An "anonymous LLC" is a Limited Liability Company where the owner's name is not publicly listed on the state filing. The Articles of Organization typically only require the LLC name, registered agent, and principal office — but in most states, member or manager names are also part of the public record. In Wyoming, New Mexico, and Delaware, they're not. That's the full extent of what state-level "anonymity" means.
Side-by-side comparison
| State | Filing fee | Annual report | Online time | Notable tax | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming WY | $100 | $60 annual report or $0.0002 per dollar of WY assets, whichever is greater | Immediate to 1 business day (online) | No income tax of any kind. | Guide → |
| New Mexico NM | $50 | $0 | 1–3 business days (online) | No annual report at all is the standout feature. | Guide → |
| Delaware DE | $110 | No annual report for LLCs — but a $400 annual franchise tax instead | 1–2 business days | No state sales tax. | Guide → |
Wyoming: best overall for anonymity + asset protection
Wyoming pioneered the LLC structure in 1977 and has the deepest LLC case law outside Delaware. The Articles of Organization don't require members or managers to be named on the public filing. Pair that with a commercial registered agent and the public Wyoming record can be effectively anonymous.
What sets Wyoming apart from New Mexico is its asset protection. Wyoming uniquely extends strong charging-order protection to single-member LLCs — most states weaken this protection for SMLLCs, allowing creditors to seize the LLC entirely. Wyoming also has no state income tax, no corporate income tax, and no franchise tax.
- Filing fee: $100 online ($102 by mail)
- Annual report: $60 minimum ($0.0002/dollar of WY assets if higher)
- Required: Wyoming registered agent ($50–$300/year)
- No state income tax, corporate income tax, or franchise tax
- Strongest single-member LLC charging-order protection in the U.S.
New Mexico: cheapest anonymous option
New Mexico has no annual report requirement at all — once your LLC is formed, you have no recurring Secretary of State filing obligation. Combined with a $50 filing fee and member-name privacy on the Articles, it's the cheapest path to a publicly anonymous LLC in the U.S.
The trade-off is the Gross Receipts Tax (GRT) — New Mexico's tax on gross business income at 4.875% statewide plus local rates. If your LLC actually does business in New Mexico, GRT applies broadly to nearly all revenue (including B2B services). For pure holding-company structures with no NM operations, GRT doesn't apply and New Mexico is genuinely the cheapest option.
- Filing fee: $50
- Annual report: $0 — no recurring SOS filing required
- No state franchise tax
- GRT applies to NM-source business income (4.875% statewide + local)
- No charging-order strength comparable to Wyoming
Are Delaware LLCs anonymous?
A Delaware LLC can provide public-filing privacy. Delaware Code § 18-201 requires the Certificate of Formation to state the LLC name and its registered office and registered agent; it does not require member or manager names. That does not make the owner invisible to banks, tax agencies, courts, or every filing in another state. It means the Delaware formation document itself generally does not publish the owners.
Delaware's current $400 yearly LLC tax plus a mandatory Delaware registered agent often makes it more expensive than Wyoming or New Mexico. Its Court of Chancery and contract-focused LLC statute can still fit sophisticated multi-member governance or a structure with a specific Delaware-law reason. Compare that benefit with the full cost of every state where the LLC must register or file.
What "anonymous" actually means in 2026
Under FinCEN's current rule, U.S.-formed LLCs are exempt from BOI reporting. State filing privacy still has practical limits:
- Your name is not on the public state Articles → true in WY, NM, DE.
- Your name is not on the LLC's public annual report → true in WY (only RA + office), true in NM (no annual report), partially true in DE.
- You do not have to submit a BOI report for a U.S.-formed LLC → true under FinCEN's rule effective March 26, 2025. A prior filing may remain in FinCEN's non-public database.
- Your name is not connected via tax records → false. Your EIN application links you to the LLC. Bank account opening links you. State tax registrations may or may not be public.
Common use cases for an anonymous LLC
- Real estate investors who don't want their home address on every property's deed
- Public figures (authors, journalists, executives) who want privacy on side businesses
- Founders building competitive products who don't want their next venture publicly known
- High-net-worth families using holding structures for asset protection
- Privacy-conscious owners protecting against doxxing, harassment, or stalking
Use cases where an anonymous LLC won't help
- Hiding ownership from creditors after a debt is owed (this is fraudulent conveyance)
- Avoiding taxes — the LLC owner still owes federal/state income tax on profits
- Avoiding U.S. taxes — the LLC owner still owes federal/state income tax on profits regardless of state of formation
- Avoiding being sued — service of process still goes through the registered agent
Our recommendation by use case
- Solo owner, asset protection focus → Wyoming
- Solo owner, lowest possible cost → New Mexico (if no NM operations)
- Multi-member, complex Operating Agreement → Delaware
- Holding company for multiple properties → Wyoming or Delaware Series LLC
- You actually do business in CA/NY/TX → form in your home state and get your privacy through other means (LLC owner trust, commercial RA)
Primary sources checked
- Delaware Code § 18-201 ↗
Required contents of a Delaware LLC Certificate of Formation.
- Delaware LLC tax instructions ↗
Current $400 yearly tax and June 1 deadline; no LLC annual report.
- FinCEN BOI interim-final-rule Q&A ↗
Current domestic-entity exemption and rules for foreign reporting companies.
- Wyoming Secretary of State business FAQ ↗
Wyoming annual-report timing and fee calculation.
- New Mexico Secretary of State business portal ↗
Official formation and business-record portal.
Don’t want to file yourself? Northwest Registered Agent files your LLC for $39 + state fee and acts as your registered agent the first year free.
Frequently asked questions
Is an anonymous LLC actually legal?
Yes. Wyoming, New Mexico, and Delaware formation filings generally do not require member names on the public formation document. That state-level filing privacy is lawful, but it does not conceal ownership from banks, tax agencies, courts, or other lawful inquiries. Under FinCEN's current rule, U.S.-formed entities are exempt from BOI reporting.
Can I form an anonymous LLC if I live in California or New York?
You can form an LLC in another state, but activity in California or New York may require foreign qualification and additional public filings, taxes, agents, and fees. Those filings can reduce the privacy benefit. Layering another LLC or trust does not guarantee anonymity and can add legal and tax obligations, so have the complete structure reviewed before relying on it.
How much does an anonymous LLC cost to maintain?
State-level recurring charges currently include a $60 minimum Wyoming annual fee, no New Mexico LLC annual report fee, and a $400 Delaware yearly LLC tax. Each option also requires an in-state registered agent, whose market price varies. Add every foreign-registration, tax, license, and professional cost created by the actual activity.
Do anonymous LLCs need to file FinCEN BOI reports?
No — not for U.S.-formed LLCs under the current rule. FinCEN's interim final rule effective March 26, 2025 exempted domestic entities. Certain entities formed outside the United States and registered to do business here remain reporting companies. State filing privacy still does not prevent ownership disclosure to banks, tax agencies, or through lawful process.
Will my bank know who owns my anonymous LLC?
Yes. Banks are required by FinCEN's Customer Due Diligence (CDD) rule to identify and verify beneficial owners during account opening. You'll provide ID and ownership disclosure to the bank, even if your name isn't on the public state filing. Anonymity protects you from the public, not from your bank.
Can I use a Wyoming or New Mexico LLC to hide assets from a lawsuit?
An LLC does not make assets undiscoverable or defeat valid creditor rights. Transfers made to hinder creditors may be challenged under fraudulent-transfer law, and courts can examine ownership, control, records, guarantees, and how the entity was operated. Get fact-specific legal advice before transferring an asset.
Is New Mexico or Wyoming better for an anonymous LLC?
New Mexico has lower baseline state fees: $50 to file and no LLC annual report. Wyoming charges $100 to file and a minimum $60 annual fee, and its LLC statute includes charging-order language for single-member LLCs. The better choice depends on activity, owners, assets, other-state registrations, and the legal feature the structure actually needs.
Is Delaware still worth it for a solo anonymous LLC?
Delaware is more expensive at the state level because it charges a $400 yearly LLC tax and requires a Delaware registered agent. Its legal infrastructure may justify that cost for some negotiated multi-member or dispute-sensitive structures. Public-filing privacy by itself does not establish that Delaware is the best choice.