On June 30, 2025, former Gov. Murphy signed P.L.2025, c.72 into law. The new law requires, among other provisions, a public entity to publish or advertise legal notices on its own website beginning March 1, 2026. To provide guidance to public entities that may be required to comply with the new law, including boards of education, the Department of Community Affairs’ (DCA) Division of Local Government Services published a Local Finance Notice (LFN 2026-01) on Jan. 21.
The Local Finance Notice discusses the implications of the new changes to legal notice requirements, including:
- Publication requirements for public entity legal notices published after March 1, 2026
- Obligation to archive public notices
- Requirements for ADA compliance
- Required and discretionary advertisement in an online news publication
- Recommendations for further public outreach by public entities
- Central state webpage of current legal notices published by public entities
- Proof of publication of legal notices
- Posting of legal notices in public places
The full notice is available on DCA’s website. For questions related to compliance with the new requirements, please consult with your board attorney.
