Has anyone used New Mexico specifically to keep their name private?

I formed one there about two years ago. The articles don't ask for members, only a registered agent. That part is true. What I'd watch is the registered agent. If you use a commercial one with a physical address, your name never appears in state records. If you use a friend, their address is public but not yours.

The annual report is where a lot of people get tripped up. New Mexico requires one but it doesn't ask for member names either. Just the agent and a signature. So on the state side it stays fairly tight.

Doesn't the registered agent still have to keep a list of members somewhere? I thought that was a requirement in most states even if it's not filed.

They do keep records, but those aren't public filings. The state can request them under certain circumstances, but a random person searching the portal won't see them. That's the distinction that matters for most people.

What about the BOI reporting under the corporate transparency act? That's federal and it asks for beneficial owners. New Mexico won't publish it but it's still collected. Anyone formming now should be aware that layer exists regardless of state.

That's true but BOI is not public. It's law enforcement access only. The state filing privacy is a separate question.

I looked into this last year and ended up going with Wyoming instead. Not because New Mexico was bad, but the agent optios felt more established there. Curious if anyone compared the two directly.

Wyoming charges more annually but I've heard the privacy is comparable. The main difference I've seen discussed is that Wyoming requires you to list an organizer but not members either.

The weak point in any of these setups is usually the bank. You open a business account and the the bank collects your ID and ties it to the LLC. Nothing the state does can hide that.

Agreed. State privacy is one layer. Banking, payment processors, and the IRS are separate layers you have to think about independently. New Mexico only solves the public records piece.

One thing I'd add is that the agent's name and address are public in New Mexico. If you're the agent yourself, your address is exposed. If you hire one, make sure they're actually using their commercial address and not a home address that gets published.

This thread is making me reconsider the agent choice more than the state choice. Seems like the state filing is the easy part.