UPDATE: Online Public Notices Changes
We have received many questions about the new public notice requirements (P.L. 2025, c. 72) and would like to provide additional guidance and clarification to ease the transition. After the Division of Local Government Services (DLGS) issues its Local Finance Notice, we will hold another Lunch & Learn webinar.
As we noted in our December 29 alert, there are two dates to keep in mind with the new law: January 1, 2026, the start of twice a month public notices, and March 1, 2026, the start of posting public notices on your municipal website.
Twice a Month Public Notice
From January 1 to December 31, 2026, the municipal clerk must publish a notice in a newspaper twice each month.
The notice must include the hyperlink to the municipality’s webpage for official notices. It must include complete text that each legal notice of the local government may be obtained or viewed on the public entity’s official website and provide the hyperlink (see suggested text below)
The law does not specify exact dates or time frames. The only requirement is that the notice appears in a newspaper twice a month.
The notices must also include a hyperlink to the Secretary of State’s public notice webpage. Currently that hyperlink is not available as the Secretary of State has until March 1, 2026, to establish the website. The new law took into account that the State’s webpage may not be available by January 1 and includes language that until the Secretary of State’s legal notices webpage is available a local government will be deemed to satisfy this new requirement as long as they published a notice with the local government link.
Sample language for public notice:
TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to P.L. 2025, c. 72, the complete text of each legal notice of the (INSERT NAME OF MUNICIPALITY, INSERT NAME OF COUNTY) including the Boards, Commissions and the like may be obtained or viewed by the public on our official Internet Website: (INSERT HYPERLINK FOR PUBLIC NOTICE PAGE)
Sample language for public notice once the Secretary of State’s hyperlink is available (unless the State provides sample language):
TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to P.L. 2025, c. 72, the complete text of each legal notice of the (INSERT NAME OF MUNICIPALITY, INSERT NAME OF COUNTY) including the Boards, Commissions and the like may be obtained or viewed by the public on our official Internet Website: (INSERT HYPERLINK FOR PUBLIC NOTICE PAGE).
TAKE FURTHER NOTICE, that New Jersey Secretary of State legal notice webpage of each public entity is (INSERT HYPERLINK FOR SECRETARY OF STATE LEGAL NOTICE PAGE)
At the end of 2026, this notice will no longer need to be published.
Posting on Municipal Website
Starting March 1, 2026, the law requires municipalities to post their public notices on their municipal websites. Nothing in the law prevents a municipality from choosing to publish a public notice elsewhere; but at a minimum, the public notice must be on the municipal website. In other words, from January 1 to February 28, 2026, you must continue to publish your public notices in an official newspaper. On March 1, 2026, you no longer are required to publish your public notices in an official newspaper but on your municipal website.
We strongly encourage you to begin working with the professionals who manage your municipality’s website to create the public notice page. As a reminder, the law requires that the page include the following:
- Must be accessible and available to the public free of charge.
- A direct hyperlink to legal notices is conspicuously placed on your website’s homepage.
- The legal notice must remain on your website for at least one week, or other time period required by law before transferring to the archive. For example, a notice to bidders must remain on the municipality’s public notice website for 10 days, but a notice for a special meeting would remain for seven days.
- An archive of the legal notices must be maintained for at least one year. This archive is not subject to records retention schedule nor the Destruction of Public Records Law.
- If the municipality chooses to publish legal notices on an eligible online news publication in addition to the municipal public notice page, they must provide notice with a hyperlink to the online news publication on the municipality’s public notice website.
When preparing your website, we suggest that you include all your municipal professionals who are required to publish notices to ensure that all requirements have been met.
Reorganization – Designation of Official Newspaper
At your upcoming reorganization meeting, you will still need to adopt resolution designating your official newspapers. We recommend that you add information on the new law and that starting March 1, 2026, public notices will be on your municipal website to the resolution.
Suggested language to add to your current resolution:
WHEREAS, P.L. 2025, c. 72 requires that starting March 1, 2026, municipalities publish their public notices on the municipal website;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the (INSERT NAME OF MUNICIPALITY), (INSERT NAME OF COUNTY), public notice will be available at (INSERT HYPERLINK) starting March 1, 2026, in compliance with P.L. 2025, c. 72
Additional Resources
- July 15, 2025, Lunch & Learn: New Public Notices Law
- Slide Deck: July 15, 2025 Lunch & Learn NJLM Public Notices
We anticipate that DLGS will issue guidance shortly. The League will continue to provide updates as information is provided.
Contact: Lori Buckelew, Deputy Executive Director, lbuckelew@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x. 112 and Erin Knoedler, Legislative Analyst, eknoedler@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x. 116.