Short answer: An anonymous LLC is a limited liability company whose owners’ names do not appear in the state’s public business records. Four states let you form one directly because neither the formation filing nor an annual report asks for member or manager names: New Mexico, Wyoming, Delaware and Missouri. An anonymous LLC hides your name from the public, not from the IRS, your bank or a court.
Owners in other states get the same privacy by forming an anonymous LLC as a holding company that owns their home-state LLC, and by using a registered agent and a business address in place of their own.
Which States Allow Anonymous LLCs?
| State | Formation fee | Ongoing state cost | Owner names in public records? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $50 | None. No annual report | No | Lowest cost privacy for small businesses and holding companies |
| Wyoming | $100 | Annual report, $60 minimum | No | Strong privacy plus a well-known business climate |
| Delaware | $110 | $400 annual LLC tax, due June 1 | No | Companies planning to raise investment |
| Missouri | $50 | None. No annual report | No | Low-cost privacy for Missouri-based owners |
State fees from our LLC cost by state table. Confirm the current fee on the state filing office website before you file.
What about Nevada? Nevada is a popular business state, but it is not anonymous. Its initial list and annual list name the LLC’s managers or managing members, and those filings are public. Owners who want privacy in Nevada list a nominee manager or use another LLC as the manager.
What an Anonymous LLC Hides, and What It Does Not
| Who | Can they see who owns the LLC? |
|---|---|
| The public, competitors, tenants, people searching state records | No |
| Data brokers that scrape state databases | No |
| The IRS | Yes. Your EIN application names a responsible party |
| Your bank and payment processors | Yes. They verify every owner with 25% or more |
| Your registered agent and formation service | Yes, and they keep it confidential |
| A court, in a lawsuit | Yes, through a subpoena or discovery |
| Law enforcement | Yes, with legal process |
An anonymous LLC is legal. It protects your privacy from the public. It does not hide assets from creditors, avoid taxes or shield you from a lawsuit.
Benefits of an Anonymous LLC
- Keeps your name and home address off public records, which cuts down on solicitations, spam and unwanted visitors.
- Protects real estate investors from tenants and neighbors looking up who owns a property. See anonymous LLCs for real estate investors.
- Separates your personal identity from the brand, useful for creators, consultants and online sellers.
- Makes you a harder target for frivolous lawsuits, since a search of state records does not lead straight to you.
- Keeps the same liability protection as any other LLC.
Disadvantages of an Anonymous LLC
- A second state registration if you operate at home. An LLC formed in New Mexico or Wyoming that does business in your home state registers there as a foreign LLC, and some home states publish owner or manager names on that filing.
- Extra cost. You pay a registered agent in the formation state and fees in two states if you register at home.
- More paperwork for banks. Banks still verify owners, and a holding structure means more documents to show who owns what.
- No protection in a lawsuit. A court can order the LLC to identify its owners.
- Delaware’s annual tax. The $400 yearly tax makes Delaware the most expensive anonymous option for a small business.
How to Form an Anonymous LLC in 6 Steps
- Choose your state. New Mexico or Wyoming for most small businesses and holding companies, Delaware if you plan to raise investment, Missouri if you operate there.
- Hire a registered agent in that state. Their address goes on the public record instead of yours. BusinessAnywhere’s registered agent service covers all 50 states for $147 a year, with the first year free when you form your company with us.
- Use a third-party organizer. The formation filing names the person who filed it. Have your formation service sign as organizer so your name does not appear.
- Use a business address for the LLC’s principal office and mailing address, not your home. A virtual mailbox gives you a real street address and scans your mail.
- Sign an operating agreement privately. It names the members and stays in your records, not with the state.
- Get an EIN and open a bank account in the LLC’s name. Both require your identity, but neither is public.
BusinessAnywhere handles business registration in all 50 states, including New Mexico, Wyoming and Delaware, for $0 plus the state’s filing fee.
The Holding Company Strategy for Other States
If you live and operate in a state that publishes owner names, such as one that lists managers on an annual report, you can still keep your name off the record:
- Form an anonymous LLC in New Mexico or Wyoming. This is the holding company.
- Form your operating LLC in your home state and list the holding company as its member or manager, not yourself.
- The home-state record now shows only the holding company’s name, and the holding company’s state does not publish yours.
Real estate investors use this setup to hold each property in its own LLC under one private holding company. Read how a holding company structure works.
Federal Beneficial Ownership Reporting
The Corporate Transparency Act created a federal beneficial ownership report filed with FinCEN, which is not public. Since March 2025, FinCEN no longer requires companies formed in the US to file it, while foreign companies registered to do business in the US still do. Check the current rules before you form, because they have changed several times. See our guide to beneficial ownership information.
FAQs
What is an anonymous LLC?
An anonymous LLC is an LLC formed in a state that does not require owner or manager names in its public formation filing or annual report. The owners’ identities stay private from the public while the LLC keeps full liability protection.
Which states allow anonymous LLCs?
New Mexico, Wyoming, Delaware and Missouri. None of them require member or manager names on the public formation filing or an annual report. Nevada is not anonymous because its annual list names managers or managing members.
Can you hide who owns an LLC?
You can hide the owners from the public by forming in an anonymous state and using a registered agent, a third-party organizer and a business address. You cannot hide ownership from the IRS, your bank or a court.
What are the benefits of an anonymous LLC?
It keeps your name and home address out of public records, reduces solicitations and unwanted contact, protects real estate investors’ privacy and keeps the same liability protection as any LLC.
What are the disadvantages of an anonymous LLC?
You pay a registered agent and, if you operate at home, fees in a second state. Banks still verify owners, courts can order the owners to be identified and Delaware charges a $400 annual tax.
Is an anonymous LLC legal?
Yes. States that allow anonymous LLCs simply do not require owner names on public filings. You still report ownership to the IRS and your bank and pay taxes as usual.
