024
Alabama: Notices (Title 6, Chapter 8, Article 4, Division 1 and 2)
Alaska: No General Eligibility Statute
Arizona: Printing and Publication (Title 39, Chapter 2, Articles 1-2, § 39-201 to 39-205 and § 39-221) Publication of Notices and Ordinances (Title 9, Chapter 7, Article 2, § 9-812)
Arkansas: Legal Notices and Advertisements (Title 16, Subtitle 1, Chapter 3, § 16-3-101 to § 16-3-108)
California: Publications and Official Advertising and Publication of Notice in Public Notice Districts (Title 1, Division 7, Chapter 1, Article 1, § 6000-6078 and § 6080-6085.670)
Colorado: Legal Notices – Publication (Title 24, Article 70, Part 1, § 24-70-101 to § 24-70-109)
Connecticut: Legal Notices (Title 1, Chapter 1, § 1-2)
Delaware: No General Eligibility Statute
Florida: Legal and Official Advertising (Title VI, Chapter 50, § 50.011 to § 50.0711)
Georgia: Advertisement (Title 9, Chapter 13, Art. 7, Pt. 1, § 9-13-140 to § 9-13-145)
Hawaii: Publication of Notice (Title 1, Section 1, §1-28.5)
Idaho: Public Printing and Official Notices (Title 60, Chapter 1, §60-105 to §60-113)
Illinois: Notice by Publication Act (715 ILCS §5/0.01 to §5/11)
Indiana: Publication of Notices (IC Title 5, Article 3, Chapters 1-5)
Iowa: Publication and Posting of Notices (Title 15, Subtitle 3, Chapter 618, §616.1 to §618.18)
Kansas: Legal Publications (Chapter 64, Article 1)
Kentucky: Legal Notices (Title XXXVIII, Chapter 424)
Louisiana: Public Printing and Advertisements (Title 43, Chapters 2-5)
Maine: State Paper; Legal Notices (Title 1, Chapter 15, Sections 551-603)
Maryland: General Provisions (Section 1-113)
Massachusetts: Legal notices required to be published in newspapers; electronic publication (Part I, Title 1, Chapter 4, Sec. 13), Definitions – Publication (Part I, Title IX, Chapter 60, Sec. 1) and Publication of Notice in Newspaper (Part III, Title I, Chapter 211B, Sec. 21)
Michigan: Publication of Notices in Newspapers (Chapter 691, Section 691.1051)
Minnesota: Qualified Newspapers (Chapter 331A, Sections 1-12)
Mississippi: Publication; Requirements and Procedures and Presumption of Continued Qualification (Title 13, Chapter 3, Sections 31-32)
Missouri: Legal Publications, Notice and Advertisements (Title XXXIII, Chapter 493, Sections 493.010 – 493.140)
Montana: Publication of Legal Notices (Title 18, Chapter 7, Part 2, Sections 18-7-201 to 18-7-205)
Nebraska: Legal newspaper, defined; prior publications legalized (Chapter 25, Section 523), Legal notices; how published (Chapter 25, Section 2228) and Legal notices; rates (Chapter 33, Section 141)
Nevada: Legal Notices and Advertisements (Chapter 238, Sections 238.010 to 238.080)
New Jersey: Legal Advertisements (Title 35, Sections 35:1-1 to 35:2-3.2) and Municipalities and Counties; Official Newspaper (Title 40, Sections 53-1 and 53-2)
New Hampshire: No General Eligibility Statute
New Mexico: Publication of Notice (Chapter 14, Article 11, Sections 14-11-1 to 14-11-13)
New York: General Construction; Newspapers (Chapter 22, Article 2, Section 60), General powers of town board; Official newspaper (Chapter 62, Article 4, Section 64-11), General Powers of Board of Supervisors; Designation of newspapers; official publications (Chapter 11, Article 5, Section 214)
North Carolina: General Provisions as to Legal Advertising (Chapter 1, Article 50, G.S. 1-595 to G.S. 1-601)
North Dakota: Official newspaper of municipality (Title 40, Chapter 40-01, Sections 40-01-09 to 40-01-11) and Newspapers (Title 46, Chapter 46-05, Sections 46-05-01 to 46-05-09)
Ohio: Qualifications for newspapers publishing notices (General Provisions, Chapter 7, Section 7.12)
Oklahoma: Daily Paper Defined, etc. (see Title 25, Sections 25-101 to 25-114)
Oregon: Legal Notices (Volume 5, Chapter 193, Sections 193.010 to 193.100)
Pennsylvania: Legal Notices (Title 45, Chapters 1-9, Sections 101 to 907)
Rhode Island: No General Eligibility Statute
South Carolina: Legal Notices, Generally (Title 15, Chapter 29, § 10-100)
South Dakota: Legal Newspapers and Publication of Notice (Title 17, Sections 17-2-1 to 17-2-28)
Tennessee: No General Eligibility Statute
Texas: Notice by Publication in Newspaper (Title 10, Subtitle B, Chapter 2051, Subchapter C, Sections 2051.041 to 2051.053)
Utah: Official Notices (Title 45, Chapter 1)
Vermont: Notice by Publication (Title 1, Chapter 3, Section 174)
Washington: Legal Publication (Title 65, Chapter 16)
Virginia: Newspapers That May Be Used for Legal Notices and Publications (Title 8.1, Chapter 8, Article 4, Section 01-324)
West Virginia: Fees, Allowances and Costs; Newspapers; Legal Advertisements (Chapter 59, Articles 1-3)
Wisconsin: Publication of Legal Notices; Public Newspapers; Fees (Chapter 985, Sections 985.01 to 985.15)
Wyoming: Designation of official paper; Legal advertising; rates; type size requirements, “daily newspaper”, “weekly newspaper”; Requirements as to newspaper publishing legal notices (Title 18, Chapter 3, Article 5, Sections 517-519)