New Jersey lawmakers are racing to update public notice laws before a temporary extension expires on March 1, 2025. The urgency follows The Star-Ledger’s announcement that it has ceased its print edition, raising concerns about where legal notices will be published in the future.
The latest proposal, S-4064, originally supported by the New Jersey Press Association (NJPA), introduces several unprecedented changes. The bill would require public notices to be placed behind a paywall — marking a sharp departure from other states, where public notices on newspaper websites must remain free to access. Additionally, the legislation allows newspapers to decide whether to publish notices in print, breaking from long-standing industry arguments that print remains the most effective way to reach the public.
S-4064 also establishes new qualifications for publications eligible to publish notices, with separate rules for print newspapers and online-only news sites. Digital-only publications must have been in business for at least two years and publish paid content before becoming eligible. Meanwhile, all qualifying publications must maintain a physical presence in New Jersey and post notices to NJPA’s statewide public notice website.
A key component of the bill is a long-overdue increase in public notice fees, which have remained unchanged since 1983. While NJPA supports updating the fee structure, the association has raised concerns about how the bill calculates subscriber counts and pricing. Some rates in the legislation are reportedly 10 times higher than NJPA’s original proposal due to a drafting error.
S-4064 is just one of several bills under consideration. Other proposals would shift public notices entirely to government websites, potentially allowing state and local agencies to bypass newspapers altogether. NJPA has not taken a position on how to handle public notices when no qualifying newspaper exists in a municipality, but it opposes allowing government agencies to publish their own notices.
With just weeks remaining before the current law expires, the future of public notices in New Jersey remains uncertain. Lawmakers must decide whether to preserve printed notices, shift entirely to digital, or introduce new models that blend both approaches.
For more details, visit the Public Notice Resource Center at www.pnrc.net.
