Single-Member LLCs and the Home-Address Question (NY, 2026)
Two questions come up constantly from solo owners: "Do I even have to publish if it's just me?" and "Is my home address going to end up in the newspaper?" Here are straight answers to both.
Do single-member LLCs have to publish?
Yes. New York's Section 206 publication requirement applies to every LLC — one member or fifty, active or holding, brand-new or years old. There is no single-member exemption. The process is identical: two designated papers, six weeks, then the certificate.
If it helps, the flip side is that single-member LLCs don't get any extra burden either — same steps, same cost structure, same 120-day window as everyone else.
Will my home address be published?
This is the one worth slowing down on, because for a lot of solo owners the answer is yes — unless you plan for it.
Here's why. Your formation notice includes the address New York has on file for service of process — the address where the Secretary of State forwards legal mail. For a single-member LLC run from home, that's very often your home address. The notice prints it, in newspapers, for six weeks.
Practically, almost nobody reads legal notices, and the address is already part of your public state filing. But "technically public" and "printed in the paper" feel different, and if you'd rather your home address not appear at all, you have options.
How to keep your home address out of it
- Use a registered agent or commercial address for service of process. If the address the state has on file is a business or agent address, that's what prints — not your home. New York LLCs aren't required to pay for a registered agent (the Secretary of State is the free default), but designating a commercial address is a common, legitimate way to keep a home address private.
- Set it before you publish. The cleanest time to sort this out is before the notice runs, because the address is baked into the six-week ad. Changing it after the fact can mean re-running.
We flag this during intake: before anything is placed, you see exactly what address will appear in the notice and can decide whether to change it first. We'll walk you through the options — no upsell, just the honest trade-offs.
The short version
- Single-member LLCs must publish — no exemption.
- The notice usually includes the service-of-process address, often your home.
- You can use a commercial/agent address to keep your home private — best decided before the run starts.
Want to see what would appear for your LLC? Look it up — we show you before anything runs.