Panama City and Bay County publish legal notices on the county's public notice website, not in a newspaper. Where to find hearings, bids and orders.

Last checked Oct. 9, 2026. Sources: the City of Panama City’s Planning Board page, which sets out its notice policy, its City Clerk page and Bay County’s Legal Advertisements page.

This page is an index, not the official publication. Panama City Daily does not publish legal notices. We point you to the places where the city and county are required to post them. If a notice matters to you, rely on the official site.

Who to call

  • City Clerk’s Office (city notices, minutes, public records): 850-872-3021, cityclerk@panamacity.gov, 501 Harrison Ave.
  • Official site: Bay County Public Notices

Where Panama City’s notices go

Florida law lets local governments post required legal notices on a publicly accessible website run by the county, instead of buying space in a newspaper. On Feb. 14, 2023, the Panama City Commission adopted Resolution 20230214.7 to do exactly that under Section 50.0311, Florida Statutes. Since then, the city posts its legally required advertisements and public notices on the Bay County Public Notices website.

That includes notice of the public hearings the Planning Board and City Commission hold on land development requests, which the city links from its Planning Board page.

Prefer paper or email? The city says anyone can ask to receive its legally required notices by first-class mail or email. Contact the City Clerk’s Office at cityclerk@panamacity.gov or 850-872-3021.

County notices

Bay County also posts its legal notices on the same public notices website, and keeps an archive of declarations and other documents on its Legal Advertisements page. Recent items there include local state of emergency declarations and burn ban orders.

During Hurricane Isaias, the city declared a local state of emergency at about 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, for 72 hours; the declaration is on the city’s website.

Statewide notice site

Notices that are still published in Florida newspapers, such as many court and foreclosure notices placed by private parties, are also posted on the statewide site FloridaPublicNotices.com.

Meetings, agendas and minutes

Notices tell you a hearing is coming; the agenda tells you what will be decided.

  • City Commission, Planning Board, CRA and other city boards: agendas, packets and minutes in the city’s Agenda Center. Commission meetings stream on the city’s live stream page.
  • Bid requests: the city’s Bids page.
  • City ordinances and charter: Municode.

The commission meets at the Bay County Government Center, 840 W. 11th St., at 8 a.m. on the second Tuesday and 4:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month. The next meeting is 8 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13.

Taking part in a hearing

City meeting agendas spell out how to take part. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 286.26, Florida Statutes, anyone with a disability who needs an accommodation to attend a Planning Board hearing should call the City Clerk’s Office at 850-872-3021 by 5 p.m. on the Friday before the hearing, according to the Planning Board’s Oct. 12 agenda.

Some Planning Board items are quasi-judicial hearings, where witnesses are sworn and the board decides on the evidence. Applicants must appear in person or through an authorized representative; after a second unexcused absence the application is considered abandoned, and the fee is not refunded. Members of the public get three minutes each to speak.

Public records

To request a city record, use the city’s public records contacts page. Police records go through the Police Department’s records requests page.

What this means for you

  • To follow a rezoning or tax hearing, check the Bay County Public Notices site, not the newspaper.
  • Ask the City Clerk to mail or email notices if you do not want to check online.
  • Agendas are posted ahead of each meeting in the Agenda Center; the Oct. 13 commission agenda went up Oct. 7.

Related: building permits and zoning, who to call at City Hall and voting.

Frequently asked questions

On the Bay County Public Notices website, publicnoticesbaycountyfl.gov. The City Commission adopted Resolution 20230214.7 in February 2023 to post required notices there instead of in a newspaper, as Section 50.0311, Florida Statutes, allows.

Can I get Panama City public notices by mail or email?

Yes. The city says anyone can ask to receive legally required notices by first-class mail or email by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at cityclerk@panamacity.gov or 850-872-3021.

Is this page the official public notice?

No. Panama City Daily’s page is an index that points to the official notice sites. The legal notice is the one posted on the Bay County Public Notices website or otherwise published as the law requires.

Where do I find Panama City bids and requests for proposals?

On the city’s Bid Requests page at panamacity.gov/bids.aspx, run by the Purchasing Division.