Representative Washington Legal Newspapers & Costs of Publishing a Nonprobate Notice to Creditors
| County | Newspaper | Telephone | Base Rate | Estimate |
| Adams | ||||
| Asotin | ||||
| Benton | Tri-City Herald | 509 582-1464 | $15.28/in + $14.11/in | $250 |
| Chelan | Wenatchee World | 509 661-6370 | $15.66/in | $300 |
| Clallam | Peninsula Daily News | 360 417-3556 | $9.00/in | $150-200 |
| Sequim Gazette | 360-683-3311 | $7.50/in | $115 | |
| Clark | Battleground Reflector | 360 687-5151 | $70 Flat | |
| Vancouver Columbian | 360 993-5050 | $1.35/L | $200-250 | |
| Columbia | ||||
| Cowlitz | Longview Daily News | 360 577-2568 | $1.01/L + $0.92/L | $150-200 |
| Douglas | ||||
| Ferry | ||||
| Franklin | Tri-City Herald | See Benton | ||
| Garfield | ||||
| Grant | ||||
| Grays Harbor | Aberdeen Daily World | 360 532-4000 | $11/in | |
| Montesano Vidette | 360 249-3311 | $140 Flat | ||
| Island | ||||
| Jefferson | ||||
| King | Daily Journal of Commerce | 206 622-8272 | $102 Flat | |
| Pacific Publishing Co. (4 papers) | 206 461-1302 | $105 Flat | ||
| Kitsap | Bainbridge Review | 206 842-6613 | $13.50/in | $300 |
| Bremerton Sun | 360 415-2687 | $10.12/in | $250 | |
| Kittitas | ||||
| Klickitat | ||||
| Lewis | Centralia Chronicle | 360 736-3311 | $1/L | $175-250 |
| East County Journal | 360 496-5993 | $6.50/in | $100 | |
| Lincoln | ||||
| Mason | ||||
| Okanogan | ||||
| Pacific | ||||
| Pend Oreille | ||||
| Pierce | Tacoma Daily Index | 253 627-4853 | $108 Flat | |
| San Juan | ||||
| Skagit | ||||
| Skamania | ||||
| Snohomish | Everett Herald | 425 339-3100 | $12.60/in = $0.90/L | $175 |
| Spokane | Cheney Free Press | 509 235-6184 | $115 Flat | |
| Deer Park Tribune | 509 276-5043 | $7.50/in | ||
| Spokane Spokesman Review | 509 459-5121 | $2.81/L | $425 | |
| Stevens | ||||
| Thurston | Olympia Olympian | 360 704-6884 | $1.83/L | |
| Nisqually Valley News | 360 458-2681 | $120 Flat | ||
| Tenino Independent | 360 264-2500 | $6.50/in | ||
| Wahkiakum | ||||
| Walla Walla | Waitsburg Times | 509 337-6631 | $5.35/in | $80-120 |
| Walla Walla Union-Bulletin | 509 525-3300 | $7.30/in + $6.37/in | $100-150 | |
| Whatcom | Bellingham Herald | 360 676-2600 | $1.71/L + $1.52/L | $300 |
| Whitman | ||||
| Yakima | Yakima Herald | 509 577-7740 | $17.53/in + $14.03/in |
Notes:
1. “Flat” means the total charge for publishing any Notice to Creditors 3 times.
2. “/in” means the charge for one publication per inch of copy. The Everett Herald said that with the printing type that they use, $12.60/in is equivalent to $0.90/L, so these two different ways of quoting charges may be related on the basis of 1 inch = 14 Lines (at least for the style of type used by the Everett Herald).
3. “/L” means the charge for one publication per line of copy.
4. If more than one rate is given, the first rate is the charge for the first publication and the second rate is the charge for each successive publication.
5. “Estimate” means that newspaper’s average charge for publishing a Notice to Creditors 3 times. Many salespersons indicated that a Notice to Creditors was seldom shorter than 5 inches, usually was around 7 inches, and occasionally was over 10 inches (eg, multiple Personal Representatives, each with their own attorney). Consequently, the total charge for publishing a 7 inch Notice to Creditors 3 times at a charge of $10/in would be 7 x 3 x $10 = $210.
6. Many papers charge more for weekend or Sunday publication. The above charges are all for weekday publication.
7. Most newspapers’ charge includes their fee for supplying an Affidavit of Publishing, but some do not (eg, Olympia Olympian: $8.50, Bellingham Herald: $13).
8. The rates shown above were obtained in December, 2002 for publication in January, 2003.
9. Many counties, and most of the more populous counties, have not only a “popular” newspaper but also a “commercial” newspaper that has a lower, often “flat” rate. Publication at the lower rate produces just as “legal” a notice as does publication at a more expensive rate.
10. If the above list omits a newspaper in your county:
- Go to Washington Superior Courts and click on your county.
- From that county’s directory, obtain the phone number of its Superior Court Clerk’s Office.
- Telephone the Clerk and ask for the names of the newspapers where Probate Notices to Creditors are usually published for that county — many of the clerks will provide two or three.
- Use Google to obtain the website for each newspaper.
- From that newspaper’s website, obtain the phone number for its classified department.
- Telephone the newspaper, ask to speak to “Legal ads”, and obtain the rate.