Certain types of legal notices customarily published in Connecticut newspapers may soon be a thing of the past. The Connecticut House of Representatives, in a 96-48 vote on April 9, 2026, passed “An Act Concerning the Publication of Municipal Legal Notices” (House Bill 5289), which would eliminate the requirement that municipalities publish legal notices in newspapers and instead, post most legal notices on municipal websites. Should the legislation be passed by the state Senate and signed by Gov. Ned Lamont, it would become effective October 1, 2026.
Currently, various existing state and local laws require municipalities to publish legal notices in newspapers including notices of various meetings such as those of land-use boards and commission, tax sales and certain land-use approvals. The proposed legislation would remove the newspaper publication requirement and, in its place, obligate municipalities to post these notices “conspicuously on their website.” As proposed, the legislation would require a posting date and maintenance of a physical copy of the notice by the municipality for at least one year. In addition, an affidavit from the individual required to post the notice, or his or her designee, which attests to the posting’s date and time, must accompany the notice maintained by the municipality.
The bill, as currently proposed, does not affect notices that must be published pursuant to other authority such as by court order, and would not be applicable to legal notices for non-municipal entities or people required to publish notices.
While some have claimed that the newspaper publication requirement is antiquated and a financial burden on municipalities, not all subscribe to that notion. “While the intent to enhance public access is appreciated, this bill would unintentionally reduce transparency, harm public accessibility, and weaken longstanding safeguards that ensure residents receive timely and reliable notice of municipal actions,” wrote Chris VanDeHoef, executive director of the CT Daily Newspaper Association on February 25, 2026, to the House Planning and Development Committee. VanDeHoef further cautioned that “[m]unicipal websites vary significantly and in quality, staffing, and technical stability. System outages, outdated platforms, and inconsistent posting practices create risks that legal notices may not be published accurately or reliably.”
Among the Fairfield County legislators who voted in support of the bill were: Eilish Collins-Main (Stamford), Savet Constantine (Wilton), Lucy Dathan (New Canaan), Hubert Delaney (Stamford), Dominque Johnson (Norwalk), Jonathan Jacobson (Stamford), Corey Paris (Stamford), Jonathan Steinberg (Westport) and Tracy Marra (Darien/Norwalk). Among those voting no were: Matt Blumenthal (Stamford), Kadeem Roberts (Norwalk), Travis Simms (Norwalk) and Tina Courpas (Greenwich/Stamford) . The Connecticut Senate has until the close of the current legislative session on May 6, 2026, to act on this Bill and then send it to the governor for signature.
For more information, please contact Carmody’s Real Estate & Land Use lawyers:
Liz Suchy
Partner
203.252.2656
[email protected]
This information is for educational purposes only, to provide general information and a general understanding of the law. It does not constitute legal advice and does not establish any attorney-client relationship.