How to Verify If a Newspaper Is Still Approved in 2025
The Quick Answer
You don't verify newspapers yourself—the county clerk does. When you contact your county clerk to request newspaper designations for your LLC publication, they assign two currently approved newspapers from their official list. This designation is valid at the time it's issued, and you should begin publication immediately to avoid any changes.
If a newspaper closes or loses approval during your six-week publication period, contact the county clerk immediately for guidance. In most cases, you may need a new designation for the remaining weeks.
Why This Question Matters
New York's newspaper industry has seen significant changes over the past decade. Small community papers have closed, merged, or moved to digital-only formats. This raises a legitimate concern: what if the newspaper your county clerk designated six months ago is no longer approved—or no longer exists—when you're ready to publish?
Under Section 206 of the NY Limited Liability Company Law, you must publish your LLC notice in two newspapers designated by the county clerk. A publication in a newspaper that's not properly designated won't satisfy the legal requirement, meaning your affidavit of publication would be invalid for filing with the Department of State.
This could delay your Certificate of Publication filing and potentially put your LLC at risk of suspension.
How County Clerk Newspaper Designation Works
The Official Process
Here's how newspaper designation works in New York:
- You contact the county clerk's office for the county where your LLC's office is located (as stated in your Articles of Organization)
- The clerk assigns two newspapers from their current approved list—one daily and one weekly
- These designations are official at the time they're issued
- You have 120 days from your LLC formation date to complete the publication process
The county clerk maintains a rotating list of approved newspapers that meet state requirements for legal notices. When you request designation, they assign newspapers in the order requests are received, rotating through their approved list to distribute the publication business fairly among qualifying newspapers.
What Makes a Newspaper "Approved"
To be designated for LLC publication, a newspaper must:
- Be published in the county where your LLC is located (or a contiguous county if your county has no qualifying newspapers)
- Meet the frequency requirement (daily or weekly)
- Be qualified to publish legal notices under New York law
- Be in good standing with the county clerk's office
Important: You cannot choose your own newspapers. The county clerk's designation is mandatory under Section 206.
How to Get Current Newspaper Designations
Step 1: Gather Required Information
Before contacting the county clerk, have ready:
- Your LLC's exact legal name (as it appears on your Articles of Organization)
- Your filing receipt or DOS confirmation from when you filed your Articles of Organization
- The county where your LLC office is located (from your filing)
- Your contact information for receiving the newspaper assignments
Most county clerks will ask for a copy of your filing receipt to verify your LLC exists before providing newspaper designations.
Step 2: Contact the County Clerk's Office
Each of New York's 62 counties has its own county clerk's office. You can find contact information through:
- The New York State Association of County Clerks website
- Your county's official government website (search "[County Name] County Clerk")
- The New York State Unified Court System website, which lists county clerk offices
Contact methods vary by county:
- Some counties accept designation requests by phone
- Others require written requests via email or mail
- A few offer online forms for requesting designations
- Some post their current approved newspapers directly on their websites
Step 3: Receive Your Official Designation
The county clerk will provide you with:
- Names of two designated newspapers (one daily, one weekly)
- Contact information for each newspaper's legal notices department
- Any special instructions for your county
This designation is valid when issued. We recommend beginning publication immediately after receiving your designation to minimize the risk of changes during your publication period.
What If a Newspaper Closes During Publication?
This scenario, while uncommon, does happen. Here's what you need to know:
Mid-Publication Closures
If one of your designated newspapers ceases publication after you've started publishing but before completing all six weeks, you should:
- Contact the county clerk immediately to report the situation
- Request a new designation for a replacement newspaper
- Determine with the clerk whether you need to:
- Complete the remaining weeks in the new newspaper, or
- Start over with a new six-week publication run
Section 206 allows some flexibility during the publication period for changes in information, but a newspaper closure is a unique situation that requires county clerk guidance.
Before Publication Starts
If you receive your designation but don't start publishing right away, verify the newspapers are still operating before you contact them. A quick web search or phone call to the newspaper can confirm they're still in business.
If a designated newspaper has closed before you begin publication, contact the county clerk for a new designation before proceeding.
Red Flags: When to Verify With the County Clerk
While you don't verify newspapers yourself, certain situations warrant reaching out to the county clerk for confirmation:
Significant Delays
If more than 30-60 days have passed since you received your newspaper designation and you haven't started publishing yet, consider checking with the county clerk to confirm the newspapers are still approved—especially in smaller counties with limited newspaper options.
Newspaper Mergers or Acquisitions
If you notice news that one of your designated newspapers has been acquired, merged, or changed ownership, contact the county clerk. The newspaper may still be approved under its new ownership, but it's worth confirming.
Digital-Only Transitions
Some newspapers have moved to digital-only formats. Since Section 206 requires newspapers that are "printed" (daily or weekly), a newspaper that goes digital-only typically no longer qualifies. If your designated newspaper announces it's discontinuing print publication, contact the county clerk immediately.
Newspaper Won't Accept Your Ad
If you contact a designated newspaper and they refuse to run your LLC publication ad (or claim they're not designated for legal notices), don't argue—contact the county clerk to clarify or request a new designation.
Common Questions About Newspaper Approval
Can I use a newspaper's website to verify it's approved?
No. The county clerk maintains the official list of approved newspapers. A newspaper's website may claim they handle legal notices, but only the county clerk's designation matters for LLC publication compliance.
Does the county clerk update their online newspaper lists regularly?
This varies by county. Some county clerks post current newspaper designations on their websites and update them regularly. Others provide designations only upon request and may not publish the list online. Always request an official designation rather than relying on older information you find online.
What if I already paid a newspaper that's no longer approved?
If you paid for publication in a newspaper before verifying it's designated by your county clerk, and it turns out the newspaper isn't properly designated, that publication won't satisfy Section 206. You'll need to publish again in county clerk-designated newspapers. This is why you should always get the official designation from the county clerk first before contacting any newspapers.
Can I verify approval through the New York Department of State?
No. The county clerks designate newspapers, not the Department of State. The DOS receives and processes your Certificate of Publication, but they don't maintain lists of approved newspapers for each county.
What Happens If You Publish in Non-Approved Newspapers
Publishing your LLC notice in newspapers that aren't designated by the county clerk is one of the most common—and most costly—mistakes in the publication process.
Invalid Affidavits
Section 206 explicitly states: "A copy or notice published in a newspaper other than the newspaper or newspapers designated by the county clerk shall not be deemed to be one of the publications required."
This means:
- Your affidavits of publication will be invalid for filing with the Department of State
- Your Certificate of Publication filing will be rejected
- You'll need to start over with properly designated newspapers
- You'll have additional costs for the second round of publication
- You may miss the 120-day deadline, putting your LLC at risk of suspension
No "Good Faith" Exception
There is no exception for mistakenly using non-designated newspapers, even if they seem like reasonable choices. The county clerk designation requirement is absolute.
How LLC Publishers Ensures Newspaper Validity
At LLC Publishers, newspaper verification is built into our process:
We Contact the County Clerk for You
When you use our service, we:
- Contact the appropriate county clerk's office based on your LLC's county
- Request official newspaper designations on your behalf
- Receive the current approved newspapers directly from the clerk
- Verify the newspapers are actively accepting legal notices
We Begin Publication Immediately
We start your publication run as soon as we receive county clerk designation, minimizing the risk of any changes during your six-week publication period.
We Handle Problems
If any issues arise during publication—newspaper closures, missed runs, printing errors—we manage the resolution with the newspaper and county clerk, ensuring you end up with valid affidavits.
Verified Affidavits
We collect affidavits of publication directly from the newspapers, verify they're properly executed, and file your Certificate of Publication with the Department of State. You get peace of mind knowing every step meets Section 206 requirements.
Learn more about our $595 all-inclusive service
What to Do If You're Managing Publication Yourself
If you're handling your LLC publication requirement without a service:
- Contact the county clerk first—before contacting any newspapers
- Get the official designation in writing (email or letter)
- Save this designation with your LLC formation documents
- Contact the designated newspapers immediately to start publication
- Keep records of all communications and confirmations
- Collect affidavits after the six-week publication period ends
- File your Certificate of Publication with the Department of State within the 120-day deadline
If you encounter any problems—newspapers that won't return calls, confusing pricing, errors in publication, or concerns about approval status—these are common challenges that LLC publication services handle daily.
Special Situations
Counties With No Designated Newspapers
Some smaller New York counties may not have enough newspapers to meet the daily and weekly requirements. In these cases, Section 206 allows publication in newspapers from contiguous counties that meet the other requirements.
The county clerk will guide you on this if it applies to your county.
Foreign LLCs (Out-of-State LLCs Registering in New York)
Foreign LLCs registering to do business in New York have the same publication requirement. The process is identical: contact the county clerk for the county where your New York office is located (as stated in your Application for Authority) and follow the same designation process.
Professional Service LLCs (PLLCs)
PLLCs follow the same newspaper designation process as standard LLCs. The county clerk designates newspapers, and the publication requirement is the same six consecutive weeks in two newspapers.
Disclaimer
The information in this article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. While we strive for accuracy, laws and procedures may change. For specific legal questions about your LLC, consult with a qualified attorney. LLC Publishers provides publication services and administrative filing assistance, but we are not a law firm and cannot provide legal advice.
Key Takeaways
- You don't verify newspapers yourself—the county clerk designates approved newspapers from their official list
- Always contact the county clerk first before contacting any newspapers to get the current official designation
- Designations are valid when issued, but newspaper availability can change—start publication promptly after receiving your designation
- Publishing in non-designated newspapers is invalid under Section 206, even if those newspapers seem legitimate
- If a newspaper closes during publication, contact the county clerk immediately for guidance and a possible new designation
- Each county maintains its own list of approved newspapers—there is no statewide master list
- Verification is built into the process when you request official designation from the county clerk
- There is no shortcut or alternative—county clerk designation is mandatory under New York law
- Keep written records of your designation and all publication-related communications
- Professional services like LLC Publishers handle the verification, designation, and publication process to ensure compliance
Ready to skip the complexity? LLC Publishers handles everything—from county clerk designation to final DOS filing—for one flat fee of $595.
Questions about your specific county? Contact us or check our comprehensive FAQ.