Anonymous LLC: which states keep owners' names off the public record

Written and fact-checked by Alan Maldonado · Updated Oct 9, 2026 · 5 min read

An “anonymous LLC” is not a legal category. It is an LLC formed in a state whose public filings don’t ask for the names of its owners or managers. Anyone can look up an LLC in its state’s business search, so what those filings contain decides how private your ownership is.

Key point Two filings matter: the one that forms the LLC and the report it files every year or two. A state is only as private as the more revealing of the two. Delaware, New Mexico and Wyoming ask for owners’ names on neither; California asks on the second.

State by state

Here is the short version, grouped by whether an owner’s or manager’s name ends up on the state’s public filings:

No owner or manager names

Delaware, New Mexico, Wyoming, New York, Colorado

Colorado names whoever files, which can be a company. The organizer and registered agent are public everywhere.

Depends on how it is managed

South Dakota

Member-managed LLCs list no names; manager-managed LLCs name their managers.

At least one name is public

California, Florida, Texas, Nevada, Montana

A report or the formation document lists managers or members, or at least one person with authority.

And the detail, state by state:

StateFormation documentRecurring report
DelawareNo owner or manager namesNo annual report (only the $400 annual tax)
New MexicoNo names; only whether it’s managed by members or managersNo annual report
WyomingNo owner or manager namesThe law asks only for Wyoming assets and the principal office address
New YorkNo owner or manager namesEvery two years: only the address for legal papers
ColoradoNames the person forming it, which can be a company; no managersNo managers or members; names the person filing it
CaliforniaNo owner or manager namesStatement of Information lists the managers, or every member if there are none
South DakotaNames the organizer; managers too if it is manager-managedMember-managed LLCs list no names
FloridaNames are optionalMust list at least one person with authority to manage
TexasName and address of each manager, or each memberThe Public Information Report lists managers (or members) and is public
NevadaNames each manager or managing member, and the organizerAnnual list of managers or members, visible online
MontanaNames the managers, or the initial membersNames the managers or members, with addresses

Each row comes from that state’s statute or its official forms; see the sources below.

The names that still show up

Even in the most private states, some names appear:

  • The organizer who signs the formation document. California’s and New York’s forms, for example, ask the organizer to sign and print their name. That person doesn’t have to be an owner: Delaware lets anyone sign through an agent, so formation services often sign for you.
  • The registered agent, whose name and address are public everywhere. California’s instructions say so plainly: it is “a public record, open to all.”
  • Whoever signs the recurring report. Colorado’s periodic report and New York’s biennial statement name the person who files them, though not the owners.

New York adds a step: within 120 days of forming, the LLC must publish a notice in two newspapers for six weeks. The notice includes the LLC’s name, county, address and purpose, but not its owners.

Where your name is not public

  • The IRS. Your EIN application names a “responsible party,” the person who ultimately owns or controls the LLC. The IRS treats tax returns and return information as confidential under section 6103, though the law lets it share them with some agencies.
  • FinCEN. LLCs formed in the US no longer report their beneficial owners. FinCEN’s final rule, effective August 14, 2026, made that exemption permanent; only companies formed abroad and registered in a US state still report.
  • Wyoming’s registered agent. Wyoming requires the agent to keep the names and addresses of the LLC’s managers. That record is confidential: the state releases it only under a court order or to law enforcement.

New York’s LLC Transparency Act, in effect since January 1, 2026, applies only to LLCs formed in another country. New York says LLCs formed in the state are exempt, and the information it collects is exempt from public records requests.

What an anonymous LLC does not do

Privacy on the public record is all it offers. Federal rules require your bank to identify the LLC’s owners before opening its account, the IRS knows who the responsible party is, and even Wyoming’s confidential record opens to a court order. It also doesn’t change your taxes or your obligations.

Choosing a state for privacy

If privacy is the reason you are looking at another state, weigh it against cost. Delaware’s privacy comes with a $400 annual tax; New Mexico and Wyoming cost far less each year. And if your business operates in your home state, forming elsewhere usually means registering there too, and that state’s own filings may ask for your name. Each state page shows what the state charges.

General information, not legal advice. Forms change; check the state’s current filing before you rely on it, and talk to an attorney if privacy is essential for you.

Sources

Checked October 9, 2026.

Next guideLLC compliance calendar: when your reports and taxes are due →When your LLC's annual report, state taxes and federal returns are due, how anniversary dates and fixed dates work, and the due date in every state.LLC cost calculatorWhat you pay over three years, with every providerAdds your state's fees, renewals and the extras that come pre-selected.Open the calculator →

Spotted something wrong in this guide? Report it

Ask Faro