SB26-061 • 2026

Publication Counties Without Legal Newspapers

Current law requires a county to publish a legal notice or advertisement (notice) to be published in a legal newspaper within the county in which the notice is required to be published that satisfies

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Sen. J. Rich, Sen. D. Roberts, Rep. M. Lukens, Rep. C. Richardson, Sen. J. Carson, Sen. J. Coleman, Sen. C. Kipp, Sen. L. Liston, Sen. J. Marchman, Sen. R. Pelton, Rep. M. Duran, Rep. J. McCluskie
Last action: 2026-04-08
Official status: Sent to the Governor
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not provide specific details about what happens if no suitable publication option can be found in any county or nearby counties.

Publication of Legal Notices Without a Local Newspaper

This bill changes the requirements for publishing legal notices in counties without a local newspaper that meets certain criteria.

What This Bill Does

Removes the requirement for a legal newspaper to have been continuously published for at least fifty-two weeks or six months before publishing legal notices.
Clarifies the order of priority for where legal notices should be published: first, in a newspaper within the county that meets publication requirements and has been published for at least one year; second, in a similar newspaper but with less distribution; third, any local newspaper regardless of its history or distribution.
Allows municipalities and special districts to publish legal notices in newspapers from either of two counties if they have territory in both.

Who It Names or Affects

Counties without a local newspaper that meets certain requirements
Municipalities and special districts with territory in two counties

Terms To Know

Legal Notice: A notice or advertisement required by law to be published, often related to legal proceedings or public information.
Legal Newspaper: A newspaper that meets specific requirements set by the state for publishing legal notices and advertisements.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill's effectiveness is delayed until after a ninety-day period following adjournment of the general assembly, unless it faces a referendum.
It does not specify what happens if no suitable newspaper can be found in any county or nearby counties.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

L.001

SEN Local Government & Housing

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment changes how legal notices must be published in Colorado, allowing municipalities to publish legal notices in newspapers that meet certain criteria even if those newspapers have not been continuously published for a year.

Adds new section (1.5) which allows a municipality with territory in two counties to publish its legal notices and advertisements in any newspaper within the municipality that meets the requirements of a legal publication, regardless of continuous publishing history.
Modifies existing sections to prioritize newspapers based on their compliance with specific criteria related to circulation and distribution within the county.

The amendment text is complex and may require further clarification or context for full understanding.

L.002

SEN Local Government & Housing

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment changes the law to include special districts along with municipalities when publishing legal notices.

Adds 'special district' as an entity that can publish legal notices, alongside municipalities.
Updates references in the text from 'MUNICIPALITY' to 'MUNICIPALITY OR SPECIAL DISTRICT'.

Bill History

2026-04-08 Governor
Sent to the Governor
2026-04-07 House
Signed by the Speaker of the House
2026-04-07 Senate
Signed by the President of the Senate
2026-04-02 House
House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
2026-04-01 House
House Third Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
2026-03-31 House
House Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments
2026-03-27 House
House Second Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
2026-03-24 House
House Committee on Transportation, Housing & Local Government Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
2026-03-03 House
Introduced In House - Assigned to Transportation, Housing & Local Government
2026-03-03 Senate
Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
2026-03-02 Senate
Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee
2026-02-25 Senate
Senate Committee on Local Government & Housing Refer Amended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole
2026-01-28 Senate
Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Local Government & Housing

Official Summary Text

Current law requires
a county to publish
a legal notice or advertisement (notice)
to be published
in a legal newspaper
within the county in which the notice is required to be published
that satisfies certain requirements, including a publication period requirement
and a periodicals license with paid distribution
(legal newspaper). If a legal newspaper does not exist in a county, the
county is permitted to use

notice may be published using
certain alternatives. The bill
removes the publication period requirement for a newspaper to be considered a legal newspaper. The bill also expands and clarifies the alternatives for a county to publish a notice when the county does not have a legal newspaper.

clarifies the order of priority of the type of newspaper in which the notice should be published. First, the notice should be published in a newspaper in the county that satisfies the requirements for publication and that has been published for at least one year. Second, the notice should be published in a newspaper in the county that would otherwise satisfy the requirements for publication but for the fact that it lacks a periodicals license, and that has been published for at least one year. Third, the notice should be published in a newspaper in the county, even if it does not have a periodicals license or has not been published for at least one year. If there is no newspaper in the county or an adjoining county, notice may be published in a newspaper that satisfies the requirements for a legal newspaper chosen with primary consideration for geographic proximity.

Additionally, the bill gives municipalities and special districts with territory in two counties permission to publish notice in a newspaper in either county, so long as the newspaper meets the legal requirements for publication.
(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)
(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 26-061
BY SENATOR(S) Rich and Roberts, Carson, Kipp, Liston, Marchman,
Pelton R., Coleman;
also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Lukens and Richardson, Duran, McCluskie.
CONCERNING A CHANGE TO LEGAL NOTICE PUBLICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR
A COUNTY WITHOUT A REQUISITE LEGAL NEWSPAPER.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 24-70-103, amend (1)
and (3); and add (1.5) as follows:
24-70-103. Requisites of legal newspaper.
(1) Any and every legal notice or advertisement shall be published
only IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER OF PRIORITY in a daily, a triweekly, a
semiweekly, or a weekly newspaper of general circulation: and printed or
published in whole or in part in the county in which such notice or
advertisement is required to be published, except as provided in this section.
The newspaper, if published triweekly, semiweekly, or weekly, shall have
been so published in such county, except as provided in this section,
continuously and uninterruptedly during the period of at least fifty-two
NOTE: This bill has been prepared for the signatures of the appropriate legislative
officers and the Governor. To determine whether the Governor has signed the bill
or taken other action on it, please consult the legislative status sheet, the legislative
history, or the Session Laws.
________
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material added to existing law; dashes
through words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law and such material is not part of
the act.
consecutive weeks next prior to the first issue thereof containing any such
notice or advertisement; and the newspaper, if published daily, shall have
been so published in such county, uninterruptedly and continuously, during
the period of at least six months next prior to the first issue thereof
containing any such notice or advertisement. In the case of a municipality
having territory in two counties, each of which counties has one or more
legal newspapers within the municipality, the publication by such
municipality of its legal notices and advertisements in one of such
newspapers shall be construed as valid publication under this part 1.
(a) F IRST, IN SUCH A NEWSPAPER THAT HAS BEEN PRINTED OR
PUBLISHED, IN WHOLE OR IN PART , IN THE COUNTY IN WHICH THE LEGAL
NOTICE OR ADVERTISEMENT IS REQUIRED TO BE PUBLISHED
UNINTERRUPTEDLY AND CONTINUOUSLY FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR PRIOR TO
THE FIRST ISSUE CONTAINING THE LEGAL NOTICE OR ADVERTISEMENT AND
THAT SATISFIES THE REQUIREMENTS OF A LEGAL PUBLICATION SPECIFIED IN
SECTION 24-70-102;
(b) S ECOND, IN SUCH A NEWSPAPER THAT HAS BEEN PRINTED OR
PUBLISHED, IN WHOLE OR IN PART , IN THE COUNTY IN WHICH THE LEGAL
NOTICE OR ADVERTISEMENT IS REQUIRED TO BE PUBLISHED
UNINTERRUPTEDLY AND CONTINUOUSLY FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR PRIOR TO
THE FIRST ISSUE CONTAINING THE LEGAL NOTICE OR ADVERTISEMENT AND
THAT SATISFIES THE REQUIREMENTS TO BE ADMITTED TO THE UNITED
STATES MAILS WITH PERIODICALS MAILING PRIVILEGES BUT FOR THE
ABSENCE OF PAID CIRCULATION THAT IS DISTRIBUTED WITHIN THE
TERRITORIAL BOUNDARIES OF THE COUNTY; OR
(c) T HIRD, IN SUCH A NEWSPAPER THAT HAS BEEN PRINTED OR
PUBLISHED, IN WHOLE OR IN PART , IN THE COUNTY IN WHICH THE LEGAL
NOTICE OR ADVERTISEMENT IS REQUIRED TO BE PUBLISHED THAT WOULD
OTHERWISE SATISFY THE REQUIREMENTS OF SUBSECTIONS (1)(a) OR (1)(b)
OF THIS SECTION BUT FOR THE REQUIREMENT THAT THE NEWSPAPER SHALL
HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE COUNTY UNINTERRUPTEDLY AND
CONTINUOUSLY FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR PRIOR TO THE FIRST ISSUE
CONTAINING THE LEGAL NOTICE OR ADVERTISEMENT.
(1.5) I F A MUNICIPALITY OR SPECIAL DISTRICT HAS TERRITORY IN
TWO COUNTIES , EACH OF WHICH HAS ONE OR MORE NEWSPAPERS THAT
SATISFY THE REQUIREMENTS OF A LEGAL PUBLICATION SPECIFIED IN SECTION
PAGE 2-SENATE BILL 26-061
24-70-102 WITHIN THE MUNICIPALITY OR SPECIAL DISTRICT , THE
MUNICIPALITY OR SPECIAL DISTRICT MAY PUBLISH NOTICE IN EITHER
NEWSPAPER.
(3) If in any county in this state no newspaper has been published
for the prescribed period at the time when any such notice or advertisement
is required to be published or if there is no newspaper published therein,
such notice or advertisement may be published in any newspaper published
in whole or in part in an adjoining county and having a general circulation
in whole or in part in said county having no newspaper published therein.
If there is no newspaper in any adjoining county that has been published for
the prescribed period at the time when any such notice or advertisement is
required to be published, a required notice or advertisement may be
published in a newspaper having general circulation within the county. IF
NONE OF THE OPTIONS APPLICABLE TO ANY AND EVERY LEGAL NOTICE OR
ADVERTISEMENT SET FORTH IN SUBSECTION (1) OF THIS SECTION ARE
AVAILABLE WITHIN THE COUNTY IN WHICH PUBLICATION OF A LEGAL NOTICE
OR ADVERTISEMENT IS REQUIRED, THE LEGAL NOTICE OR ADVERTISEMENT
MAY BE PUBLISHED IN AN ADJOINING COUNTY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
SAME ORDER OF PRIORITY IN SUBSECTION (1) OF THIS SECTION. IF NONE OF
THE OPTIONS SET FORTH IN SUBSECTION (1) OF THIS SECTION ARE AVAILABLE
IN ANY ADJOINING COUNTY, THE LEGAL NOTICE OR ADVERTISEMENT MAY BE
PUBLISHED IN A NEWSPAPER THAT SATISFIES THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A
LEGAL PUBLICATION SPECIFIED IN SECTION 24-70-102, SELECTED WITH
PRIMARY CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO GEOGRAPHIC PROXIMITY.
SECTION 2. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August
12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026); except that, if a
referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the state
constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within
such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect unless
PAGE 3-SENATE BILL 26-061
approved by the people at the general election to be held in November 2026
and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of
the vote thereon by the governor.
____________________________ ____________________________
James Rashad Coleman, Sr. Julie McCluskie
PRESIDENT OF SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES
____________________________ ____________________________
Esther van Mourik Vanessa Reilly
SECRETARY OF CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE
THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APPROVED________________________________________
(Date and Time)
_________________________________________
Jared S. Polis
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO
PAGE 4-SENATE BILL 26-061