NYC Borough-to-County Map for LLC Publication (2026)
Each NYC borough is also a county — and your county determines which newspapers you publish in, how much it costs, and which county clerk handles your designation. If your LLC's Articles of Organization list "Kings County," that means Brooklyn. If they say "New York County," that's Manhattan. This borough-to-county mapping is essential for completing your LLC publication requirement under Section 206 of the NY LLC Law.
NYC Borough Publication Facts
The Complete NYC Borough-to-County Map
Here is the definitive borough-to-county mapping for New York City LLC publication:
| Borough | County Name | What Your Articles Say | County Clerk Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manhattan | New York County | "County: New York" | 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 |
| Brooklyn | Kings County | "County: Kings" | 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 |
| Queens | Queens County | "County: Queens" | 88-11 Sutphin Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11435 |
| The Bronx | Bronx County | "County: Bronx" | 851 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10451 |
| Staten Island | Richmond County | "County: Richmond" | 130 Stuyvesant Place, Staten Island, NY 10301 |
Quick Lookup
Check the "County" field on your LLC's Filing Receipt or Articles of Organization. It will say "New York," "Kings," "Queens," "Bronx," or "Richmond" — never "Manhattan," "Brooklyn," or "Staten Island." If you don't have your Filing Receipt, you can look up your LLC on the NY Department of State entity search.
These borough-county pairings have been in place since 1898 when the five boroughs consolidated into New York City. Each borough is coextensive with its county — meaning the geographic boundaries are identical. For LLC publication purposes, only the county name matters.
Why Your Borough's County Matters for LLC Publication
Under Section 206, every New York LLC must publish notice of formation in two newspapers — one daily and one weekly — designated by the county clerk of the county where the LLC's office is located. That county is whatever appears on your Articles of Organization.
Your county determines three things:
- Which newspapers you publish in — Each county clerk designates specific newspapers for LLC publication. Manhattan requires the New York Law Journal as the daily paper. Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island each have their own designated papers assigned by their respective county clerks.
- How much you pay — Manhattan (New York County) is the most expensive at $1,400-$1,900+ for newspaper fees alone. Staten Island (Richmond County) is the most affordable NYC borough at $900-$1,200+.
- Which county clerk you contact — If you're handling publication yourself, you need to request your newspaper designation from the correct county clerk's office.
Your LLC publishes in the county listed on your Articles of Organization — not necessarily where you live or work. A Brooklyn resident whose Articles say "New York County" must publish in Manhattan's designated newspapers.
How to Find Which County Is on Your Articles of Organization
Your county appears in two places:
- Your Filing Receipt — When the Department of State approved your LLC, they sent back a Filing Receipt. The county is listed as a field on this document. If your LLC was formed through a service (like LegalZoom, ZenBusiness, or an attorney), ask them for a copy of the Filing Receipt. For more details, see our guide on what a Filing Receipt is and how to read it.
- Your Articles of Organization — The original filing document lists the county of your LLC's principal office. This is what controls publication.
If you've lost both documents, you can search for your LLC on the NY Department of State entity database to confirm your filing details.
What If Your Articles List the Wrong County?
This happens more often than you'd think — especially with NYC LLCs. A Brooklyn-based business owner might find "New York County" on their Articles because their formation service used a Manhattan registered agent address. Or someone in Queens discovers their Articles say "Kings" because of a filing error.
You have two options:
- Publish as-is — You can publish in whatever county your Articles currently list. This is faster but may be more expensive if your Articles say "New York County" (Manhattan).
- Correct your Articles first — File a Certificate of Change (DOS-1359-f) with the Department of State to update your county to where your business actually operates, then publish in the corrected county.
A Certificate of Change costs $30 and typically takes 4–6 weeks to process. If your Articles list an expensive county like Manhattan but you operate in a different borough or upstate, correcting first can save hundreds. See our complete guide to changing your LLC county and our article on what to do when your LLC says New York County but you work elsewhere.
Cost Differences Between NYC Borough Counties
All five NYC boroughs are significantly more expensive than upstate counties for LLC publication. Here's how they compare:
| Borough | County | DIY Newspaper Cost | With LLC Publishers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manhattan | New York | $1,400-$1,900+ | $1,495.00 |
| Brooklyn | Kings | $1,200-$1,550+ | $1,475.00 |
| Queens | Queens | $1,100-$1,450+ | $1,195.00 |
| The Bronx | Bronx | $1,000-$1,350+ | $950.00 |
| Staten Island | Richmond | $900-$1,200+ | $1,295.00 |
| Albany (comparison) | Albany | $180-$350+ | $395.00 |
DIY costs are newspaper advertising fees only and do not include the $50 Certificate of Publication filing fee. LLC Publishers pricing is all-inclusive.
Manhattan is the most expensive because it requires publication in the New York Law Journal, one of the most expensive legal newspapers in the state. Other NYC boroughs use less costly papers but are still expensive compared to upstate counties.
For a detailed breakdown of each borough's costs, designated newspapers, and county clerk processes, see our dedicated guides: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island.
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Get StartedCommon Borough-County Mistakes
Don't Make These Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using the borough name instead of the county name. Your Articles of Organization will never say "Brooklyn" or "Manhattan." They use the county name: "Kings" or "New York." If you're filling out paperwork and write "Brooklyn County," it will be rejected — there is no "Brooklyn County" in New York State.
Mistake 2: Confusing "New York County" with "New York State." "New York County" is Manhattan — just one of 62 counties in the state. If your Articles say "County: New York," that means Manhattan, not the entire state.
Mistake 3: Assuming you publish where you live. You publish in the county listed on your Articles of Organization. If you live in Queens but your Articles say "New York" (Manhattan), you publish in Manhattan's designated newspapers — unless you file a Certificate of Change first.
Mistake 4: Thinking all NYC boroughs cost the same. Publication costs vary significantly. Manhattan can cost twice as much as Staten Island because of the required New York Law Journal publication.
How LLC Publishers Handles NYC Borough Publications
LLC Publishers handles publication in all five NYC boroughs. Here's what our service includes:
- County verification — We confirm the county on your Articles of Organization and identify the correct county clerk
- Newspaper designation — We request and obtain the designated newspapers from your borough's county clerk
- Ad placement — We place your publication notice in both the designated daily and weekly newspapers for the required six consecutive weeks
- Affidavit collection — We collect the original notarized affidavits of publication from both newspapers
- State filing — We prepare and file your Certificate of Publication with the NY Department of State
- Certificate delivery — You receive your filed Certificate of Publication as confirmation
Our pricing is a fixed, all-inclusive fee per county — no hidden costs, no newspaper markups. See the table above for current pricing, or visit our county-by-county cost breakdown for all 62 New York counties.
How We Maintain This Data
The borough-to-county mapping itself has been stable since the 1898 consolidation of New York City and is not subject to change. County clerk office addresses and designated newspaper assignments are verified against official county clerk records. Pricing data reflects current 2026 newspaper advertising rates and is updated as rates change.
Last verified: February 2026
FAQ
Is Brooklyn the same as Kings County for LLC publication?
Yes. Brooklyn and Kings County are geographically identical — the borough of Brooklyn is Kings County. For LLC publication, your Articles of Organization will say "County: Kings," not "County: Brooklyn." You'll publish in newspapers designated by the Kings County Clerk.
Which county is Queens in for LLC publication?
Queens is Queens County — one of only two NYC boroughs where the borough name and county name match (the other is the Bronx/Bronx County). Your Articles will say "County: Queens" and you'll publish in newspapers designated by the Queens County Clerk at 88-11 Sutphin Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11435.
Why does Manhattan use 'New York County' instead of 'Manhattan County'?
"Manhattan County" does not exist as a legal entity. The borough of Manhattan is coextensive with New York County — a name that predates the 1898 consolidation of the five boroughs. When you see "County: New York" on your Articles of Organization, it means Manhattan specifically, not the entire state of New York.
Can I publish in a different borough's county to save money?
No — you must publish in the county listed on your Articles of Organization. However, you can file a Certificate of Change (DOS-1359-f) to change your LLC's county to a less expensive option before publishing. This costs $30 and takes 4–6 weeks. Many NYC LLC owners change to Albany County to save on publication costs. See our county change guide for the full process.
How do I find my LLC's county on the Articles of Organization?
Look for the "County" field on your Filing Receipt (the document returned by the Department of State after approval). It will list one of the five NYC county names: New York, Kings, Queens, Bronx, or Richmond. If you've lost this document, search for your LLC on the NY Department of State entity search. For a full explanation, see our Filing Receipt guide.
Does the county clerk assign the same newspapers to every LLC?
It depends on the borough. In Manhattan, the daily paper is always the New York Law Journal, but the weekly paper rotates. In Brooklyn and other boroughs, the county clerk uses rotating designation lists that vary from month to month. You won't know your exact cost until you receive your specific newspaper assignment.
What if I live in one borough but my business operates in another?
Your publication county is determined by what's on your Articles of Organization — not where you physically work. If your Articles say "Kings" (Brooklyn) but you work in "Queens," you publish in Kings County's newspapers. If you want to publish in the county where you actually operate, you'll need to change your county on the Articles first.
Are NYC borough publication costs higher than upstate counties?
Yes — significantly. The most affordable NYC borough (Staten Island/Richmond County) starts at $900-$1,200+ for newspaper fees. By comparison, Albany County costs $180-$350+. Manhattan (New York County) is the most expensive county in the entire state at $1,400-$1,900+. See our full county-by-county cost breakdown for all 62 counties.
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
- Manhattan = New York County, Brooklyn = Kings County, Queens = Queens County, The Bronx = Bronx County, Staten Island = Richmond County
- Your LLC's Articles of Organization use the county name, never the borough name — look for "New York," "Kings," "Queens," "Bronx," or "Richmond"
- Your county determines which designated newspapers you must publish in and how much publication costs
- NYC publication costs range from $900-$1,200+ (Staten Island) to $1,400-$1,900+ (Manhattan) for newspaper fees alone
- If your Articles list the wrong county, you can file a Certificate of Change ($30) before publishing to correct it
- You cannot publish in a different borough's newspapers without first changing the county on your Articles
- LLC Publishers handles publication in all five NYC boroughs with fixed, all-inclusive pricing