Should my LLC be listed as the registrant or just the billing contact?

The registrant is the legal owner of the domain. If the LLC is the actual owner, list the LLC there. Billing contac can be whoever handles the invoices. Just make sure the privacy service is applied to all contact fields.

Most registrars let you set the registrant to the LLC and still use their privacy proxy. The LLC name might show in some records depending on the TLD, but your personal info stays hidden. Billing contact isn't public anyway in most cases.

Does the LLC name itself need to be private? If you formed it in a state that doesn't publis member names, the LLC name on WHOIS is less of a concern. But if your registered agent address is public, that's a separate issue.

Billing contact is not the same as the legal wner. Put the LLC as registrant.

I've done it both ways over the years. Honestly the bigger privacy leak is usually the registrant email and phone, not the name. Use a dedicated email on your own domain and a virtual phone number if you're worried.

Wait, can you even put an LLC as the registrant without exposing the LLC's principal address? Some registrars require a physical address for the registrant and won't accept a PO box or agent address

That depensd on the registrar. Many accept a registered agent address for the registrant field, or they let the privacy service substitute their own address. It's worth checking the specific registrar's policy before you commit.

Also consider whether you actually need WHOIS privacy for a business domain. Some customers find it suspicious. Not saying don't do it, just that there's a tradeoff.

If the LLC is the registrant, the the domain is an asset of the LLC. That's usually what you want for liability and continuity. Billing contact can be your accountant or virtual assistant.

Right. And if you ever sell the business, having the domain under the LLC makes the transfer cleaner.

One thing people miss: the registrant organization fiel is sometimes published even with privacy enabled, depending on the registry. For .com it's usually redacted, but some country-code TLDs are less forgiving. Check the specific TLD's rules.

Also, if you use a registered agent service, see if they offer a domain registration add-on. Some do, and it keeps everything under one umbrella with their address as the public contact.

That's a good point. I use my agent's address for the LLC's public filings already, so using it for the domain registrant would be consistent.

Consistency matters. If the domain registrant address doesn't match the LLC's registered address, it could raise questions in a legal dispute or due diligence. Keep it aligned.

Agreed. And don't forget to enable two-factor authentication on the registrar account. Privacy means nothing if someone hijacks the domain.

This thread is making me realize I should probably review my own setup. I've had the same billing contact for years and never checked whether it's public.