Proof of Publication

Newspapers usually provide a proof of publication (also known as an affidavit) after a legal notice has been published. This allows the government and other bodies to verify that the notice was published and to have proof of that publication. The Oklahoma Press Association recommends that signatures on all proofs of publication should be original and that stamped signatures should be avoided.

Paginated Proofs of Publication:

For decades legal notices were cut from the newspaper and pasted onto affidavits, but times have changed. Today it is recommended that a digital copy of the legal notice be placed on the blank space of your Proof of Publication form, or attached as a separate piece of paper.

You can copy the text from your pagination program (such as InDesign or Quark) into the blank space on your Proof of Publication form, or on an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper. Additional pages, numbered and submitted in order, may be used for longer notices.

Fully paginated proofs of publication are accepted by the government and other entities. If a proof of publication is contested, the actual clipping would be required. The completeness of your newspaper’s file storage of previous issues should determine if you proceed with fully paginated proofs

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Questions About Notaries:

Contact the Notary Department, Secretary of State of Oklahoma, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Room 101, Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4897 or phone (405) 521-2516 or visit the Web site at www.sos.ok.gov.