Many states maintain laws regarding rates for publication of public notices. Information about each state’s rate laws appears below.

Alabama

§ 6-8-64. (Final placement and text of 2012 legislation is subject to editorial action of the Code Commissioner) Costs of publication — Rates; Internet publication; applicability of section.

(a) The rate charged for publication of a public notice shall not exceed the lowest classified rate paid by or published on a rate card for commercial customers for an advertisement of similar size, and frequency in the same newspapers in which the public notice appears. The lowest classified rate paid by or published on a rate card for commercial customers for such advertisements shall be calculated to also include all cash discounts, multiple insertion discounts, and any other commercial contract benefits for which the public notice also qualifies.

(b) The newspaper publishing the notice shall place the notice on its own website, if it publishes a website, and a statewide website at no additional charge to government or to the party in interest or at whose instance the publication of a legal notice is to be given. The amount charged for the notice shall include publication in the print edition of the newspaper; the newspaper’s website, if it publishes one; and the statewide website.

(c) The rates established in this section shall apply to any and all legal notices, advertisements, publications, statements, or other matter of whatever kind or character required by the Constitution of Alabama, by general, local, or special law or by rules or orders of courts to be published in newspapers in this state, whether the agency required to cause the publication to be made is an individual, officer, municipality, county, the state, governmental subdivision, or any other legal entity; provided, that rates established in this section shall not apply when a local law prescribes a different rate, in which event said local law shall be applicable.
top

Alaska

No statute governing rates.
top

Arizona

A.R.S. § 39-221(A)-(B). Price for printing; size of type
A.  The maximum price which shall be paid for public printing and advertising, and for publications required by law, shall be at a rate per column inch, per insertion, charged for legal advertising as shown by the local rate card of the newspaper in which publication is to be made.

B.  Unless otherwise specifically provided by law, the type used for such publications and legal advertising shall not be larger than the regular body type of the newspaper in which it is published.
top

Arkansas

§ 16-3-103. Publication payment
(a)(1) When any notice or advertisement relating to any cause, matter, or thing in any court of record shall be required by law or the order of any court to be published, the notice or advertisement, when duly published, shall be paid for by the party at whose instance it was published. This payment, or so much thereof as is deemed reasonable, may be taxed as other costs otherwise allowed by the proper courts in the course of the proceedings to which the advertisement relates.

(2) Where there is more than one (1) newspaper published in any county, the advertisement shall be made in the newspaper designated by the attorney for the party causing the advertisement to be made.

(b) When any advertisement shall be made by a public officer thereunto authorized by law, the reasonable expense for advertising shall be allowed and paid out of the state or county treasury as other demands and charges of a like nature are allowed and paid.

(c) When a publication of a legal notice of any kind is allowed or required by law, except real property and personal property delinquent tax rates, a newspaper publishing the notice shall charge and receive not more than its regular classified advertising rate for publication.
top

California

20169. Publication of legal notices; bids; contract
Annually before the beginning of the fiscal year, in cities where there is more than one newspaper of general circulation printed and published, the legislative body shall publish a notice inviting bids and contract for the publication of legal notices required to be published in such a newspaper. The contract shall include the printing and publishing of all such legal notices during the fiscal year.

If there is only one such newspaper, the legislative body may contract with it without advertising for bids.
top

Colorado

§ 24-70-107. Rates for legal publications
(1)(a) On or after January 1, 1993, for all publicly supported legal notices or advertisements published in newspapers, the rate paid for the first insertion of such notice shall not exceed forty-four cents for each single-column line of six-point type and shall not exceed thirty-two cents per line for each subsequent insertion. If the notice is set in larger type, the rate shall be prorated. Regardless of the size of type the notice is set in, the rates specified in this paragraph (a) are based on a single column measuring ten pica ems wide. If the column width is either wider or narrower for a single column, the rate per line shall be prorated on the ten pica em width.

(b) All emblems, display headings, rule work, and necessary blank space shall be considered to be solid type. For the purpose of calculating the charge for the items enumerated in this paragraph (b) only, the rate shall not exceed the line rate charge figured at twelve lines per inch for each column inch or a proportional amount for fractions of an inch.

(2)(a) On or after January 1, 1993, for all privately supported legal notices or advertisements, the rate paid shall not exceed the newspaper’s local classified display line rate which is offered to commercial customers and shall include the same frequency and volume discounts. The legal publication rate shall be published in the newspaper’s rate card.

(b) Notwithstanding any statute to the contrary, if any local government fee set by statute is too low to permit the local government to recover the full cost of publishing a privately supported legal notice or advertisement, the local government may adjust the fee by the actual dollar amount necessary to recover the full cost of the publication.

(3) Any contract providing for payment of a notice at a lesser sum than is provided in this section shall be valid.

(4) Upon request by the party placing a legal publication, the newspaper shall minimize the space required for publication of a valid and readable notice, but in no case shall the type be less than six points.
top

Connecticut

No statute governing rates.
top

Delaware

No statute governing rates.
top

Florida

50.061 Amounts chargeable.—
(1) The publisher of any newspaper publishing any and all official public notices or legal advertisements shall charge therefor the rates specified in this section without rebate, commission or refund.

50.051. Proof of publication; form of uniform affidavit
The printed form upon which all such affidavits establishing proof of publication are to be executed shall be substantially as follows:

NAME OF NEWSPAPER

Published (Weekly or Daily)

(Town or City) (County) FLORIDA

STATE OF FLORIDA

COUNTY OF _____:

Before the undersigned authority personally appeared _____, who on oath says that he or she is _____ of the _____, a _____ newspaper published at _____ in _____ County, Florida; that the attached copy of advertisement, being a _____ in the matter of _____ in the _____ Court, was published in said newspaper in the issues of _____.

Affiant further says that the said _____ is a newspaper published at _____, in said _____ County, Florida, and that the said newspaper has heretofore been continuously published in said _____ County, Florida, each _____ and has been entered as periodicals matter at the post office in _____, in said _____ County, Florida, for a period of 1 year next preceding the first publication of the attached copy of advertisement; and affiant further says that he or she has neither paid nor promised any person, firm or corporation any discount, rebate, commission or refund for the purpose of securing this advertisement for publication in the said newspaper.

Sworn to and subscribed before me this _____ day of _____, (year) , by_____, who is personally known to me or who has produced (type of identification) as identification.

(Signature of Notary Public)

(Print, Type, or Stamp Commissioned Name of Notary Public)

(Notary Public)
top

Georgia

Chapter 13. Executions and Judicial Sales (Refs & Annos)
Article 7. Judicial Sales
Part 1. Advertisement

§ 9-13-143. Fees for advertising
(a) The rates to be allowed to publishers for publishing legal advertisements shall be as follows:

(1) For each 100 words, not more than the sum of $ 10.00 for each insertion for the first four insertions; and

(2) For each subsequent insertion, not more than the sum of $ 9.00 per 100 words.

In all cases fractional parts shall be charged for at the same rates.

(b) For the purpose of the computation in subsection (a) of this Code section, a block of numbers or a block of letters and numbers shall be counted as one word. If the block of numbers or letters or any combination thereof contains a hyphen, a semicolon, a colon, or other similar character or punctuation mark, the block shall still be counted as one word, provided there are no intervening spaces. When an intervening space does occur, this space shall mark the start of a new word.

(c) No judge of the probate court, sheriff, coroner, clerk, marshal, or other officer shall receive or collect from the parties, plaintiff or defendant, other or greater rates than set forth in this Code section.
top

Hawaii

No statute governing rates.
top

Idaho

§ 60-103. Exception in case of excessive charge–Exceptions for lack of production facilities on bids on state work
(a) Whenever it shall be established that any charge for printing, engraving, binding (excluding binding for state supported libraries) or stationery work is in excess of the charge usually made to private individuals for the same kind and quality of work, then the state or county officer or officers having such work in charge shall have power to have such work done outside of said county or state, but nothing in this chapter shall be construed to oblige any of said officers to accept any unsatisfactory work.

(b) Any work referred to in section 60-101, Idaho Code, and which is to be executed for or on behalf of the state may be executed outside of this state in any case (1) where the execution of such work shall require the use of a technique or process which cannot be performed through the use of physical production facilities located within this state and the use of such technique or process is essential to a necessary function to be served by the printing, binding, engraving or stationery work required; (2) where, after requests for proposals or bids have been made or notice thereof has been given as required by section 67-5718, Idaho Code, as amended, no bid or proposal is made thereon by any person, firm or corporation proposing to execute such work within this state, or (3) where, after requests for proposals or bids have been made or notice thereof given as required by section 67-5718, Idaho Code, the lowest bid from a person, firm or corporation proposing to execute such work within this state is more than ten percent (10%) more than the lowest bid from a person, firm or corporation proposing to execute such work outside this state.

Contracts for Printing–Publication of Notices
§ 60-105. Rates for official notices
(1) On and after October 1, 2007, the rate to be charged for all official notices required by law to be published in any newspaper in this state, by any state, county, municipal official or other person, shall be as follows: seven and one-half cents (7.5¢) for each pica in a column line for the first insertion and six and one-half cents (6.5¢) for each pica in a column line for each subsequent insertion. For table and figure matter, the rate shall be eight and one-half cents (8.5¢) for each pica in a column line for the first insertion, and six and one-half cents (6.5¢) for each pica in a column line for each subsequent insertion. In the event that a column line ends in a one-half (1/2) pica measurement, the rate for such one-half (1/2) pica shall be one-half (1/2) the rate established for a full pica for the type of matter set forth herein. For purposes of this section, the type used shall not be smaller than seven (7) point nor greater than eight (8) point.

(2) On and after October 1, 2008, the rate to be charged for all official notices required by law to be published in any newspaper in this state, by any state, county, municipal official or other person, shall be as follows: eight cents (8¢) for each pica in a column line for the first insertion and seven cents (7¢) for each pica in a column line for each subsequent insertion. For table and figure matter, the rate shall be nine cents (9¢) for each pica in a column line for the first insertion, and seven cents (7¢) for each pica in a column line for each subsequent insertion. In the event that a column line ends in a one-half (1/2) pica measurement, the rate for such one-half (1/2) pica shall be one-half (1/2) the rate established for a full pica for the type of matter set forth herein. For purposes of this section, the type used shall not be smaller than seven (7) point nor greater than eight (8) point.
top

Illinois

Legal Advertising Rate Act
715 ILCS 15/1. Rate; type
§ 1. For purposes of this Act, “required public notice” means any notice, advertisement, proclamation, statement, proposal, ordinance or proceedings of an official body or board or any other matter or material that is required by law or by the order or rule of any court to be published in any newspaper. The face of type of any required public notice shall be made shall be not smaller than the body type used in the classified advertising in the newspaper in which the required public notice is published. The minimum rate shall be 20 cents per column line for each insertion of a required public notice. The maximum rate charged for each insertion of a required public notice shall not exceed the lowest classified rate paid by commercial users for comparable space in the newspapers in which the required public notice appears and shall include all cash discounts, multiple insertion discounts, and similar benefits extended to the newspaper’s regular customers. For the purposes of this Act, “commercial user” means a customer submitting commercial advertising, and does not include a customer submitting a required public notice.
top

Indiana

5-3-1-1 Cost of advertising; form of legal advertisements; determination of circulation
Sec. 1. (a) The cost of all public notice advertising which any elected or appointed public official or governmental agency is required by law to have published, or orders published, for which the compensation to the newspapers or qualified publications publishing such advertising is drawn from and is the ultimate obligation of the public treasury of the governmental unit concerned with the advertising shall be charged to and collected from the proper fund of the public treasury and paid over to the newspapers or qualified publications publishing such advertising, after proof of publication and claim for payment has been filed.

(b) The basic charges for publishing public notice advertising shall be by the line and shall be computed based on a square of two hundred and fifty (250) ems at the following rates:

(1) Before January 1, 1996, three dollars and thirty cents ($3.30) per square for the first insertion in newspapers or qualified publications plus one dollar and sixty-five cents ($1.65) per square for each additional insertion in newspapers or qualified publications.

(2) After December 31, 1995, and before December 31, 2005, a newspaper or qualified publication may, effective January 1 of any year, increase the basic charges by five percent (5%) more than the basic charges that were in effect during the previous year. However, the basic charges for the first insertion of a public notice in a newspaper or qualified publication may not exceed the lowest classified advertising rate charged to advertisers by the newspaper or qualified publication for comparable use of the same amount of space for other purposes.

(3) After December 31, 2009, a newspaper or qualified publication may, effective January 1 of any year, increase the basic charges by not more than two and three-quarters percent (2.75%) more than the basic charges that were in effect during the previous year. However, the basic charges for the first insertion of a public notice in a newspaper or qualified publication may not exceed the lowest classified advertising rate charged to advertisers by the newspaper or qualified publication for comparable use of the same amount of space for other purposes and must include all multiple insertion discounts extended to the newspaper’s other advertisers.

An additional charge of fifty percent (50%) shall be allowed for the publication of all public notice advertising containing rule or tabular work.

(c) All public notice advertisements shall be set in solid type that is at least 7 point type, without any leads or other devices for increasing space. All public notice advertisements shall be headed by not more than two (2) lines, neither of which shall total more than four (4) solid lines of the type in which the body of the advertisement is set. Public notice advertisements may be submitted by an appointed or elected official or a governmental agency to a newspaper or qualified publication in electronic form, if the newspaper or qualified publication is equipped to accept information in compatible electronic form.

(d) Each newspaper or qualified publication publishing public notice advertising shall submit proof of publication and claim for payment in duplicate on each public notice advertisement published. For each additional proof of publication required by a public official, a charge of one dollar ($1) per copy shall be allowed each newspaper or qualified publication furnishing proof of publication.

(e) The circulation of a newspaper or qualified publication is determined as follows:

(1) For a newspaper, by the circulation stated on line 10.C. (Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date) of the Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation required by 39 U.S.C. 3685 that was filed during the previous year.

(2) For a qualified publication, by a verified affidavit filed with each governmental agency that has public notices the qualified publication wants to publish. The affidavit must:

(A) be filed with the governmental agency before January 1 of each year; and

(B) attest to the circulation of the qualified publication for the issue published nearest to October 1 of the previous year.
top

Iowa

618.11. Fees for publication
The compensation, when not otherwise fixed, for the publication in a newspaper of any notice, order, citation, or other publication required or allowed by law shall be at a rate of thirty-four cents for one insertion and twenty-three cents for each subsequent insertion for each line of eight point type two inches in length, or its equivalent. Beginning June 1, 2001, and each June 1 thereafter, the director of the department of administrative services shall calculate a new rate for the following fiscal year as prescribed in this section, and shall publish this rate as a notice in the Iowa administrative bulletin prior to the first day of the following calendar month. The new rate shall be effective on the first day of the calendar month following its publication. The rate shall be calculated by applying the percentage change in the consumer price index for all urban consumers for the last available twelve-month period published in the federal register by the federal department of labor, bureau of labor statistics, to the existing rate as an increase or decrease in the rate rounded to the nearest one- tenth of a cent. The calculation and publication of the rate by the director of the department of administrative services shall be exempt from the provisions of chapters 17A and 25B.
top

Kansas

28-137. Fees for publication of legal notices and legal advertisements in newspapers; proof of publication; taxation and collection in actions or proceedings in court
(a) A newspaper shall charge and receive for publishing a legal advertisement a rate not exceeding the lowest regular classified advertising rate charged by the newspaper to its commercial customers.

(b) On or before July 1 of each year, the publisher of each newspaper that publishes any legal advertisement in this state shall file with the county clerk of the county in which the newspaper is located a card showing the newspaper’s rates for legal advertisements, which shall be effective for a period of one year from the July 1 on or before which the filing is made.

(c) Any contract rates or volume discounts given to commercial customers by the newspaper shall be available to persons or political subdivisions causing publication of legal advertisements, under the same terms and conditions as for commercial advertisements.

(d) The classified rate for legal advertisements shall not in any year be increased by more than 15% in excess of the rate for the next preceding year.

(e) Proof of the publication of all such notices shall be made in the manner required by law or the order or citation of court or summons, and each such proof of publication shall be accompanied by a verified statement of the fees and charges therefor. The fees and charges of all such publications when made in any action or proceeding in any court of this state shall be taxed as costs and collected in the same manner as other costs in the action or proceeding.

(f) Failure to charge rates in accordance with this section shall in no way affect the validity of any official public notice or legal advertisement and shall not subject any such notice or advertisement to legal attack upon such grounds.

(g) As used in this section, “legal advertisement” and “political subdivision” have the meanings provided by K.S.A. 28-137b and amendments thereto.
top

Kentucky

424.160 Rates for newspaper advertising required by law
(1) For all newspaper advertising required by law, the publisher is entitled to receive payment for each insertion at a rate per column inch. The advertisement shall be set in no larger than seven (7) point type on solid leading. The rate shall not exceed the lowest noncontract classified rate paid by advertisers. The terms and conditions of any volume discounts given to commercial customers shall be extended to public agencies of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Newspapers shall give all local public agencies a written notice of at least thirty (30) days of an advertising rate increase.

(2) If by law or by the nature of the matter to be published, a display form of advertisement is required, or if the person or officer responsible for causing an advertisement to be published determines in his discretion that a display form is practicable or feasible, and so directs the newspaper, the advertisement shall be published in display form and the newspaper shall be entitled to receive its established display rate.

(3) If it is provided by statute that an advertisement shall be published of the filing of a petition or application seeking official action, the filing, if required by other than a governmental official or agency, shall not be deemed complete unless there is deposited with the petition or application an amount sufficient to pay the cost of publication.

(4) The expense of advertisements in judicial proceedings shall be taxed as costs by the clerk of the court.
top

Louisiana

LSA-RS 43 § 205. Costs of legal advertisements; penalty for accepting rebate
A. In all parishes, the cost of all advertisements in relation to judicial proceedings, or in the sale of property under judicial process, or in any other legal proceedings of any kind, shall be a maximum of ninety percent of the commercial display advertising rate charged by the newspaper for a similar volume of business. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the cost of advertisements charged to a state agency when said publication is required by law in all parishes which do not contain a city of over one hundred thousand population shall not exceed the rate of five dollars per square of one hundred words or a fraction thereof. When the insertion contains material to be set in tabular form, the tabulated matter shall be computed on the basis of the number of words of straight matter which would occupy identical space.

B. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the agate line shall be the unit or basis of measurement and charges for all advertisements placed by a state agency when said publication is required by law, including bidding advertisements in all parishes containing a city of more than one hundred thousand but less than three hundred thousand population. The printing shall not be let at over twenty-eight cents per agate line for each insertion.

C. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the agate line shall be the unit or basis of measurement and charges for all advertisements placed by a state agency when said publication is required by law, including bidding advertisements in all parishes containing a city of over three hundred thousand population. The printing shall not be let at a charge of over thirty-one cents per agate line for each insertion.

D. If the newspaper refuses to publish at the rate herein specified, the advertisements shall be published in the manner provided for in cases where there are no newspapers.

E. It is unlawful for any sheriff, tax collector, clerk of court, or any other public official, or any auctioneer, administrator, executor, tutor, trustee or other legal representative of any party in any judicial proceeding or other legal proceeding to demand or accept any part of the charge for the printing or publishing in the form of a rebate or otherwise from any newspaper or publisher of a newspaper.

F. Whoever is found guilty of accepting any rebate or any other form of payment shall be fined not less than two hundred and fifty dollars nor more than one thousand dollars or shall be imprisoned for not less than thirty days nor more than six months, or both.
top

Maine

No statute governing rates.
top

Maryland

No statute governing rates.
top

Massachusetts

No statute governing rates
top

Michigan

M.C.L. Section 600.2534. Publication of legal notice, order, citation, summons, advertisement, or other matter; rates.
Sec. 2534. (1) For publishing a legal notice or an order, citation, summons, advertisement, or other matter arising out of judicial proceedings required by law to be published in a newspaper, except as provided in subsection (2), the cost must not exceed the rate of $20.50 per folio for the first publication and $8.45 per folio for each subsequent publication. A minimum cost of $59.00 is allowed for a notice that must be published 2 times or more, and a minimum cost of $44.00 is allowed for a notice that must be published 1 time.

(2) For publications after the effective date of the 2017 public act that amended this section, the department of treasury shall adjust the rates described in subsection (1) to reflect the percentage increase in the United States consumer price index from March 1, 2008 to June 1, 2017 and, annually each year from March 1, 2018 to March 1, 2025, shall further adjust the rates by the percentage increase in the United States consumer price index for the preceding calendar year. The result of an adjustment under this subsection must be rounded to the nearest multiple of 5 cents.

(3) A newspaper that publishes an advertisement for this state other than a tax list may charge for the advertisement its regular established commercial rate in effect at the time the advertisement is published.

(4) A newspaper that accepts for publication a legal or public notice as provided by law shall not charge higher rates or collect higher rates for political notices or political advertising than it charges for commercial advertising of the same or similar size.
top

Minnesota

331A.06. Rates for publication
Subdivision 1. Maximum rate. The maximum rate charged for publication of a public notice shall not exceed the lowest classified rate paid by commercial users for comparable space in the newspapers in which the public notice appears, and shall include all cash discounts, multiple insertion discounts, and similar benefits extended to the newspaper’s regular customers.

Subd. 2. Rate increases. Notwithstanding subdivision 1, no newspaper may increase its rates for publication of public notices by more than ten percent per year, as compared to the maximum rate actually charged by the newspaper in the previous year for publication of public notices, and in any case the new rate shall not exceed the rate described in subdivision 1. Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to mean that such an increase is required.

Subd. 3. Rate from competitive bidding. When the governing board of a political subdivision awards a contract for the publication of public notices based on competitive bidding, the rate established by the competitive bidding shall be the rate charged for publication of the public notices.

Subd. 4. Publication at legal rate. When a statute refers to publication of a public notice at the legal rate the maximum rate shall be as provided in this section.

Subd. 5. Multiyear publication contracts. Notwithstanding other law, a political subdivision may enter into multiyear contracts with a qualified newspaper for publication of the political subdivision’s public notices. No multiyear contract may be for a term longer than three years.
top

Mississippi

§ 25-7-65. Printers and publishers of notices, orders, etc.; errors
Printers and publishers shall be entitled to the following fees:

(a) For publishing in a newspaper any summons, order, citation, advertisement or notice required by law to be published in a newspaper, Twelve Cents (12¢) for each word it contains for the first insertion, and Ten Cents (10¢) for each of the words for each subsequent insertion required by law; however, as an alternative, such printers and publishers may charge such fees per line which are acceptable to the party placing the publication not to exceed the Twelve Cents (12¢) and Ten Cents (10¢) per word as set out in this subsection.

When four (4) or more numerals appear consecutively in any such legal publication, four (4) numerals shall be considered as one (1) word, and if there remains a fractional portion of such unit of four (4) numerals therein such fraction shall also be counted as one (1) word. In the case of numbers containing less than four (4) numerals which are isolated from other numerals by words in such publication, the same shall be counted as one (1) word. When tables or tabular matter are included, each line of the standard newspaper column shall be considered as containing at least six (6) words.

The fees authorized in this paragraph (a) shall not be chargeable for any erroneous publication of a summons, order, citation, advertisement or notice required by law to be published in a newspaper, if such error is not attributable to the person or entity requesting the publication.

(b) For making proof of publication, making a copy thereof, and for deposing to the same, Three Dollars ($3.00); but this section shall not apply to the publication of ordinances of municipalities, proceedings of the board of supervisors and school boards or audit reports.
top

Missouri

493.025. Rates generally allowable for public advertisements or legal notices
Except where otherwise provided in this chapter, when the publication of a law, proclamation, nominations to office, proposed constitutional amendments or other questions to be submitted to the people, order or notice shall be published in any newspaper for the state, or for any public officer on account of, or in the name of the state, or for any county, or for any public officer on account of, or in the name of any county, or any legal advertisement, legal notice, order of court or public notice of any kind is allowed or required by law, a newspaper publishing such notice shall charge and receive not more than its regular local classified advertising rate. The regular local classified advertising rate is that rate shown by the newspaper’s rate schedule as offered to the public, and shall have been in effect for at least thirty days preceding publication of the particular notice to which it is applied.
top

Montana

18-7-201. Requirements for choice of newspaper–price
(1) In all cases and instances where any publication is required by law or is duly authorized to be made, executed, or accomplished by, for, or on behalf of the state of Montana or any of the institutions of said state or any of the departments, boards, bureaus, or commissions thereof or any of the officers, agents, or employees of the state when acting within the scope of their lawful authority and for the benefit of the state of Montana, the same shall be published in a newspaper printed and published in the state of Montana and of general bona fide and paid circulation with second-class mailing privilege and having been printed and published continuously in the state of Montana for at least 12 months immediately preceding such publication.

(2) The price for such publication and by whomsoever accomplished shall not exceed the minimum going rate charged any other advertiser for the same publication set in the same sized type and published for the same number of insertions.

18-7-202. Lower rates permissible
The prices, rates, and standards herein fixed and prescribed are in each instance and for every case covered by this part the maximum prices, rates, and standards. Their prescription and establishment herein shall in no case be taken as prohibiting a lesser or lower rate or price than herein fixed. Every department, institution, officer, or agent of the state shall, whenever possible, obtain a lower rate or price than is fixed herein, the equivalent of the minimum rate mentioned in 18-7-204.

18-7-204. Affidavit of printer–allowance of claims
No claim against the state for legal advertising or any of the publications covered by this part shall be allowed unless there is attached to said claim the certification of the publisher or printer (in the case of corporations or quasi-corporations by the business or advertising manager thereof) properly executed, setting forth that the price or rate charged the state of Montana for the publication for which claim is made is not in excess of the minimum rate charged any other advertiser for publication or advertisement set in the same sized type and published for the same number of insertions. It is hereby declared to be unlawful to make any claim against or to charge or attempt to charge the state of Montana for any publication in excess of the minimum going rate charged any other advertiser for the same publication set in the same sized type and published for the same number of insertions.
top

Nebraska

33-141. Legal notices; rates
(1) Until one year after September 9, 1995, the legal rate for the publication of all legal notices other than those exceptional legal notices described in section 33-142 shall be forty-one cents per line, single column, standard newspaper measurements of eight-point type and pica width of eleven for the first insertion and thirty-five and nine-tenths cents per line, single column, standard newspaper measurements of eight-point type and pica width of eleven for each subsequent insertion. Publication of such notices may be in any type selected by the publisher. For the purpose of uniformity, the calculation of fees for such publication shall be based on the official conversion table that follows:

…

(2) Commencing one year after September 9, 1995, the legal rate for the publication of all legal notices other than those exceptional legal notices described in section 33-142 shall be forty-five cents per line, single column, standard newspaper measurements of eight-point type and pica width of eleven for the first insertion and thirty-nine and four-tenths cents per line, single column, standard newspaper measurements of eight-point type and pica width of eleven for each subsequent insertion. Publication of such notices may be in any type selected by the publisher. For the purpose of uniformity, the calculation of fees for such publication shall be based on the official conversion table that follows:

…

33-142. Legal notices; separate contract rate; authorized
A public official or other legal notice purchaser who determines it is necessary or for purposes of public information desirable to publish a legal notice using (1) a type size larger than shown in the conversion table in section 33-141, (2) placement of the legal notice in a place more prominent than the regular legal notice portion of the legal newspaper, or (3) a legal newspaper with a paid statewide circulation in excess of one hundred thousand may negotiate with any legal newspaper for a separate contract rate different from the rates set forth in section 33-141 but no higher than the newspaper’s lowest scheduled rate for classified advertisements of the type sought to be purchased.
top

Nevada
NRS 238.070 Rates and size of type for official advertising of State and counties; annual contracts for county printing and advertising.
1.  All advertising ordered or required by the State of Nevada or by the respective counties of the State must be paid for by the State or the county ordering or requiring the advertising at a rate that does not exceed:
(a) The published open display rate for advertising, if the advertisement is placed in a daily or weekly newspaper with a circulation of 15,000 or less; or
(b) The published rate for advertising by a nonprofit or charitable organization, if the advertisement is placed in a daily or weekly newspaper with a circulation of more than 15,000.
2.  The type size for advertising ordered or required by the State of Nevada or a county must be no smaller than that used by the newspaper in the columns of classified advertisements.
3.  Nothing contained in this section prohibits boards of county commissioners from entering into annual contracts for the entire official printing and advertising of their respective counties when a saving of public money will be effected thereby.
top

New Hampshire

No statute governing rates.
top

New Jersey

N.J.S.A. 35:2-1 ~ Rates for official advertising
The price to be paid for publishing all official advertising as defined in R.S. 35:1-1 in newspapers shall be as follows:

In newspapers published in the State of New Jersey having a bona fide net paid circulation of up to 2,500 copies, the rate shall be $0.25 per line for each insertion; in the case of any newspaper having a bona fide net paid circulation of not less than 2,500 copies nor more than 5,000 copies, the rate shall be $0.31 per line for each insertion; and in the case of any newspaper having a bona fide net paid circulation of not less than 5,000 copies and not more than 10,000 copies, the rate shall be $0.34 per line per insertion; and in the case of any newspaper having a bona fide net paid circulation of not less than 10,000 copies and not more than 30,000 copies, the rate shall be $0.35 per line per insertion; and in the case of any newspaper having a bona fide net paid circulation of not less than 30,000 and not more than 45,000 copies, the rate shall be $0.36 per line per insertion; and in the case of any newspaper having a bona fide net paid circulation of not less than 45,000 copies and not more than 60,000 copies, the rate shall be $0.38 per line per insertion; and in the case of any newspaper having a bona fide net paid circulation of not less than 60,000 copies and not more than 75,000 copies, the rate shall be $0.44 per line per insertion; and in the case of any newspaper having bona fide net paid circulation of not less than 75,000 copies and of more than 100,000 copies, the rate shall be $0.60 per line per insertion; and in the case of any newspaper having a bona fide net paid circulation of not less than 100,000 copies, and not more than 125,000 copies, the rate shall be $0.66 per line per insertion; and in the case of any newspaper having a bona fide net paid circulation of not less than 125,000 copies, and not more than 150,000, the rate shall be $0.72 per line per insertion; and in the case of any newspaper having a bona fide net paid circulation of not less than 150,000 copies and not more than 200,000 copies, the rate shall be $0.82 per line per insertion; and in the case of newspapers having a bona fide net paid circulation of not less than 200,000 copies and not more than 300,000 copies, the rate shall be $0.91 per line per insertion; and in the case of any newspaper having a bona fide net paid circulation in excess of 300,000 copies the rate shall be $1.00 per line per insertion; but before any newspaper can charge the foregoing rates, the publisher or business manager of such newspaper must file with the properly authorized officer of every municipality, county or governing body, placing official advertising in such newspaper, an affidavit setting forth the average net paid circulation of such newspaper for the 12-month period ending September 30 next preceding and the rate to be charged for official advertising, which in no case shall be in excess of, or below, the rates provided in the foregoing schedule.

Lines shall be calculated upon the basis of the space that a 6 point line, 8 picas wide would occupy.
top

New Mexico

N. M. S. A. 1978, § 14-11-7 ~ Rates for legal notice or advertisement; costs
For publication of all legal notices or advertisements that a governmental entity is required by law or the order of any court of record in this state to publish in newspapers, the publishers shall be paid a reasonable rate, to be set by rule or regulation of the secretary of general services. Changes in economic conditions within the newspaper industry, the general economy and inflation shall be considered in determining a reasonable rate.

The clerk of any court in the state or any public trustee, county treasurer or other public officer required by law to publish legal notices or advertisements shall tax the cost of publishing notices or advertisements, as prescribed in this section, as part of the costs of the cause or proceeding and shall collect for publication before the cause or proceeding is closed and shall remit to the publisher the proper cost of the legal notices or advertisements.
top

New York

Public Officers Law Chapter 47, Article 4, § 70-a – Fees to be paid by public officers for public advertisements
The charge for the publication of concurrent resolutions, proposed constitutional amendments, propositions or questions to be submitted to the voters of the state, tax sales and official notices required to be published by state boards, commissions or officers in newspapers of the state, shall be paid from the treasury on the audit and warrant of the comptroller, after certification by the proper officer that such a publication has been regularly made as prescribed by law. The charge for the publication, if authorized by law, of digests of laws of a local nature in the newspaper designated to publish such digests shall be paid by the several counties of the state in which such laws may be published, upon like certification. The charge for the publication of concurrent resolutions, proposed constitutional amendments, propositions or questions to be submitted to the voters of the state or of any political subdivision thereof or therein, tax sales by the state or any county or municipality therein, and of all official notices and advertisements authorized or required by law to be published at the expense of the state or of a county, city, town, village, public authority, public benefit corporation or other political or civil subdivision of the state, shall be at the rate of twenty-nine cents per line of a column width not less than ten pica ems, provided that in computing such charge per line the line shall average at least five words for each insertion in newspapers having less than two thousand five hundred circulation; twenty-nine and one-half cents per line for newspapers having two thousand five hundred or more circulation and less than five thousand; thirty-two and one-half cents per line for newspapers having ten thousand or more circulation and less than fifteen thousand; and three and one-half cents per line in addition to the thirty-two and one-half cents for the initial fifteen thousand circulation, for each additional five thousand circulation up to thirty-five thousand circulation and one and one-half cents per line for each additional five thousand possessed by such newspapers. To all of the above rates nine cents per line shall be added to the initial insertion charge of each separate advertisement. To all of the above rates for the initial insertion eight cents per line shall also be added for tabular matter or intricate composition. Display advertising shall be charged agate measurement, fourteen lines to each inch, ten to thirteen pica ems wide, depending on the makeup of the newspaper publishing such copy. Every newspaper printed, published or having its principal office outside of a city having a population of over three hundred fifty thousand inhabitants, as a condition precedent to designation as the official newspaper of any county, city, town, village or other political or civil subdivision of the state or for the making of claim for compensation under the foregoing provisions of this section, must be established at least one year and entered in the post office as second class matter.

This rate shall not apply to any newspaper printed, principally circulated or having its principal office in the counties of New York or Bronx within the first judicial district or in the county of Kings within the second judicial district or in the county of Richmond within the thirteenth judicial district or in the county of Nassau within the tenth judicial district or in the county of Queens within the eleventh judicial district or in the county of Westchester within the ninth judicial district or in any city having a population of over one hundred seventy-five thousand inhabitants within the seventh and eighth judicial districts, where the rate for such publication may be equal to, but shall not exceed, the regularly established classified advertising rate of such newspapers. In reckoning line charges allowance shall be made for date lines, paragraph endings, titles, signatures, and similar short lines as full lines where the same are set to conform to the usual rules of composition. Every newspaper printed, published or having its principal office outside of a city having a population of over three hundred fifty thousand inhabitants designated for the publication of concurrent resolutions, proposed constitutional amendments, propositions or questions to be submitted to the voters of the state and making claim for compensation must be established at least one year, entered in the post office as second class matter and be printed and published in the town, village or city or its post office address and except newspapers designated, printed, published and having their principal offices in a city having a population of more than three hundred fifty thousand inhabitants, shall attach to such claim an affidavit of the circulation of such newspaper for the six months period ending March thirty-first or September thirtieth immediately preceding, which shall be used as the basis of circulation rating. Papers printed, published and having their principal offices outside a city having a population of more than three hundred fifty thousand inhabitants shall accept the minimum rate per line until such time as they establish to the satisfaction of the state comptroller sufficient circulation to entitle them to a higher rate. It shall be the duty of each board of supervisors in the several counties of the state, in making out the assessment rolls, to assess and levy on the taxable property of the county whose representatives they are, such sums as shall be sufficient to defray the expense of publishing the digest of laws of a local nature, if such publication be authorized, applicable only to the county affected, in the newspaper designated. Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, any publication which was designated and publishing notice as an official newspaper prior to the year nineteen hundred forty and continued to be so designated and publishing for at least thirty years after such year, which has been designated for the publication of concurrent resolutions, proposed constitutional amendments, propositions or questions to be submitted to the voters of the state, may make claim for compensation pursuant to the provisions of this section

Civil Practice Law & Rules, Chapter 8, Article 80, § 8007 – Printers
Except where otherwise prescribed by law, the proprietor of a newspaper is entitled for publishing a summons, notice, order or other advertisement, required to be published by law or by the order of any court, or of the clerk of a court, to twenty-nine cents per line of a column width not less than ten pica ems, provided that in computing such charge per line the line shall average at least five words for each insertion in newspapers having a circulation of less than two thousand five hundred; twenty-nine and one-half cents per line for newspapers having two thousand five hundred or more circulation and less than five thousand; thirty and one-half cents per line for newspapers having five thousand or more circulation and less than seven thousand five hundred; thirty-one and one-half cents per line for newspapers having seven thousand five hundred or more circulation and less than ten thousand; thirty-two and one-half cents per line for newspapers having ten thousand or more circulation and less than fifteen thousand; and three and one-half cents per line, in addition to the thirty-two and one-half cents for the initial fifteen thousand circulation, for each additional five thousand circulation up to thirty-five thousand circulation and one and one-half cents per line for each additional five thousand possessed by a newspaper. To all of the above rates nine cents per line shall be added to the initial insertion charge of each separate advertisement. To all of the above rates for the initial insertion eight cents per line shall also be added for tabular matter or intricate composition. In reckoning line charges allowance shall be made for date lines, paragraph endings, titles, signatures and similar short lines as full lines where the same are set to conform to the usual rules of composition. Display advertising shall be charged agate measurement (fourteen lines to each inch), ten to thirteen pica ems wide, depending on the makeup of the newspaper publishing such copy. This rate shall not apply to any newspaper printed, principally circulated or having its principal office in the counties of New York or Bronx within the first judicial district or in the county of Kings within the second judicial district or in the county of Richmond within the thirteenth judicial district or in the county of Nassau within the tenth judicial district or in the county of Queens within the eleventh judicial district or in the county of Westchester within the ninth judicial district or in any city having a population of over one hundred seventy-five thousand inhabitants within the eighth judicial district, where the rate for such publication may be equal to but shall not exceed the regularly established classified advertising rate of such newspapers. Every newspaper making claim for compensation under the provisions of this section must be established at least one year and entered in the post office as second class matter.
top

North Carolina

N.C.G.S.A. § 1-596 ~ Charges for legal advertising
The publication of all advertising required by law to be made in newspapers in this State shall be paid for at not to exceed the local commercial rate of the newspapers selected. Any public or municipal officer or board created by or existing under the laws of this State that is now or may hereafter be authorized by law to enter into contracts for the publication of legal advertisements is hereby authorized to pay therefor prices not exceeding said rates.

No newspaper in this State shall accept or print any legal advertising until said newspaper shall have first filed with the clerk of the superior court of the county in which it is published a sworn statement of its current commercial rate for the several classes of advertising regularly carried by said publication, and any owner or manager of a newspaper violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
top

North Dakota

NDCC, 46-05-03 ~ Legal notices—Fees
To effect uniformity, the office of management and budget may compute a standard price on those legal notices which are widely published such as ballots, insurance statements, and official proclamations. All newspapers must use the rates, type size, and column width as shown on its legal notice rate certification issued by the office of management and budget. Certifications must be issued within fifteen days after samples are submitted, or as soon thereafter as practicable.

The office of management and budget shall biennially review and adjust rates to reflect changes in economic conditions within the newspaper industry and the general economy, and those adjustments become effective on each July first following the review. These biennial changes may be percentage increases or decreases in the base rates, and they may incorporate revisions in the base rate structure. Whenever the office of management and budget considers an adjustment in the legal publication rates contained herein, it shall consult with representatives of the daily and weekly newspaper industry of the state and with representatives of state and local units of government.
top

Ohio

7.10 Rates for legal advertisements, notices and proclamations; government rate; typographic requirements; publication on website
For the publication of advertisements, notices, and proclamations, except those relating to proposed amendments to the Ohio Constitution, required to be published by a public officer of the state, a benevolent or other public institution, a trustee, assignee, executor, or administrator, or by or in any court of record, except when the rate is otherwise fixed by law, publishers of newspapers may charge and receive for such advertisements, notices, and proclamations rates charged on annual contracts by them for a like amount of space to other advertisers who advertise in its general display advertising columns.

For the publication of advertisements, notices, or proclamations required to be published by a public officer of a county, municipal corporation, township, school, or other political subdivision, publishers of newspapers shall establish a government rate, which shall include free publication of advertisements, notices, or proclamations on the newspaper’s internet web site, if the newspaper has one. The government rate shall not exceed the lowest classified advertising rate and lowest insert rate paid by other advertisers.

Legal advertising, except that relating to proposed amendments to the Ohio Constitution, shall be set up in a compact form, without unnecessary spaces, blanks, or headlines, and printed in not smaller than six-point type. The type used must be of such proportions that the body of the capital letter M is no wider than it is high and all other letters and characters are in proportion.

Except as provided in section 2701.09 of the Revised Code, all legal advertisements or notices shall be printed in newspapers of general circulation and also shall be posted on the state public notice web site created under section 125.182 of the Revised Code, and on a newspaper’s internet web site, if the newspaper has one.

7.101 Rates and specifications for publishing proposed constitutional amendments
For publication of proposed amendments to the Ohio constitution, ballot language, and explanations and arguments both for and against proposed amendments, referenda, or laws proposed by initiative petitions, publishers of newspapers may charge and receive rates charged on annual contracts by them for a like amount of space to other advertisers who advertise in its general display advertising columns.

Legal advertising of proposed amendments to the constitution shall be printed in display form and shall meet the following specifications. The advertisements shall contain a headline entitled “proposed amendment to the Ohio constitution” printed in not smaller than thirty point type. The ballot language, and explanations and arguments both for and against the proposed amendments, shall be printed in type not smaller than ten point type. For referenda and laws proposed by initiative petitions, the advertisement shall contain a headline entitled “referendum” or, when appropriate, “proposed law” printed in not smaller than thirty point type. All advertisements shall contain such normal spaces and blanks as contribute to clarity and understanding and the entire section of each publication shall be enclosed by a black border line of the same point type size as corresponds to the type size of the ballot language. The notice shall be printed in two or more columns if necessary to contribute to clarity or understanding or if necessary to accommodate the black border outline.

All legal advertisements or notices under this section shall be printed in newspapers published in the English language only.
top

Oklahoma

28 Okl.St.Ann. § 121 ~ Fees for printing legal notices
A. In all cases where publication of legal notices is required or allowed by law, the person or official desiring publication shall be required to pay:

1. For all matters other than tabular matter, fourteen cents ($0.14) per word for first insertion, and thirteen cents ($0.13) per word for each subsequent insertion, with each separate group of numerals included in the matter to be counted as one word, regardless of the number of digits involved;

2. Effective November 1, 2005, for all matters other than tabular matter, fifteen cents ($0.15) per word for first insertion, and fourteen cents ($0.14) per word for each subsequent insertion, with each separate group of numerals included in the matter to be counted as one word, regardless of the number of digits involved; and

3. For all tabular matter, in not to exceed eight-point type, including but not limited to, lists of persons, firms, and corporations whose personal property taxes are delinquent and lists of lands and town lots upon which taxes are delinquent, seventy cents ($0.70) per line per newspaper column in width, for first insertion, and sixty-five cents ($0.65) per line per newspaper column in width, for each subsequent insertion.

B. The county treasurer shall collect the cost of publication of lists of lands and town lots sold for delinquent taxes at original sale or resale from the individuals purchasing the lands and town lots at the sale or resale involved, and shall deposit all monies collected to the credit of the fund of the county which paid the cost of publication. The publisher of the notice shall be paid for the publication of the notice from the general fund of the county or, if monies are not available in the general fund of the county at the time of publication, from the “Resale-Property Fund” of the county.
top

Oregon

193.090. Payment for publication, in general
(1) The compensation for the publication of all public notices which are now or hereafter required by law to be published shall be at a rate not to exceed that published by a newspaper as its open display advertising rate, that is, the per column inch rate charged local advertisers not under contract to a newspaper for a fixed rate or minimum quantity of advertising. However, a newspaper shall grant its customary discounts or contractual rates to the county, city, district or other jurisdiction which fulfills the requirements necessary to qualify for the discounts or contractual rates.

(2) The published size of all public notices shall be determined by the person authorizing publication of the public notice, but shall be designed to afford the public reasonable ease in reading the information contained therein. Any public notice which must be typeset by the newspaper shall be in a type size no smaller than that used by that newspaper in its regular classified advertising columns, with spacing between lines and copy blocks commensurate with similar type matter.
top

Pennsylvania

45 Pa.C.S.A. § 303 ~ Level of advertising rates
(a) General rule.–All official and legal advertising shall be charged for at an established or declared rate or price per single column, line of reading matter measured in depth by the point system, or at a rate or price per inch single column. When such official and legal advertising is not classified and is not published according to prescribed or recognized forms, and no rate has been established or declared, such rate for official and legal advertising shall not be in excess of the rates usually charged or received by the publication publishing such official and legal advertising for commercial, general, or other advertising.

(b) Exception.–Where official and legal advertising is usually and ordinarily published according to recognized or prescribed forms, or particular matters are itemized and classified under general headings, subsection (a) shall not prohibit the fixing of definite prices or sums for publishing official and legal advertising, regardless of the number of single column lines or space required for each item, notice, or advertisement published in any separate matter or proceeding, and regardless of rates established, fixed, charged or received for commercial, general or other advertising. The purpose of this subsection is to enable newspapers to take into consideration, as elements, when fixing advertising rates or charges, location of the advertisement in the newspaper, the purpose to be served, the character of the advertising, and that a newspaper is entitled to compensation for its readiness at all times to render an advertising service.
top

Rhode Island

No statute governing rates.
top

South Carolina

Code 1976 § 15-29-80 ~ Charges for legal advertisements in newspapers.
State and county officials authorized by law to publish advertisements in the newspapers of this State, including advertisements of sales of real and personal property by masters, clerks of court, judges of probate and sheriffs, citations, notices to creditors, notices of final settlement by executors, administrators, guardians and all other persons acting in a fiduciary capacity, service of summons by publication, notices of election ordered by commissioners, reports of county treasurers, supervisors and superintendents of education, notices of county auditors, proclamations of the executive department, proposals for works and supplies by the head of departments or other officials authorized to advertise for competitive bids and all other advertising whatever done by order of court or by State and county officials, shall be charged not more than the local retail display advertising rate shown on the newspaper’s rate card or the rates published in the newspaper, deducting any and all applicable discounts earned by the volume or frequency of the legal advertising. The advertisement shall be set in solid six point type, including the caption and all other parts of the advertisement. Newspapers that do not use six point type shall receive compensation based on six point measure and any lesser measure shall be charged only at actual space measurement as printed; however, agencies placing advertisements may order larger measure at their discretion.

The publication of any of the notices provided for in this section may be let by contract for not more than the price authorized by this section.

No publication will be allowed to make any extra charges for affidavit of publication.

Code 1976 § 15-29-85 ~ Charges for legal advertisements in newspapers: rates for indigents.
Notwithstanding other provisions of § 15-29-80 with regard to legal advertising rates, any person required to publish a summons or other legal notice who qualifies as an indigent shall not be charged an amount exceeding one dollar per inch for the first insertion and not exceeding fifty cents per inch for each subsequent insertion of that legal advertisement. Advertisements published under the provisions of this section shall comply with the layout requirements set forth in § 15-29-80 with charges calculated in accordance with the measurement provisions set forth therein. As used in this section “indigent” means a person whose legal assistance is paid for with public funds or who would be qualified for such assistance in the proceeding which requires publication of the legal notice concerned.
top

South Dakota

SDCL § 17-2-19 ~ Legal publication fees not otherwise prescribed–Review and adjustment
If any legal publication of anything is required or allowed by law, and no other fee is prescribed for that publication, the Bureau of Administration shall establish, by rules promulgated pursuant to chapter 1-26, the maximum fee which may be charged for the publication. The bureau shall annually review and adjust rates to reflect changes in economic conditions within the newspaper industry and the general economy. The bureau shall consult with representatives of the daily and weekly newspaper industry and with representatives of local units of governments.

SDCL § 9-18-1 ~ Governing body to publish proceedings and statement of expenditures–Rate of payment for publication
The governing body of every municipality shall cause to be published in the official legal newspaper therein, or, if no official legal newspaper is published therein, in any legal newspaper which serves such municipality, within thirty days after each meeting thereof a full account of the proceedings at such meeting, giving a detailed statement of all expenditures of money, the names of the persons to whom payment is made, and showing the service rendered therefor. It shall pay for publishing such proceedings not to exceed ninety percent of the legal line rates for weekly newspapers and not to exceed the legal line rate for daily newspapers, as provided in § 17-2-19.

SDCL § 13-8-36.1 ~ Publication rates paid by school boards
School boards shall pay for publishing proceedings required by § 13-8-35 at a rate not to exceed ninety percent of the legal line rates for weekly newspapers and not to exceed the legal line rate for daily newspapers, as provided in §§ 17-2-19 and 17-2-20.

SDCL § 17-2-20 ~ Fees chargeable for second and subsequent publications
The rates stated by § 17-2-19 shall apply for the first insertion of a legal notice. Subsequent insertion shall be paid for at eighty percent of the stated charges.
top

Tennessee

T. C. A. § 8-21-1301 ~ Newspaper charges; limitation
Where a publication of a legal notice of any kind is allowed or required by law, a newspaper publishing such notice shall charge and receive not more than its regular classified advertising rate.
top

Texas

V.T.C.A., Government Code § 2051.045 ~ Legal Rate Charged for Publication
The legal rate for publication of a notice in a newspaper is the newspaper’s lowest published rate for classified advertising.
top

Utah

Code 45-1-101. Legal notice publication requirements.
(1)  As used in this section:

(a)  “Average advertisement rate” means a newspaper’s gross advertising revenue for the preceding calendar quarter divided by the gross column-inch space used in the newspaper for advertising for the previous calendar quarter.

(b)  “Column-inch space” means a unit of space that is one standard column wide by one inch high.

(c)  “Gross advertising revenue” means the total revenue obtained by a newspaper from all of its qualifying advertising segments.

(d) (i)  “Legal notice” means:

(A)  a communication required to be made public by a state statute or state agency rule; or

(B)  a notice required for judicial proceedings or by judicial decision.

(ii)  “Legal notice” does not include:

(A)  a public notice published by a public body in accordance with the provisions of Sections 52-4-202 and 63F-1-701; or

(B)  a notice of delinquency in the payment of property taxes described in Section 59-2-1332.5.

(e)  “Local district” is as defined in Section 17B-1-102.

(f)  “Public legal notice website” means the website described in Subsection (2)(b) for the purpose of publishing a legal notice online.

(g) (i)  “Qualifying advertising segment” means, except as provided in Subsection (1)(g)(ii), a category of print advertising sold by a newspaper, including classified advertising, line advertising, and display advertising.

(ii)  “Qualifying advertising segment” does not include legal notice advertising.

(h)  “Special service district” is as defined in Section 17D-1-102.

(2)  Except as provided in Subsections (8) and (9), notwithstanding any other legal notice provision established by law, a person required by law to publish legal notice shall publish the notice:

(a)  as required by the statute establishing the legal notice requirement; and

(b)  on a public legal notice website established by the combined efforts of Utah’s newspapers that collectively distribute newspapers to the majority of newspaper subscribers in the state.

(3)  The public legal notice website shall:

(a)  be available for viewing and searching by the general public, free of charge; and

(b)  accept legal notice posting from any newspaper in the state.

(4)  A person that publishes legal notice as required under Subsection (2) is not relieved from complying with an otherwise applicable requirement under Title 52, Chapter 4, Open and Public Meetings Act.

(5) If legal notice is required by law to be published in a newspaper, or if a local district or a special service district publishes legal notice in a newspaper, the newspaper:
(a) may not charge more for publication than the newspaper’s average advertisement rate; and

(b) shall publish the legal notice on the public legal notice website at no additional cost.

(6) If legal notice is not required by law to be published in a newspaper, or if a local district or a special service district with an annual operating budget of less than $250,000 chooses to publish a legal notice on the public notice website without publishing the complete notice in the newspaper, a newspaper:

(a) may not charge more than an amount equal to 15% of the newspaper’s average advertisement rate for publishing five column lines in the newspaper to publish legal notice on the public legal notice website;

(b) may not require that the legal notice be published in the newspaper; and

(c) at the request of the person publishing on the legal notice website, shall publish in the newspaper up to five column lines, at no additional charge, that briefly describe the legal notice and provide the web address where the full public legal notice can be found.

(7) If a newspaper offers to publish the type of legal notice described in Subsection (5), it may not refuse to publish the type of legal notice described in Subsection (6).

(8) Notwithstanding the requirements of a statute that requires the publication of legal notice, if legal notice is required by law to be published by a local district or a special service district with an annual operating budget of $250,000 or more, the local district or special service district shall satisfy its legal notice publishing requirements by:

(a) mailing a written notice, postage prepaid:

(i) to each voter in the local district or special service district; and

(ii) that contains the information required by the statute that requires the publication of legal notice; or

(b) publishing the legal notice in a newspaper and on the legal public notice website as described in Subsection (5).

(9) Notwithstanding the requirements of a statute that requires the publication of legal notice, if legal notice is required by law to be published by a local district or a special service district with an annual operating budget of less than $250,000, the local district or special service district shall satisfy its legal notice publishing requirements by:

(a) mailing a written notice, postage prepaid:

(i) to each voter in the local district or special service district; and

(ii) that contains the information required by the statute that requires the publication of legal notice; or

(b) publishing the legal notice in a newspaper and on the public legal notice website as described in Subsection (5); or

(c) publishing the legal notice on the public legal notice website as described in Subsection (6).
top

Vermont

No statute governing rates.
top

Virginia

No statute governing rates.
top

Washington

West’s RCWA 65.16.091 ~ Rates for legal notices
The rate charged by a newspaper for legal notices shall not exceed the national advertising rate extended by the newspaper to all general advertisers and advertising agencies in its published rate card.
top

West Virginia

W. Va. Code, § 59-3-3 ~ Rates for legal advertisements; computation; filing affidavits with secretary of state
(a) The rates which a publisher or proprietor of a qualified newspaper in West Virginia may charge and receive for a single or first publication of any legal advertisement set solid depends on the bona fide circulation of the newspaper, as follows:

(1) Four cents per word if the qualified newspaper has a bona fide circulation of less than one thousand, except as provided in subdivision (1), subsection (a) of this section;

(2) Eight and one-half cents per word if the qualified newspaper has a bona fide circulation of one thousand to five thousand;

(3) Nine cents per word if the qualified newspaper has a bona fide circulation of more than five thousand but less than ten thousand;

(4) Ten cents per word if the qualified newspaper has a bona fide circulation of more than ten thousand and less than thirty thousand; or

(5) Eleven cents per word if the qualified newspaper has a bona fide circulation of thirty thousand or more: Provided, That on the first day of July in the year two thousand three and on the first day of July in the year two thousand four and on the first day of July in the year two thousand five the allowable rate per word in each of the classifications of qualified newspapers with reference to circulation as set forth in this subsection shall, for each classification, increase one cent per word over the prior year’s rate.

(b) In computing the number of words in a legal advertisement, not set solid, the basis is the size of type in which legal advertising is set by the qualified newspaper making the publication and shall be computed at the legal rate as though the matter were solid type, that is to say, on the basis of eighty-four words to the single column inch in six point type and fifty-four words to the single column inch in eight point type and any other size type in proportion.

(c) In determining the cost of a legal advertisement which is to appear more than once in the same qualified newspaper, the cost for the first publication shall be computed as specified in subsections (a) and (b) of this section and the cost of the second and each subsequent publication shall be seventy-five percent of the cost of the first publication computed as specified in subsections (a) and (b) of this section.

(d) The average bona fide circulation stated by each qualified newspaper in the statement filed by the newspaper with the United States post office department in October of each year shall control the rate of circulation classification of the qualified newspaper for the period commencing the first day of July of each year until the last day of June of the following year. On or before the first day of November of each year, the publisher or proprietor of each newspaper desiring to publish any legal advertisement during the ensuing one year time period commencing the first day of July shall file with the secretary of state an affidavit stating the average bona fide circulation of the newspaper during the preceding twelve month time period ending the thirtieth day of September of each year and shall set forth sufficient facts in the affidavit to show whether the newspaper is a qualified newspaper. The average bona fide circulation stated in the affidavit by each qualified newspaper shall control the rate circulation classification for the ensuing twelve-month period commencing the first day of July. Any qualified newspaper for which the required affidavit is not filed on or before the first day of March of any calendar year shall be conclusively presumed to have for the ensuing twelve-month period commencing the first day of July of such year a bona fide circulation of less than one thousand. At the time a publisher or proprietor of a qualified newspaper files an affidavit with the secretary of state, as required by this subsection, the publisher or proprietor shall notify the clerk of the county commission and the board of education of the county in which the qualified newspaper is published of the circulation classification of the qualified newspaper and of the applicable rate for publishing legal advertisements in the qualified newspaper during the ensuing twelve-month period commencing the first day of July. If the qualified newspaper is published in a municipality, the publisher or proprietor shall at the same time also furnish the same notification to the clerk or recorder of the municipality.

(e) The rate charged for political advertising appearing in a newspaper at any time or times during the time period commencing thirty days prior to any primary or general election and ending the day following the election may not exceed one hundred five percent of the lowest commercial rate charged by the newspaper in which the political advertising appears.

(f) Nothing contained in this section prohibits qualified newspapers from charging less than the specified rates for any legal advertisement or from charging usual and customary rates for notarizing and producing additional copies of the affidavits and statements required in section four of this article.
top

Wisconsin

W.S.A. 985.08 ~ Fees for publishing
985.08. Fees for publishing

(1) The fee for publishing a legal notice shall be not more than the rate issued by the department of administration for the first and subsequent insertions per standard line. The charge for the publication of a facsimile ballot shall be computed as if the area occupied by the ballot were set in standard lines. If a legal notice contains tabulated matter, then the fees allowable for the area containing such matter shall be increased 50% of the standard line base rate without adjustment for circulation premium. Composed matter shall be interpreted as being tabular when it contains 2 or more justifications per line. The standard line rate shall be reviewed annually, the adjustment, if any, to be effective on January 1 of each year to reflect the relevant change in costs of the newspaper publishing industry during the previous year, as determined by the department of administration in consultation with representatives of the daily and weekly newspaper industry of the state. In making the determination the department shall base the standard line rate upon the factors of wage and independent indices of newsprint costs in the proportions determined by the department to be proper. No additional fee may be charged for placing a legal notice on the Wisconsin newspapers legal notice Web site pursuant to s. 985.02(3).

(2)(a) All legal notices shall be in Arial type face. A standard line shall be 6-point Arial on a 6-point leading without spacing between the lines, and 11 picas in length. One inch equals 6 postscript pica and 72 postscript points. Nonstandard line lengths shall be allowed with adjustments in fees according to variations in line length. When the person or agency that places the notice elects not to use 6-point Arial, a larger Arial up to 12 point may be used; in which case adjustment shall be made in line rate, proportionately decreasing for sizes of type over 6-point to produce the same net average compensation per column area. Such adjustments shall be evaluated by the department of administration which shall certify the same to any newspaper, public official or other interested party upon request, and such certification shall be presumptive evidence of the correct adjustments.

(b) When electronic copy for the entire notice or substantial areas thereof is provided, eliminating typesetting, enlargements or reductions, or other changes by the newspaper, the maximum rate is the same as the maximum rate established under sub. (1) for subsequent insertions.

(3) The publisher may increase rates allowed by this section up to 15 per cent for each 4,000 of circulation or fraction thereof above 8,000 of circulation, based on previous year-end circulation figures, but not to exceed an additional increase of 75 percent.

(4) In all counties having a population of 500,000 or more, the fees for the publication of a legal notice may be equal to, but not in excess of, the regular publishing rate actually required of private advertisers for similar advertising matter.

(5) Except as otherwise provided in this section, no fee shall be paid and no public funds shall be used for subsidizing any privately owned newspaper for payment for any legal notice, which newspaper has not previously qualified as a public newspaper as defined in s. 985.03.

(6) In addition to required legal notice, the requisitioning agency may also publish such notice in other media such as trade journals and newspapers published in this state devoted substantially to the publication of official notices to bidders, but such additional notice shall not be construed as a legal notice.

(7) Fees established herein are applicable to legal notices and are not intended to restrict the use of classified and display advertising which is not required by statute to be published or legal notices which the requisitioning agency orders to be published in a classified or display manner. The discretion of utilizing the display method of publishing official materials shall be vested solely in the public authority ordering such publication and the rate charged for publication in this instance shall not exceed the regular commercial display advertising rate of the publisher.

(8) Upon request, a tear sheet proof of a multiple insertion notice shall be mailed to the advertiser or the advertiser’s attorney within 72 hours after the first insertion, and an additional charge of $1 for such tear sheet proof may be made.
top

Wyoming

W.S.1977 § 18-3-518 ~ Legal advertising; rates; type size requirements; “daily newspaper”; “weekly newspaper”
(a) Legal advertising required by law to be published shall be purchased at a rate not to exceed the amount charged by a daily newspaper at the lowest rate for display advertising or by a weekly newspaper at the open local display advertising rate. Weekly newspapers shall grant customary discounts or contractual rates to any local government fulfilling the requirements necessary to qualify for the discount or rate. Legal advertising shall be in the same type size used by that publisher in regular classified advertising columns, provided that such type size shall be no larger than nine (9) point type, with spacing between lines not to exceed one-half (1/2) point leading.

(b) As used in this section, “daily newspaper” means a newspaper published regularly at least five (5) times each week and “weekly newspaper” means a newspaper published regularly not more than five (5) times each week and at least once a week.
top