§ 618.3 — Requirements for newspaper for official publication

Iowa § 618.3

• Jurisdiction: Iowa
• Title XV: JUDICIAL BRANCH AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURES
• Ch. 618: PUBLICATION AND POSTING OF NOTICES

Text

1. For the purpose of establishing and giving assured circulation to all notices and
reports of proceedings required by statute to be published within the state, if newspapers
are required to be used, only a newspaper which meets all of the following requirements
shall be designated for official publication purposes:
a. Is a newspaper of general circulation that has been published at least once a week for
at least fifty weeks per year within the area and regularly mailed through the post office of
entry for at least one year.
b. Has a list of subscribers who have paid, or promised to pay, at more than a nominal
rate, for copies to be received during a stated period.
c. Devotes at least twenty-five percent of its total column space in more than one-half of
its issues during any twelve-month period to information of a public character other than
advertising.
d. Ispaidforbyatleastfiftypercentofthepersonsorsubscriberstowhomitisdistributed.
e. If the newspaper operates an internet site, the newspaper must do one of the following:
(1) Provide free access on the homepage of the internet site to all public notices posted
on the internet site. The link providing free access to public notices must be displayed
conspicuously.
(2) Display a link conspicuously on the homepage of the internet site of the newspaper
to the statewide public notice internet site established pursuant to section 618.3A if such an
internet site exists.
f. Publish the address of the statewide public notice internet site established pursuant to
section 618.3A, if such an internet site exists, in each edition of the newspaper in the section

ofthenewspaperregularlydesignatedforthepublicationofpublicnotices, andonthesection
of the newspaper’s internet site regularly designated for the publication of public notices, if
the newspaper operates an internet site.
g. Post all notices and reports of proceedings required by statute to be published within
the state by the newspaper to the statewide public notice internet site established pursuant
to section 618.3A, if such an internet site exists, at no additional cost.
2. If no newspaper meeting the requirements of subsection 1, paragraphs “a” through “d”,
is published in the jurisdiction of a governmental entity, the governmental entity may satisfy
public notice requirements through publication in a newspaper meeting the requirements
of subsection 1, paragraphs “a” and “c”, and on the statewide public notice internet site
established pursuant to section 618.3A, if such an internet site exists.

Legislative History

[C35, §11099-e1; C39, §11099.1; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §618.3]