ARTICLE 1. General [6000. - 6008.]

Cal. Government Code - GOV 1.

in effect

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 6000. Section 6000.

A “newspaper of general circulation” is a newspaper published for the dissemination of local or telegraphic news and intelligence of a general character, which has a bona fide subscription list of paying subscribers, and has been established, printed and published at regular intervals in the State, county, or city where publication, notice by publication, or official advertising is to be given or made for at least one year preceding the date of the publication, notice or advertisement.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 6001. Section 6001.

A newspaper devoted to the interests, or published for the entertainment or instruction of a particular class, profession, trade, calling, race, or denomination, or for any number thereof, when the avowed purpose is to entertain or instruct such classes, is not a newspaper of general circulation.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 6002. Section 6002.

For a newspaper to be “established,” it shall have been in existence under a specified name during the whole of the one-year period; provided, however, nothing herein contained shall prevent a modification of name in accordance with Section 6024 hereof where the modification of name does not substantially change the identity of the newspaper.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 6003. Section 6003.

For a newspaper to be “printed,” the mechanical work of producing it, that is the work of typesetting and impressing type on paper, shall have been performed during the whole of the one year period. If a monthly average of at least 50 per cent of the work of typesetting and a monthly average of at least 50 per cent of the work of impressing type on paper is done in accordance with the other provisions of this article, the requirements embodied in “printed” are met.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 6004. Section 6004.

For a newspaper to be “published,” it shall have been issued from the place where it is printed and sold to or circulated among the people and its subscribers during the whole of the one year period.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 6004.5. Section 6004.5.

In order to qualify as a newspaper of general circulation the newspaper, if either printed or published in a town or city, shall be both printed and published in one and the same town or city.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 6005. Section 6005.

“Printed” and “published” are not synonymous. Each relates to separate acts or functions necessary to constitute a newspaper of general circulation.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 6006. Section 6006.

Nothing in this chapter alters the standing of any newspaper which, prior to the passage of Chapter 258 of the Statutes of 1923, was an established newspaper of general circulation, irrespective of whether it was printed in the place where it was published for a period of one year as required.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 6007. Section 6007.

The status of a newspaper of general circulation remains unchanged in the event that the publication of the newspaper is discontinued by reason of economic or other conditions induced by any war to which the United States is a party and the publication is then renewed either while the war is still pending or within a period of one year from and after the date on which hostilities officially terminate.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 6008. Section 6008.

(a) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a newspaper is a “newspaper of general circulation” if it meets all of the following criteria: (1) It is a newspaper published for the dissemination of local or telegraphic news and intelligence of a general character, which has a bona fide subscription list of paying subscribers and has been established and published at regular intervals of not less than weekly in the city, district, or public notice district for which it is seeking adjudication for at least three years preceding the date of adjudication. (2) It has a substantial distribution to paid subscribers in the city, district, or public notice district in which it is seeking adjudication. (3) It has maintained a minimum coverage of local or telegraphic news and intelligence of a general character of not less than 25 percent of its total inches during each year of the three-year period. (4) It has only one principal office of publication and that office is in the city, district, or public notice district for which it is seeking adjudication. (b) For the purposes of Section 6020, a newspaper meeting the criteria of this section which desires to have its standing as a newspaper of general circulation ascertained and established, may, by its publisher, manager, editor, or attorney, file a verified petition in the superior court of the county in which it is established and published. (c) As used in this section: (1) “Established” means in existence under a specified name during the whole of the three-year period, except that a modification of name in accordance with Section 6024, where the modification of name does not substantially change the identity of the newspaper, shall not affect the status of the newspaper for the purposes of this definition. (2) “Published” means issued from the place where the newspaper is sold to or circulated among the people and its subscribers during the whole of the three-year period. (3) “Public notice district” means a public notice district described in Chapter 1.1 (commencing with Section 6080).

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026