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What a New York meeting notice must say, and when to give it

Short answer

Notice of a New York meeting's time and place goes to the news media, to a designated public place and, when the board can, its website. For a meeting set at least a week ahead, whatever it is called, that is at least 72 hours before. Any other meeting takes notice at a reasonable time before it, given to the news media to the extent practicable. The Open Meetings Law does not require an agenda.(N.Y. Pub. Off. Law § 104(1), (2), (6))

This guide explains the law in plain words; it is not legal advice. For a question about your board, ask your town, village or city attorney.
By Clarivis · Checked against Public Officers Law §§ 104 and 107 on Fri, Oct 23, 2026.

Where this fits in your meeting cycle: Clarivis is software that helps a board follow these steps: it counts the notice deadline for each meeting set in Clarivis a week or more ahead, shows the minutes deadline for each meeting and drafts the minutes for your board to correct and approve; it does not post the notice or send it to the news media for you.

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Questions on this page

What must the notice say?

The time and place of the meeting. The Open Meetings Law does not require an agenda:

Statute text

“Public notice of the time and place of a meeting scheduled at least one week prior thereto shall be given or electronically transmitted to the news media and shall be conspicuously posted in one or more designated public locations at least seventy-two hours before such meeting.”

N.Y. Pub. Off. Law § 104(1)

When a board uses video, the notice says so, identifies the locations for the meeting and states that the public may attend at any of them (§ 104(4), (5)). A board using video under § 103-a also says where the public can view or take part, where documents will be available, and the physical location where the public can attend (§ 103-a(2)(f)). How the list of locations applies to a member who joins remotely under § 103-a is a question for your attorney; see the remote participation guide. If the meeting will be streamed live over the internet, the notice gives the web address of the stream (§ 104(4), (5)).

Where does the notice have to go?

Three places:

  1. The news media, delivered or sent electronically (for a meeting set less than a week ahead, to the extent practicable).
  2. One or more designated public places, posted conspicuously.
  3. The board's website, when the board is able to post there:

Statute text

“When a public body has the ability to do so, notice of the time and place of a meeting given in accordance with subdivision one or two of this section, shall also be conspicuously posted on the public body's internet website.”

N.Y. Pub. Off. Law § 104(6)

When do the 72 hours apply?

To any meeting set at least a week (7 days) before it is held. The law turns on when the meeting was scheduled, not on what it is called, so a special meeting announced a week or more ahead takes the same 72 hours as a regular one (§ 104(1)).

How are the 72 hours counted?

This guide and Clarivis count every hour, weekends and holidays included; N.Y. Pub. Off. Law § 104(1) leaves none out. So for a Monday 7 p.m. meeting set weeks ahead, notice must be out by 7 p.m. the Friday before (6 p.m. if the clocks go forward that weekend). If the place where you post is in an office that closes earlier, post the notice there before the office closes on Friday. For a Tuesday or Wednesday meeting, the latest time to post falls on the weekend; if your posting place is closed then, post the notice there before it closes for the weekend.

When in doubt, give notice earlier. Nothing in the law stops a board from giving more notice than the minimum.

What about a meeting set at short notice?

A meeting set less than a week ahead, whatever it is called, takes notice at a reasonable time before it:

Statute text

“Public notice of the time and place of every other meeting shall be given or electronically transmitted, to the extent practicable, to the news media and shall be conspicuously posted in one or more designated public locations at a reasonable time prior thereto.”

N.Y. Pub. Off. Law § 104(2)

The law sets no number of hours for these meetings. The notice is still posted, and given to the news media to the extent practicable.

Checklist for each meeting

  • Notice gives the meeting's time and place.
  • Given to the news media and posted in one or more designated public places, and on the board's website when it is able to.
  • Set at least a week ahead: out at least 72 hours before the meeting; earlier when in doubt.
  • Set later: posted at a reasonable time before it, and given to the news media to the extent practicable.
  • With video: the notice says so, identifies the locations and states that the public may attend at any of them; under § 103-a it also gives where to view or take part, where documents are, and the physical place the public can attend.
  • Streamed live: the notice gives the web address of the stream.

What the law does not settle

These are questions to take to your board's attorney; this guide does not answer them.

  • How the list of locations in § 104(4), (5) applies to a member who joins remotely under § 103-a.
  • What counts as a reasonable time for a meeting set at short notice.
  • Which places a board should designate for posting.
  • Whether the 72 hours may end on the next business day when the last hour falls on a weekend or holiday. This guide counts every hour, as § 104(1) reads.
  • Whether a meeting moved to a new date or time counts as scheduled when it was first set or when it was moved. When in doubt, give the 72 hours.

How Clarivis helps

Clarivis is software that helps a board follow these steps; it does not post the notice or send it to the news media for you.

  • Counts the deadline for the notice of each meeting set in Clarivis at least a week before it is held, counting every hour. A meeting set in Clarivis later, or whose setting time is not known, shows no deadline; if your board fixed that meeting's date a week or more ahead, for example on a schedule it adopted, the 72 hours still apply. Clarivis treats a change to a meeting's date or time as setting the meeting that day, so a meeting moved less than a week before it is held shows no deadline. The law does not settle this; when in doubt, give the 72 hours.
  • Prints the notice as a document with the town's details.
  • Records the posting. After the notice is posted and given to the news media, you record it with the link to it on the town's website, and the meeting shows that step as done.
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