This research is supported by you, our readers, through our independently chosen links, which earn us a commission. Learn More
One of the essential steps of starting a business in New York is publishing your company in local newspapers.
Although many people consider it a weird and unnecessary step, publishing your business helps obtain a certificate of good standing. This certificate shows that your company is trusted and may help you attract vendors.
The thing is, the publication is a pretty tricky process and may cost you a lot of money if you don’t know how to do it properly.
In this guide, we selected three New York LLC publication services and prepared a detailed guide on filing the necessary paperwork if you want to do it yourself.
A Quick Preview:
Our List of the Top 3 LLC Publishing Services in NY
Best Overall — Zenbusiness
Click the button below to check price Check Current Price Shop Now on Zenbusiness.com
Highlights
- calculates the final publication price in real-time as you fill the form;
- coordinates the publication process to find the lowest fees and costs;
- excellent customer service and fast feedback.
Fast processing, intuitive design, and proven expertise make Zenbusiness one of the best New York LLC publication services on the market. Founded in 2015, Zenbusiness has already gained more than 7,000 positive reviews on Trustpilot and has helped a lot of young entrepreneurs all around the USA.
You won’t find any hidden fees while you’re working at Zenbusiness. The service fee for the Certificate of Publication is $200, and the company will conduct thorough research through all the newspapers and counties to find the one with the cheapest fees.
Finally, Zenbusiness is a full-circle agency, which means you can use it for business formation from start to finish. You can check updates in your online cabinet, and when your LLC gets approval from the state, the company will send you a hard copy of the documents.
Based on Our Review
From the beginning to the end of the test, their processes were seamless and quite straightforward. Within an hour, everything is set up and organized in a place and all you need is to log in.
Pros:
- One of the best companies in the industry, which works as a full-fledged solution for starting and registering a business in NY.
- You can track the progress of your formation online in a personal cabinet.
- A company with overwhelmingly positive reviews and a good reputation on the market.
- Does the research for you and offers newspapers and counties with the lowest publication fees.
Cons:
- It’s still not the cheapest, and the fees will range between $600-1,2000 depending on the county.
- Might cost you a pretty penny once the trials for annual services expire.
Best for Large-Scale Businesses — Harbor Compliance
Click the button below to check price Check Current Price Shop Now on Harborcompliance.com
Highlights
- the service’s fee for NY publication is $699 and includes all necessary payments;
- helps new startups save time and be confident when starting their businesses;
- they ensure your paperwork and filing go smoothly and quickly.
Another company you can try as a New York LLC publication service is Harbor Compliance. They offer full-circle LLC formation services and some essentials, such as obtaining EIN and business licenses.
The NY publication fee at Harbor Compliance is $699, which is not the cheapest but still pretty affordable. The company allows you to use their registered agent, which is located outside the city, so you can save on fees.
However, to be eligible for the NY publication, you should be one of the company’s “tier 3 customers”, which means purchasing $2,000 or more services. So, if you own a rapidly growing business or are located in one of the expensive NY counties, you might consider Harbor Compliance. Otherwise, look up to a cheaper service.
Based on Our Review
During the review of the site, I observed the company helping to incorporate a non-profit in just a few days. The new business also got all the EIN and paperwork within days.
Pros:
- You can use their registered agent address located outside the city to avoid large fees.
- A very empathetic and professional company to work with.
- Harbor Compliance really has built a solid reputation despite still being a young company.
- Company with a good track record and 4.5/5 rating on Google.
Cons:
- Long processing time: you will have to wait for 3-4 weeks more until your Certificate of Publication is complete.
- You need to purchase at least $2,000 services from them to be eligible for the $699 NY publication.
Best for New Companies — Northwest Registered Agent
Click the button below to check price Check Current Price Shop Now on Northwestregisteredagent.com
Highlights
- the company only has one paid plan which covers the agent service and LLC formation;
- offers new companies personalized supportl;
- one of the best registered agent services in the industry;
- fast processing times.
Your LLC acts as a separate legal entity, which means it needs a different address and federal tax ID. Your registered agent can be helpful when filing a notice of publication, and that’s why we’ve included the Northwest registered agent on the list of the New York LLC publication services.
Northwest is one of the best in the industry and can offer you round-the-clock personalized support and all the essentials to keep your business compliant. Moreover, it’s more than reasonably priced: you’ll only pay $125/year for the RA and annual state fees (or biennial if you run a business in NY).
Also, you can use Northwest’s physical address in Albany and publish your LLC at one of the lowest fees. The service will charge you a $50 billing fee for the Certificate of Publishing and send it to the state the same day. You will have to file the documents yourself, though, but Northwest provides you with the needed templates, and you can always ask customer support if you have any questions.
Based on Our Review
Northwest Registered Agent is for me the best for new and small business owners. During my review, I found they offer a hands-on guide through their various services.
Pros:
- The company has a physical address in Albany, a county with one of the lowest publication fees.
- Northwest is a great registered agent service and compliance manager overall, so your business will be in good standing with the state.
- Reasonable prices: $125/year for a registered agent and $50 Certificate of the Publication filing fee.
- Easy-to-reach customer support and good reviews.
Cons:
- You should file all the paperwork by yourself.
- Limited free mail forwarding: only five first document scans for free.
New York LLC Publication Requirements
If you feel like a need to publish an LLC seems like a weird tradition, you’re partially correct:
In the old days, when NY had just become an American land, most people learned about new businesses via newspapers. Now, most businesses and media have moved online, so LLC publication is just an old custom.
But that doesn’t mean you should abandon it:
From the long-term perspective, publishing the LLC protects its reputation by keeping the certificate of good standing. Also, failure to publish your business denies your right to use the NY court system, and you cannot sue anyone, although you still can be sued.
So, what are the NY LLC publication requirements?
Well, they’re pretty tricky:
- You need to publish the LLC within 120 days after the effectiveness of your Articles of Organization (1).
- You need to reach 2 different newspapers based on your location, and those newspapers should be approved by the county clerk.
- You need to publish the LLC during six consecutive weeks.
- After six weeks, you should acquire the Affidavit of Publication from both newspapers and send it to the New York Department of State Division of Corporations along with the Certificate of Publication. You will also have to pay the $50 state fee.
You can delegate this hassle to one of the numerous LLC services online, so they can do hours of research for you and find newspapers with the lowest fees.
If you want to handle the process yourself, however, once you’ve gathered the documents, you need to craft the Notice of Formation, a universal template for newspaper ads.
Notice of formation contains:
- your company’s name;
- date of approval of your Articles of Organization by the Secretary of State;
- name and address of your registered agent service for correspondence.
Here’s how it looks like:
[YOUR LLC NAME] LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on [THE DATE OF FILING YOUR ARTICLES OF ORGANIZATION]. Office: _____ County. [THE NAME OF YOUR REGISTERED AGENT] Inc. designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of the process to Registered Agents Inc. at [THE ADDRESS OF YOUR REGISTERED AGENT]. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Once you’ve done, contact your county clerk-approved newspapers and ask them to publish the Notice of Formation once per week during six consecutive weeks.
Before you can form your LLC in New York, you will need to choose an available name for your business. Think of something catchy, but also explains your business well. The name of your LLC must be different from the names of other LLCs operating in New York.
How to Choose a Cheap LLC publication in NY?
Now, you might wonder:
How much does it cost to publish an LLC?
The answer is: it depends on the location of your business and newspaper of choice. For example, Albany’s county publication fees are only $80-100, whereas Manhattan fees can quickly exceed $1,000.
I must also mention that owners of individual LLCs in New York do not pay state income taxes, but New York charges an annual filing fee on most single-member and multi-member LLCs. The annual fee ranges from $25 to $4,500 but the exact amount depends on your income from the LLC.
So how do you save money?
- Publish outside the city. Upstate counties are cheaper, so you will save money. If you’re a new entrepreneur, it’s okay to start outside New York and work your way towards the city.
- Browse local newspapers or trust the online services to do that. There are a few approved newspapers for cheap LLC publication in NY, so you can easily reach out to them and compare the fees to choose the best deal for you.
Other Things to Consider
Finally, if you want the minimum hassle and a relatively cheap LLC publication in NY, you can turn to online incorporation services. The majority of them offer NY publications for domicile and foreign businesses, so all you need to do is reach out to them.
Here are a few tips on how to choose a good LLC service:
- Check the reputation on the market. Browse reviews on Trustpilot, Google, and other reputable sites. It will help you to make an impression on the company’s delivery and expertise.
- Avoid any additional fees. Ideally, you want the essentials, such as EIN or registered agent, to be included in the package. So, if the company has a ton of upsells, you can probably skip that and look for more balanced pricing plans.
- Look for fast processing time. You’ve got 120 days (~17 weeks), and six weeks are for the publication process alone. It’s always better to turn the documents in sooner than later, so pick an LLC service with fast processing time and expedited shipping.
I like the fast turnaround time and professional and empathetic help offered by Harbor Compliance. Their online process is very quick and easy to follow should you want to change your registered agent. I must also commend their easy-to-use and comprehensive dashboard which ensures smoother business compliance management.
F.A.Q.
What will happen if I won't publish my LLC?
You will lose the certificate of good standing and the ability to sue in NY courts (although someone can still sue you). Your liability and current business contracts will remain intact; however, it might be challenging to attract new vendors without a certificate of good standing.
What is the LLC publication fee for New York?
The publication fee varies depending on your location. New York or Manhattan City fees can easily exceed $1,000-1,200, whereas some upstate counties, such as Albany, can charge you only $100-200 for the publication.
Conclusion
A few services that focus solely on LLC publication, but you can find this feature in most LLC formation services. To publish an LLC, choose one daily and one weekly newspaper, file the Notice of Formation, and publish it during six consecutive weeks and within 120 days after the formation date.
Or, you can delegate this to online services, and we’ve found out that Zenbusiness works best. It offers publication services for both NY and foreign businesses, and you can track the process in your online cabinet. Plus, Zenbusiness doesn’t hide any upsells from you: it gathers only a $200 service fee and publication fees.
Have you planned to open a business in New York? Which county would you choose? Share in the comments!
References:
- New York Department of State (n.d.). Certificate of Publication for Domestic Limited Liability Company. Retrieved from https://dos.ny.gov/certificate-publication-domestic-limited-liability-company-0
Our research
47
Services Considered
180
Hours of Research
9
Experts Consulted