SB375 Alabama 2011 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Roger Bedford, Jr.

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2011

Title

Legal notices, electronic publication through state-sanctioned website, required for legal notices published by state and permitted for legal notices published by counties or municipalities, fee, public access

Summary

SB375 would require Alabama to publish legal notices on a state-sanctioned public notice website and allow counties or municipalities to publish there, with free public access and searchable archives.

What This Bill Does

The state would publish legal notices on a public notice website. Counties and municipalities could publish their notices on this site instead of newspapers. The site would charge a posting fee up to $10 (with an increase allowed after two years) and be accessible 24/7 at no cost to the state, with current and archived notices searchable at no extra charge. The website provider would report to the Administrative Office of Courts and comply with quality and archiving requirements.

Who It Affects

• State agencies and counties/municipalities would publish legal notices on the public notice website (with counties/municipalities allowed to replace newspaper postings).
• Residents and the general public would have free, 24/7 online access to current and archived notices and could search by keyword, file number, or area.

Key Provisions

• The state shall enter into an agreement with a website service provider to maintain a public notice website.
• The state shall publish legal notices on the state-sanctioned public notice website.
• Counties or municipalities may publish public or legal notices through the public notice website in lieu of newspaper publication.
• A public notice website provider may charge a posting fee up to ten dollars per posting, with the possibility of increases after two years of operation; the state and its officials are not responsible for funding the website.
• The public notice website must be publicly accessible at all times at no cost to the state, and current and archived notices must be searchable by keyword, file number, or area with no search fees.
• The provider must operate at no cost to the state, maintain 24/7 availability, have proper backups and contingency plans, and maintain a recognizable domain name.
• Notices must include the same information and display standards as newspaper postings and be posted for the duration requested; the provider may remind the posting entity when the notice is nearing expiration.
• The website must include an archives feature, allow public searches of notices by county, and provide free access to archived material.
• Public access to notices is free, except for the posting fee; a bond may be required to protect the public interest.
• The provider must submit status reports to the Director of the Administrative Office of Courts twice yearly and may undergo a quality review upon request.
• The act becomes effective six months after passage and governor's approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Notice, Legal