Register Your LLC Name with the Alaska Division of Corporations

We’re here to help you find the right business name for your Alaska LLC. From searching for a business name with the Division of Corporations to understanding naming rules or creating a “Doing Business As” name to register your entity, you’re in the right place.

Alaska Business Search

You need to check whether there’s already another Alaska LLC registered with your desired business name. That means searching the Alaska Division of Corporations website using their business name search tool. You can easily look up LLCs and corporations by name and other details.

If your chosen business name is already being used, that means you won’t be able to register it. Try searching for a different business name instead.

Alaska Division of Corporations business search tool

Alaska Division of Corporations Rules for Naming Your LLC

Once you’ve decided on a name for your LLC and checked business name availability, you’ll need to meet Alaska Division of Corporations naming rules. These do vary from state to state — we’ve got general naming rules below, as well as naming rules specific to LLC businesses formed in AK.

Standard LLC Naming Rules

These rules typically apply to all LLCs, no matter what state they are formed in. You will need to pay attention to these rules, as they will influence the name you choose for your Alaska LLC.

Your LLC Business Name Must Be Unique

The business name you have chosen cannot be used by any other LLC or corporation in the state of Alaska. This is why you should check business name availability on the AK DOC website.

Your LLC Business Name Must Not Be Confusable with Another Business Name

It’s not enough for your LLC name to be unique. It also cannot be similar to the name of a corporation or LLC in Alaska. For example, you cannot use the following factors to say your name is different from the name of another business:

• Suffixes, such as Corporation, Company, Incorporated, Incorporation, Limited, Corp., Co., Inc., Ltd., LLC, etc.
• Definite articles like “A,” “And,” “An,” “&,” “The,” etc.
• The singular, plural or possessive forms of a word
• Abbreviations, punctuation, symbols, fonts, typefaces, etc.

Your LLC Business Name Must Contain Certain Words

All LLCs must have the words “Limited Liability Company,” “L.L.C.” or “LLC” in their name. These words should normally come at the end of the name.

Your LLC Business Name May Have Other General Restrictions

Most states will not allow you to form LLCs with names that:

• Are very similar to the name of a federal or AK agency or organization (e.g., FBI, FDA, Alaska Department of Revenue Administration, Alaska Police, Treasury, etc.)
• Suggest affiliation with a federal or state agency or organization
• Use the term “Olympic” or any terms that are trademarks of the Olympic organization
• Imply a purpose that would be illegal for your business to carry out

Specific Rules for Naming LLCs in Alaska

In addition to the general rules listed above, the Alaska Division of Corporations has some specific business naming rules for your LLC. You will need to follow these rules if you want to name your AK business appropriately.

• An unincorporated business may not use "incorporated" or "corporation" as part of its name, whereas an incorporated name must contain "corporation," "company," "incorporation," "limited" or an abbreviation. A business name may not imply that the organization is a governmental unit (e.g. a city, village or borough) unless they are a governmental unit.
• Entity names that mislead regarding corporate purpose are not allowed. For example: An entity’s whose true purpose is clothing tailoring/design could not use the word “construction” in its name since the word “construction” misleads and implies the purpose of the entity is construction contracting.
• A business name may not contain a word with professional licensing restrictions, such as “Engineer,” unless the business has the appropriate professional license. Vulgar names may be in violation of local law or other agency (e.g., banking) requirements.

More on Alaska Division of Corporations business naming rules

Alaska LLC Assumed Names and “Doing Business As” (DBA) Names

You might choose to do business under a different name from your legal LLC name. In Alaska, doing business under a different name is known as a “Trade Name.” You might choose to use a different name from your AK formal LLC name for a variety of reasons.

For example, your LLC might be called Alaska Potato Processing Holding Company LLC and you have a brand called Northwestern Kettle Chips. You should file an assumed business name to let the Alaska Division of Corporations know. In Alaska, you do that through the Cancellation or Amendment of Certificate of Assumed Business Name form, or you can have Incfile do it on your behalf through our Assumed Business Name service.

Incfile’s DBA Name service

Business Name Registration for Your Alaska LLC

Once you’ve searched for your Alaska business name, checked availability, followed the naming rules and decided whether you need a fictitious name, you can register your AK LLC name. There are a couple of ways to do this.

• If you don’t want to form your LLC right now, you can reserve the business name with the Alaska Division of Corporations. You will need to complete a Business Name Registration form and file it with the AK DOC. You do not need to reserve a name if you are forming your business right away.
  Alaska DOC LLC name reservation form
• If you’re ready to start your LLC, you can formally file your Certificate of Formation with the Alaska DOC, or let Incfile take care of it for you.

FAQs on Naming Your Alaska LLC

You might find the following answers useful.

How Do I Search for My Alaska LLC Business Name?

Just go to the business name search tool and enter your proposed business name. You can search the register of the Alaska Division of Corporations, which will tell you if there are any AK corporations or LLCs with that name.

Are There Any Rules on Naming My Alaska LLC?

Yes. Most LLCs will be bound by general rules (applicable to all LLCs) and specific rules (applicable in the state of Alaska). We’ve detailed these rules above.

Can I Do Business Under a Different Name Than My LLC Name in Alaska?

Yes. Known as “assumed names,” “fictitious names,” “doing business as names” or “trade names,” you can choose to conduct business under a different name. Details are above.

Can I Reserve a Name for My Alaska LLC?

Yes. The Alaska Division of Corporations allows you to reserve a name if you don’t want to start your business immediately. Details are above. If you are ready to start your business now, you do not need to reserve a name.

Additional Resources for Naming Your Alaska LLC

You might find these other resources helpful.

Trademarks and Service Marks

You must be careful that your Alaska LLC name does not infringe on the trademark or service mark of another business. The easiest way to make sure your proposed business name does not infringe is to carry out a trademark search through Incfile. If it doesn’t infringe, you can even register it as a trademark yourself.

Incfile Trademark Search and Registration service

Find the Perfect Name for Your Alaska LLC

The perfect business name can be elusive. We have a complete guide to choosing the right business name, but basically, you'll want to choose a name that will:

• Appeal to your customers
• Be memorable enough to stand out
• Best represent your product or services
• Not be used by another business

Incfile guide to choosing a business name