diff --git a/assets/templates/npmextra/npmextra.json b/assets/templates/npmextra/npmextra.json
index 307cc48..c47a692 100644
--- a/assets/templates/npmextra/npmextra.json
+++ b/assets/templates/npmextra/npmextra.json
@@ -9,10 +9,12 @@
       "npmPackagename": "{{module.npmPackagename}}",
       "license": "{{module.license}}",
       "projectDomain": "{{module.projectDomain}}"
+    },
+    "release": {
+      "accessLevel": "{{module.npmAccessLevel}}"
     }
   },
   "@ship.zone/szci": {
-    "npmGlobalTools": [],
-    "npmAccessLevel": "{{module.npmAccessLevel}}"
+    "npmGlobalTools": []
   }
 }
diff --git a/ts/classes.gitzoneconfig.ts b/ts/classes.gitzoneconfig.ts
index 7ff6d11..b8a5a8e 100644
--- a/ts/classes.gitzoneconfig.ts
+++ b/ts/classes.gitzoneconfig.ts
@@ -40,11 +40,19 @@ export class GitzoneConfig {
   public async readConfigFromCwd() {
     const npmextraInstance = new plugins.npmextra.Npmextra(paths.cwd);
     this.data = npmextraInstance.dataFor<IGitzoneConfigData>('@git.zone/cli', {});
-    this.data.npmciOptions = npmextraInstance.dataFor<
-      IGitzoneConfigData['npmciOptions']
-    >('@ship.zone/szci', {
-      npmAccessLevel: 'public',
-    });
+
+    // Read szci config for backward compatibility
+    const szciConfig = npmextraInstance.dataFor<any>('@ship.zone/szci', {});
+
+    // Prefer accessLevel from @git.zone/cli.release, fallback to @ship.zone/szci.npmAccessLevel
+    const accessLevel =
+      (this.data as any)?.release?.accessLevel ||
+      szciConfig?.npmAccessLevel ||
+      'public';
+
+    this.data.npmciOptions = {
+      npmAccessLevel: accessLevel,
+    };
   }
 
   constructor() {}
diff --git a/ts/mod_commit/index.ts b/ts/mod_commit/index.ts
index 1579b39..c4353f1 100644
--- a/ts/mod_commit/index.ts
+++ b/ts/mod_commit/index.ts
@@ -231,9 +231,10 @@ export const run = async (argvArg: any) => {
     const registries = releaseConfig.getRegistries();
     ui.printStep(currentStep, totalSteps, `📦 Publishing to ${registries.length} registr${registries.length === 1 ? 'y' : 'ies'}`, 'in-progress');
 
+    const accessLevel = releaseConfig.getAccessLevel();
     for (const registry of registries) {
       try {
-        await smartshellInstance.exec(`npm publish --registry=${registry}`);
+        await smartshellInstance.exec(`npm publish --registry=${registry} --access=${accessLevel}`);
         releasedRegistries.push(registry);
       } catch (error) {
         logger.log('error', `Failed to publish to ${registry}: ${error}`);
diff --git a/ts/mod_config/classes.releaseconfig.ts b/ts/mod_config/classes.releaseconfig.ts
index a1ff72b..5d22ac3 100644
--- a/ts/mod_config/classes.releaseconfig.ts
+++ b/ts/mod_config/classes.releaseconfig.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 import * as plugins from './mod.plugins.js';
 
+export type TAccessLevel = 'public' | 'private';
+
 export interface IReleaseConfig {
   registries: string[];
+  accessLevel: TAccessLevel;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -14,7 +17,7 @@ export class ReleaseConfig {
 
   constructor(cwd: string = process.cwd()) {
     this.cwd = cwd;
-    this.config = { registries: [] };
+    this.config = { registries: [], accessLevel: 'public' };
   }
 
   /**
@@ -33,8 +36,12 @@ export class ReleaseConfig {
     const npmextraInstance = new plugins.npmextra.Npmextra(this.cwd);
     const gitzoneConfig = npmextraInstance.dataFor<any>('@git.zone/cli', {});
 
+    // Also check szci for backward compatibility
+    const szciConfig = npmextraInstance.dataFor<any>('@ship.zone/szci', {});
+
     this.config = {
       registries: gitzoneConfig?.release?.registries || [],
+      accessLevel: gitzoneConfig?.release?.accessLevel || szciConfig?.npmAccessLevel || 'public',
     };
   }
 
@@ -61,8 +68,9 @@ export class ReleaseConfig {
       npmextraData['@git.zone/cli'].release = {};
     }
 
-    // Update registries
+    // Update registries and accessLevel
     npmextraData['@git.zone/cli'].release.registries = this.config.registries;
+    npmextraData['@git.zone/cli'].release.accessLevel = this.config.accessLevel;
 
     // Write back to file
     await plugins.smartfs
@@ -123,6 +131,20 @@ export class ReleaseConfig {
     this.config.registries = [];
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Get the npm access level
+   */
+  public getAccessLevel(): TAccessLevel {
+    return this.config.accessLevel;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Set the npm access level
+   */
+  public setAccessLevel(level: TAccessLevel): void {
+    this.config.accessLevel = level;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Normalize a registry URL (ensure it has https:// prefix)
    */
diff --git a/ts/mod_config/index.ts b/ts/mod_config/index.ts
index dfb36bb..9798e16 100644
--- a/ts/mod_config/index.ts
+++ b/ts/mod_config/index.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ export const run = async (argvArg: any) => {
     case 'clear':
       await handleClear();
       break;
+    case 'access':
+    case 'accessLevel':
+      await handleAccessLevel(value);
+      break;
     default:
       showHelp();
   }
@@ -33,13 +37,18 @@ export const run = async (argvArg: any) => {
 async function handleShow(): Promise<void> {
   const config = await ReleaseConfig.fromCwd();
   const registries = config.getRegistries();
+  const accessLevel = config.getAccessLevel();
 
   console.log('');
   console.log('╭─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮');
-  console.log('│  Release Registry Configuration                            │');
+  console.log('│  Release Configuration                                      │');
   console.log('╰─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯');
   console.log('');
 
+  // Show access level
+  plugins.logger.log('info', `Access Level: ${accessLevel}`);
+  console.log('');
+
   if (registries.length === 0) {
     plugins.logger.log('info', 'No release registries configured.');
     console.log('');
@@ -146,6 +155,42 @@ async function handleClear(): Promise<void> {
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Set or toggle access level
+ */
+async function handleAccessLevel(level?: string): Promise<void> {
+  const config = await ReleaseConfig.fromCwd();
+  const currentLevel = config.getAccessLevel();
+
+  if (!level) {
+    // Interactive mode - toggle or ask
+    const interactInstance = new plugins.smartinteract.SmartInteract();
+    const response = await interactInstance.askQuestion({
+      type: 'list',
+      name: 'accessLevel',
+      message: 'Select npm access level for publishing:',
+      choices: ['public', 'private'],
+      default: currentLevel,
+    });
+    level = (response as any).value;
+  }
+
+  // Validate the level
+  if (level !== 'public' && level !== 'private') {
+    plugins.logger.log('error', `Invalid access level: ${level}. Must be 'public' or 'private'.`);
+    return;
+  }
+
+  if (level === currentLevel) {
+    plugins.logger.log('info', `Access level is already set to: ${level}`);
+    return;
+  }
+
+  config.setAccessLevel(level as 'public' | 'private');
+  await config.save();
+  plugins.logger.log('success', `Access level set to: ${level}`);
+}
+
 /**
  * Show help for config command
  */
@@ -154,10 +199,11 @@ function showHelp(): void {
   console.log('Usage: gitzone config <command> [options]');
   console.log('');
   console.log('Commands:');
-  console.log('  show              Display current registry configuration');
-  console.log('  add [url]         Add a registry URL');
-  console.log('  remove [url]      Remove a registry URL');
-  console.log('  clear             Clear all registries');
+  console.log('  show                        Display current release configuration');
+  console.log('  add [url]                   Add a registry URL');
+  console.log('  remove [url]                Remove a registry URL');
+  console.log('  clear                       Clear all registries');
+  console.log('  access [public|private]     Set npm access level for publishing');
   console.log('');
   console.log('Examples:');
   console.log('  gitzone config show');
@@ -165,5 +211,7 @@ function showHelp(): void {
   console.log('  gitzone config add https://verdaccio.example.com');
   console.log('  gitzone config remove https://registry.npmjs.org');
   console.log('  gitzone config clear');
+  console.log('  gitzone config access public');
+  console.log('  gitzone config access private');
   console.log('');
 }
diff --git a/ts/mod_format/format.npmextra.ts b/ts/mod_format/format.npmextra.ts
index c08777c..1f3080c 100644
--- a/ts/mod_format/format.npmextra.ts
+++ b/ts/mod_format/format.npmextra.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,42 @@ const migrateNamespaceKeys = (npmextraJson: any): boolean => {
   return migrated;
 };
 
+/**
+ * Migrates npmAccessLevel from @ship.zone/szci to @git.zone/cli.release.accessLevel
+ * This is a one-time migration for projects using the old location
+ */
+const migrateAccessLevel = (npmextraJson: any): boolean => {
+  const szciConfig = npmextraJson['@ship.zone/szci'];
+
+  // Check if szci has npmAccessLevel that needs to be migrated
+  if (!szciConfig?.npmAccessLevel) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  // Check if we already have the new location
+  const gitzoneConfig = npmextraJson['@git.zone/cli'] || {};
+  if (gitzoneConfig?.release?.accessLevel) {
+    // Already migrated, just remove from szci
+    delete szciConfig.npmAccessLevel;
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  // Ensure @git.zone/cli and release exist
+  if (!npmextraJson['@git.zone/cli']) {
+    npmextraJson['@git.zone/cli'] = {};
+  }
+  if (!npmextraJson['@git.zone/cli'].release) {
+    npmextraJson['@git.zone/cli'].release = {};
+  }
+
+  // Migrate the value
+  npmextraJson['@git.zone/cli'].release.accessLevel = szciConfig.npmAccessLevel;
+  delete szciConfig.npmAccessLevel;
+
+  console.log(`Migrated npmAccessLevel to @git.zone/cli.release.accessLevel`);
+  return true;
+};
+
 /**
  * runs the npmextra file checking
  */
@@ -39,6 +75,9 @@ export const run = async (projectArg: Project) => {
       // Migrate old namespace keys to new package-scoped keys
       migrateNamespaceKeys(npmextraJson);
 
+      // Migrate npmAccessLevel from szci to @git.zone/cli.release.accessLevel
+      migrateAccessLevel(npmextraJson);
+
       if (!npmextraJson['@git.zone/cli']) {
         npmextraJson['@git.zone/cli'] = {};
       }