Missouri Press’ guide to public notices has been updated

To help newspaper publishers, their readers, elected officials, civil servants and all other Missourians better understand public notice requirements, Missouri Press has updated its Guide to Public Notices Required by Missouri Statutes with the help of Jean Maneke, MPA’s former hotline attorney.

You can find the updated guide online at bit.ly/MoPublicNoticeGuide or by visiting mopress.com/public-notices/.

Public Notice advertising plays a unique role both in American history and in the process by which this country’s democracy is preserved. Its one premise is that people must be informed if they are to govern themselves competently.

Missouri newspapers provide the citizens and the communities they serve with important information on topics ranging from abandoned property to zoological districts. Individuals, businesses and governmental entities often are required by law to publish certain information in newspapers qualified by statute to publish public notices.

Specifically, from Section 493.050, R.S.Mo.: All public advertisements and orders of publication required by law to be made and all legal publications affecting the title to real estate shall be published in some daily, triweekly, semiweekly or weekly newspaper of general circulation in the county where located and which shall have been admitted to the post office as periodicals class matter in the city of publication; shall have been published regularly and consecutively for a period of three years, except that a newspaper of general circulation may be deemed to be the successor to a defunct newspaper of general circulation, and subject to all of the rights and privileges of said prior newspaper under this statute, if the successor newspaper shall begin publication no later than thirty consecutive days after the termination of publication of the prior newspaper; shall have a list of bona fide subscribers voluntarily engaged as such, who have paid or agreed to pay a stated price for a subscription for a definite period of time.

Have questions about public notices? Contact MPA Hotline Attorney Dan Curry at dan@brownandcurry.com or by phone at 816-756-5458.