Extrinsic evidence of authenticity as a condition precedent to admissibility is not required with respect to printed materials purporting to be newspapers or periodicals of general circulation; provided however, nothing herein shall be deemed to preclude or limit the right of a party to challenge the authenticity of such printed material, by extrinsic evidence or otherwise, prior to admission by the court or to raise the issue of authenticity as an issue of fact.
R 4532.Self-authentication of newspapers and periodicals of general circulation
Article 45. Evidence · Last amended 1986 · Last verified July 21, 2026
In one sentenceCPLR 4532 removes the usual requirement of extrinsic proof of authenticity before a newspaper or periodical of general circulation can be admitted into evidence, while preserving a party's right to challenge the material's authenticity before it is admitted or as a factual issue at trial.
Full Text of CPLR 4532
Plain-English Summary
Newspapers and periodicals get offered into evidence for all kinds of reasons: to prove a publication date, to show public notice was given, to establish market information, to document a historical fact reported at the time. Ordinarily a party would need extrinsic evidence, testimony or other outside proof, to establish that a document is what it claims to be before a court admits it. CPLR 4532 dispenses with that requirement for printed material that purports to be a newspaper or periodical of general circulation.
The self-authentication only goes to admissibility, not to truth. A newspaper article coming in under this section still has to clear whatever other evidentiary hurdles apply, hearsay among them, before it proves the truth of what it reports. What the rule removes is the separate, preliminary burden of proving the document is the newspaper or periodical it appears to be.
The statute is careful to preserve the opposing party's ability to fight authenticity anyway. A party can still challenge whether the printed material is genuine, either through extrinsic evidence or otherwise, before the court admits it, or by raising authenticity as a disputed issue of fact for the jury.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does CPLR 4532 exempt from the usual authentication requirement?
Printed materials purporting to be newspapers or periodicals of general circulation no longer need extrinsic evidence of authenticity as a condition of admissibility.
Does CPLR 4532 mean a newspaper article is automatically true once admitted?
No. The rule addresses authenticity for admissibility purposes only; the content still has to satisfy other evidentiary rules, including hearsay, to prove the truth of what it states.
Can a party still challenge whether a newspaper is genuine?
Yes. The statute expressly preserves a party's right to contest authenticity, whether before admission or as a factual issue at trial.
What counts as a periodical of general circulation under CPLR 4532?
The statute does not further define the term; courts look to whether the publication circulates broadly to the public rather than to a narrow or private readership.
When was CPLR 4532 enacted?
It was added in 1986, effective May 23, 1986.
Advisory Committee Notes
This rule is the same as former § 375-a, except for minor language changes. The final two phrases of the former section are omitted. The penultimate phrase, dealt with the necessity of filing, added an unnecessary sanction for failure to file. The last phrase, which excepted cases where the mode of proving publication was specifically provided, is omitted as unnecessary. Throughout the new CPLR the more particular provision governs.
Amendment History
Add, L 1986, ch 89, § 1, eff May 23, 1986.
Source & verification. Provision text, History, and Advisory
Committee Notes are reproduced verbatim from the Consolidated Laws of New York.
Last verified July 21, 2026.
· Official source
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