diff --git a/docs/content/commands/npm-publish.md b/docs/content/commands/npm-publish.md
index 4eeac5fdaf665..946109de404c2 100644
--- a/docs/content/commands/npm-publish.md
+++ b/docs/content/commands/npm-publish.md
@@ -136,6 +136,12 @@ If you want your scoped package to be publicly viewable (and installable)
 set `--access=public`. The only valid values for `access` are `public` and
 `restricted`. Unscoped packages _always_ have an access level of `public`.
 
+Note: Using the `--access` flag on the `npm publish` command will only set
+the package access level on the initial publish of the package. Any
+subsequent `npm publish` commands using the `--access` flag will not have an
+effect to the access level. To make changes to the access level after the
+initial publish use `npm access`.
+
 <!-- automatically generated, do not edit manually -->
 <!-- see lib/utils/config/definitions.js -->
 
diff --git a/docs/content/using-npm/config.md b/docs/content/using-npm/config.md
index ee549456ea919..10e8ca9b9dcff 100644
--- a/docs/content/using-npm/config.md
+++ b/docs/content/using-npm/config.md
@@ -156,6 +156,12 @@ If you want your scoped package to be publicly viewable (and installable)
 set `--access=public`. The only valid values for `access` are `public` and
 `restricted`. Unscoped packages _always_ have an access level of `public`.
 
+Note: Using the `--access` flag on the `npm publish` command will only set
+the package access level on the initial publish of the package. Any
+subsequent `npm publish` commands using the `--access` flag will not have an
+effect to the access level. To make changes to the access level after the
+initial publish use `npm access`.
+
 <!-- automatically generated, do not edit manually -->
 <!-- see lib/utils/config/definitions.js -->
 
diff --git a/lib/utils/config/definitions.js b/lib/utils/config/definitions.js
index 36b8a84a61c47..c71781627872a 100644
--- a/lib/utils/config/definitions.js
+++ b/lib/utils/config/definitions.js
@@ -160,6 +160,12 @@ define('access', {
     (and installable) set \`--access=public\`. The only valid values for
     \`access\` are \`public\` and \`restricted\`. Unscoped packages _always_
     have an access level of \`public\`.
+
+    Note: Using the \`--access\` flag on the \`npm publish\` command will only
+    set the package access level on the initial publish of the package. Any
+    subsequent \`npm publish\` commands using the \`--access\` flag will not
+    have an effect to the access level.  To make changes to the access level
+    after the initial publish use \`npm access\`.
   `,
   flatten,
 })