Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more

In New Jersey, public entities generally must publish legally required notices on their official websites for notices governed by the new rules after March 1, 2026. Non-public entities generally use an eligible online news publication instead. The exact route depends on who must publish and on the law or court rule requiring the notice.

Where to find a New Jersey public entity’s legal notices

Start with the responsible entity’s official website and look for a conspicuous legal-notices link on its homepage. Under P.L. 2025, c.72, the site must be free to access, and the public entity must publish or advertise a required notice there after March 1, 2026. The statute says: “The public entity’s official Internet website shall be accessible and available to the public free of charge.” New Jersey P.L. 2025, c.72

The Secretary of State is directed to establish a free page linking to each public entity’s legal-notice page. The statute also required public entities, beginning January 1, 2026, to advertise at least twice per month through December 31, 2026, in an eligible online news publication. Those advertisements must say that the full notice text is on the entity’s official website and provide the state legal-notices page link, subject to the law’s exception before that state page is established. P.L. 2025, c.72

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Local notices illustrate the change but do not substitute for checking the official notice page. For example, Middle Township’s published notice says required township notices—including public meetings, ordinances, resolutions, bids and requests for proposals—are to be published electronically on its website under the act. Middle Township notice The Borough of Woodbine has also published a notice describing its official website as the location for notices required by law or court rule. Borough of Woodbine notice

How long notices must remain online and be archived

A public entity generally must display a notice on its legal-notice page for at least one week, unless another period is required by law. After it is no longer displayed there, the entity must preserve it in an internet archive for at least one year. Local government units were required to have their initial archive in place no later than July 1, 2026. These are statutory periods, not estimates of how long a particular notice will remain easy to find. P.L. 2025, c.72

If a notice has disappeared from the main page, look for an archive link or contact the entity responsible for issuing it. A missing notice on the page you checked does not, by itself, establish that the notice was never published or that the entity failed to comply.

When an eligible online news publication is used

The statute distinguishes public entities from corporations, individuals and other entities that are not public entities. After March 1, 2026, a non-public entity required by law or by court order or rule to publish a notice generally must place it in an eligible online news publication. The publisher is selected according to the geographic target established or implied by the applicable requirement. P.L. 2025, c.72

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Local government units may also publish a notice in an eligible online news publication in addition to posting it on their official websites. That additional publication does not replace the public entity’s website obligation. P.L. 2025, c.72

Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Does New Jersey still publish legal notices in newspapers?

The 2026 rules shift required public-entity notices to official websites and direct non-public entities to eligible online news publications. They also require the transitional advertisements described above during 2026. So an online news publication can remain part of the process, but the route depends on the publisher and the particular notice requirement; the change should not be read as a single newspaper rule for every notice.

Check the rule for the specific notice

P.L. 2025, c.72 defines a legal notice broadly to include a resolution, official proclamation, notice or advertisement required by law or by court order or rule to be published. The governing notice-specific law or court rule controls the precise procedure, so a general summary cannot establish whether a particular filing or publication is complete.

  • Identify the public entity or other party responsible for publishing the notice.
  • Read the statute, court order or court rule that requires publication, including any procedure or geographic target it specifies.
  • For a public entity, check its official legal-notice page and any archive. For a non-public entity, identify the eligible online news publication required by the applicable rule.
  • For a specific compliance question, confirm the current requirement with the responsible entity or qualified counsel.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.