Whether you’re forming an LLC by yourself or through an LLC service in the state of New York, you will need to complete the New York LLC publication requirement.
This means that you will need to take out advertisements in reputable newspapers to publish proof of your New York LLC business formation in order for your company to be compliant with state laws.
However, this process can be a real hassle, especially when you’re already very busy trying to get your business up and running.
To make things easier, you can just pass this to a professional service to handle it for you, freeing you up to focus on what’s actually important in operating your business.
Top 3 Best New York LLC Publication Services
In today’s guide, we will be discussing the three best New York publication services available. So, let’s dive in and find out which of these companies will best serve your new business.
Best Overall Service
1. ZenBusiness
$200 + Publication Fees
ZenBusiness was founded in 2015, making it a relatively newcomer to the industry. However, this has not stopped the company from quickly rising up the ranks to becoming one of the best companies in the industry to help thousands of business owners form new LLCs.
Aside from LLC formation services, ZenBusiness has also become a great option for LLC in New York publication service as well with a unique set of advantages to making their service worthy of serious consideration.
The one aspect we appreciate the most about ZenBusiness’s New York LLC publication service is the way they calculate publication fees in real-time as you fill out the order form. This means that you won’t suddenly receive any surprise charges to the final cost of the service.
The other reason why we love ZenBusiness is their incredible customer feedback. Their website shows over 3,700 customer reviews available online with nearly all of them being a highly positive 5-star rating.
While they’re not the cheapest option for this service, they do provide an amazing job to earn them the top overall spot on our list today.
2. BizFilings
$100 + $50 State Fee + Publication Fees
BizFilings is yet another LLC formation service company that’s one of our top picks for New York publication services. This recommendation is due to their reasonable rate of just $100, which includes a Notice of Publication, LLC publishing it, and filing the Affidavits of Publication.
It’s worth noting that there’s a state fee of $50 and newspaper and state fees are not included in this rate which would vary depending on your company’s location.
Even with the additional fee you need to pay, BizFilings is still a great bargain for what you’re getting. So far, we’re not aware of any other companies offering so much, completing all of these steps while charging so little.
On top of that, BizFilings is a reputable and legitimate service that simply puts the icing on the cake. Overall, BizFilings is an excellent option for those looking for an affordable New York publication service for your new LLC.
3. Harbor Compliance
$699 (includes all fees such as state fees and publication fees)
Harbor Compliance offers an interesting New York publication service with a $699 price point that includes all publication fees, including New York’s state fee.
Depending on where your business is located, this option could result in tremendous savings – after all, your publication fees alone in New York City can be considerably higher than $699.
In order to explain Harbor Compliance’s bizarre setup for ordering this service, our team spoke with one of their representatives and were told that you can only order their New York publication service if you are one of their “Tier 3 customers”, meaning you’ll need to purchase at least $2,000 of services from them.
If you operate a business in a county with relatively low costs (like Westchester County), then there’s really no point in entertaining this idea.
The only time we would recommend using Harbor Compliance over ZenBusiness or BizFiling is when your business operates in an expensive part of New York plus if you want to order several other services from Harbor Compliance.
What is the New York LLC Publication Requirement?
When you form an LLC in New York, the State requires that you publish proof of your business formation in two different newspapers located in the same county as your company’s home office.
As per the requirement stated by the Division of Corporations, you must purchase an advertisement in these newspapers once per week for a total period of six weeks.
With one paper being a daily newspaper and the other following a weekly release schedule. If you’re unsure which newspapers to use, you can always ask your county clerk for more information.
Once you’ve completed the six weeks of advertisement publication, you’ll need to acquire a document known as the Affidavit of Publication from each newspaper.
You’ll then need to submit these affidavits of Publication to the New York Department of State Division of Corporations along with the state’s Certificate of Publication. Take note that there will be a processing fee of $50 for this submission.
When all these steps are completed, the state will complete your LLC’s formation process. You can either opt to handle the publication process on your own or hire one of the above companies to take care of the service for you.
Conclusion – Best New York Publication Services
Unfortunately, there aren’t too many options available out there when it comes to hiring a service to complete your New York City LLC publication process. Though most entrepreneurs will opt to handle this process themselves, above are a few options for those who rather hire it out.
However, it will certainly cost a decent sum of money to hire a reputable service like ZenBusiness, BizFilings, or Harbor Compliance to handle your publication, submit your affidavit of publication and help you obtain a certificate of publication for you to legally establish your LLC in New York.
This service is perfect for busy entrepreneurs who need to spend as much time as possible focusing on the actual operations of their New York LLC business.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why do I need a publication certificate?
New York is one of the few remaining states in the USA that requires a newly created limited liability company (LLC) to publish a formation announcement in two newspapers once-a-week for six weeks.
The New York law (§206(b)(4) dates back to when newspaper ads were the only way to ensure the public was notified of the formation and the law remains a requirement to this day.
According to state law, LLC businesses that fail to comply within 120 days of formation could potentially have their business suspended. The state law then goes on to say that contracts and liability shields will remain intact. Nonetheless, we highly recommend that all new LLCs in New York follow the mandated law to remain compliant and to limit their risk.
The process of certification often requires close coordination with the county clerk, papers, attorneys, and the Department of State, all of which can quickly become challenging for some.
Fortunately, companies like ZenBusiness offer some of the best New York publication services to act as your registered agent to manage all these steps and secure the certificate on your behalf at a reasonable price.
How does the publication process work?
The registered agent service will act on your behalf to complete and deliver your certificate within the 120-days required by the state of New York using the following process:
1. File your LLC in New York
If you haven’t already formed your company, then you will need to first file your LLC in NY. This process can take up to 2 weeks and will require you to cover the $200 state filing fee.
2. Contact the New York County Clerk’s office to meet the publication requirement
Once your LLC is formed, you will then need to contact the County Clerk’s office to provide your company information and determine which two papers you will need to publish on.
3. Publish your business formation in the two newspapers
Once you’ve met the requirement to run your publication ads in two papers for 6 consecutive weeks, the paper company will then provide you with separate Affidavits of publications.
4. Deliver the certificate of publications to the State
Deliver the relevant certificates and affidavits to the State to meet your legal requirement.
5. Delivery of your Publication Certificate
Once the state receives all the necessary documents, it will take approximately 7 business days – plus mail time – to process your certificate and deliver it back to you for your LLC in New York.
How much does publication cost?
The total cost can typically range from $600 – $1200 when you combine the New York county fees, newspaper publication fees, and certificate filing fee.
Can I handle the publication procedure myself?
Yes, you can definitely handle the entire process yourself, but it will require time and patience as you coordinate with different departments. You may also have to consult a lawyer depending on the complexities of your business.
How much to create an limited liability company in New York?
The costing of a formation of LLC in New York depends on several factors. Firstly, it’d take about $200 to file your Articles of Organization and $50 for your Certificate of Publication. Besides that, you’d have to consider the newspaper fees but this would depends on the respective newspaper companies and also, other fees which you’d need or require.
Starting a business correctly doesn’t have to be difficult. With over 15 years of experience consulting new businesses and start ups, Matthew is probably the best person to help you set a strong foundation for your business.