In order to be certified to publish legal notices, newspapers must submit their legal notice certification/recertification paperwork annually by Oct. 31.
Certification materials
Wisconsin newspapers can find their recertification paperwork by clicking here. Details instructions are sent via email by state Procurement Specialist Bill Goff (william2.goff@wisconsin.gov) in late September or early October.
- Completed and signed DOA-3417 (These have been pre-filled with information from the state’s database. Any changes should be made by marking through existing information and handwriting the correct response in red ink.)
- Statement of ownership or alternative verification listed on DOA-3417
- Full-page tear sheet from your legal notice section
- If applicable, a copy of your W-9 (only if it is incorrect on the pre-populated application)
- If applicable, a PDF of fonts with font name, style, and size as described below (only if changes are being made to the application)
Fonts
All legal notices shall be in Arial typeface. Standard size is 6-point, but newspaper may opt to use up to 12-point. If the fonts listed on your application are correct, you do not need to do anything with the fonts section. However, if you are changing your fonts, you will need to provide your correct font size and style (bold, italic, etc.) in an embedded PDF file printed in all lower case “abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz” with no spaces.
Columns
If the column widths are correct, you do not need to do anything with the columns section. However, if your column widths are changing, mark the change on the application by marking through it and handwriting in the correct width in red ink. Remember column widths are to be in picas — not inches. If you are not familiar with the size of a pica it is 1/6”. If you measure in inches, divide by 6 to find the pica size. Please refrain from providing a combination of picas and points (i.e. 18p4), as this is time-consuming to convert to a fraction of picas.
Remember to update your parent company information as well, if applicable.
Public notice rates
The law sets the maximum fee/rate each qualified newspaper may charge for publishing legal/public notices. The rate for each newspaper is based on the newspapers font size, column width, and the number of paid subscriptions. Rate is adjusted annually, going into effect on Jan. 1 of each year. Each newspaper receives a certification letter from DOA that includes its maximum rates and general instructions. This program includes the states newspapers, state agencies, municipalities, election officials, attorneys, and other interested citizens. Legal notice rates also can be downloaded from the Department of Administration’s website.
