What does an Alaska LLC name have to end with?

One of the state's accepted designators — LLC, L.L.C. and Limited Liability Company. The checker searches the name with and without the suffix, because the suffix alone never makes a name distinguishable.

Can I reserve a business name in Alaska before I file?

Yes. The Alaska Division of Corporations charges $25 to reserve a name for 120 days. A reserved name shows as taken to everyone else's search.

How much does it cost to register a business name in Alaska?

The name itself is free to search. Filing the entity is what costs money: $250 for an LLC and $250 for a corporation, then biennial report, $100 (llc/corp), due january 2 every two years.

Are there words I can't use in an Alaska business name?

Words that imply a regulated business need consent first. In Alaska that includes Bank, Trust, Insurance, City and Borough. Names that suggest a government agency are refused outright.

How many new businesses start in Alaska each year?

The Census Bureau counted 13,210 business applications in the twelve months to August 2026, +36.2% on the year before. Not every application becomes a registered entity, but each one is a name someone intends to use.

What if the Alaska registry shows an inactive company with my name?

Only active registrations block a name. Of the 101,913 entities in our copy of the Alaska registry, 99,826 are active. A dissolved entity's name is usually available — but check whether Alaska allows reinstatement, which can revive the older claim.

Does an Alaska registration protect my name in other states?

No. It protects the name inside Alaska's registry only. Nationwide protection comes from a federal trademark, which is why the checker runs the USPTO search alongside the Alaska lookup.

Alaska Secretary of State business search — LLC name check, trademark & domain lookup

Alaska registers a small number of businesses for its size, and the state's own search is one of the more usable ones. The catch for anyone filing here is the biennial report and business license that come with the name — the registry is only the first of two systems your business will live in.

Check an Alaska business name now — Enter the exact name you're considering — it's searched against state registry records, federal trademark filings, and domain registrars. Free, no signup to start.

Check this name →

How to check a business name in Alaska

Type the exact name, suffix included. The checker runs it against the Alaska registry, the federal trademark register and domain registrars in one pass.
Read the close matches, not just the verdict. Alaska refuses names that aren't distinguishable — a near-miss on the list is the one that will block you.
Reserve or file while it's clear. Alaska will hold it for 120 days for $25. Confirm at the official Alaska Division of Corporations search first.

How busy is Alaska right now?

The U.S. Census Bureau counted 13,210 business applications from Alaska in the twelve months ending August 2026 — +36.2% on the year before, the 48th-highest total of any state and 17.8 per 1,000 residents (ranked 20th per person). May was the busiest month with 1,437 applications, and Alaska accounts for 0.2% of all U.S. filings.

Each application is a competitor for the same short, natural-sounding names, so the more active the state, the less a week-old search result is worth.

Where America starts businesses — all 50 states ranked →

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (monthly, not seasonally adjusted). 2019 comparison: 8,087 applications in calendar 2019.

Alaska naming rules: what the Alaska Division of Corporations will and won't accept

Every Alaska filing is screened for a single thing before anything else: the name must be distinguishable on the records of the Department. In practice that means a name that differs from an existing one only by punctuation, spacing, capitalization or the entity suffix will be refused. Designators are fixed: LLC, L.L.C. and Limited Liability Company for an LLC, Corporation, Corp. and Incorporated for a corporation.

Certain words trigger a review. In Alaska that list includes Bank, Trust, Insurance, City, Borough and Village — using one implies a regulated activity and the filing will be held until the relevant regulator consents.

The fees are straightforward: forming an LLC costs $250, a corporation $250 and a name reservation is $25 and holds the name for 120 days. Online filings are usually immediate to 10-15 business days by mail.

Keeping it: Biennial report, $100 (LLC/corp), due January 2 every two years. Skip it and the state eventually dissolves the entity, releasing the name back into the pool.

Per the Alaska Division of Corporations, (907) 465-2550 — official website (fee schedule). Fees change; confirm before filing.

Inside the Alaska registry

We keep a full copy of the Alaska registry — 101,913 entities: 67% LLCs, 18% corporations and 8% nonprofits. About 99,826 of them are active; the rest are dissolved or otherwise inactive — and only the active ones block a name.

The most common words in Alaska business names are Services, Management, Holdings, Properties, Solutions and Group. If your idea leans on one of them, expect close matches; the checker shows you exactly which. 67% of names end in an LLC designator. The average registered name is 24.2 characters long.

What makes a name available in Alaska?

It must be distinguishable from names already on the Alaska registry — usually more than a difference in punctuation, spacing, or an entity suffix.
Only active registrations block a name. A dissolved or revoked entity with the same name typically doesn't stop you — though a recently inactive one can carry a reinstatement risk worth knowing about (our checker flags exactly that case).
Entity suffixes are required, not decorative. An LLC's legal name must carry an LLC designator; a corporation needs Inc., Corp., or an equivalent accepted in Alaska.
Registry clearance is not trademark clearance. The Alaska Division of Corporations checks its own records only — it will register a name that infringes a federal trademark. Check both.

Note: naming rules, fees, and reservation windows are set by Alaska statute and change over time — treat the Alaska Division of Corporations's own guidance as final for filing decisions. This page is a practical guide, not legal advice.

About the Alaska Division of Corporations

The Alaska Division of Corporations maintains Alaska's registry of corporations, LLCs, and other registered entities — it is the system of record for Alaska business names. Useful official resources:

Official Alaska business entity search — the state's own lookup.
Alaska Division of Corporations — official website — filings, forms, fees, and contact details.

Before you file in Alaska: a two-minute double check

Run the name through the checker above — registry, USPTO and domain in one pass.
Repeat the search on the official Alaska lookup, spelling the name exactly as it will be filed, with the designator.
For every match returned, note the status. Active blocks; dissolved or revoked usually doesn't; a recent lapse deserves a second look.
Compare spellings, not just exact hits — Alaska treats near-identical names as the same name.
Clear on both? Reserve or file straight away. Names are first-come, first-served.

Frequently asked questions

What does an Alaska LLC name have to end with?: One of the state's accepted designators — LLC, L.L.C. and Limited Liability Company. The checker searches the name with and without the suffix, because the suffix alone never makes a name distinguishable.
Can I reserve a business name in Alaska before I file?: Yes. The Alaska Division of Corporations charges $25 to reserve a name for 120 days. A reserved name shows as taken to everyone else's search.
How much does it cost to register a business name in Alaska?: The name itself is free to search. Filing the entity is what costs money: $250 for an LLC and $250 for a corporation, then biennial report, $100 (llc/corp), due january 2 every two years.
Are there words I can't use in an Alaska business name?: Words that imply a regulated business need consent first. In Alaska that includes Bank, Trust, Insurance, City and Borough. Names that suggest a government agency are refused outright.
How many new businesses start in Alaska each year?: The Census Bureau counted 13,210 business applications in the twelve months to August 2026, +36.2% on the year before. Not every application becomes a registered entity, but each one is a name someone intends to use.
What if the Alaska registry shows an inactive company with my name?: Only active registrations block a name. Of the 101,913 entities in our copy of the Alaska registry, 99,826 are active. A dissolved entity's name is usually available — but check whether Alaska allows reinstatement, which can revive the older claim.
Does an Alaska registration protect my name in other states?: No. It protects the name inside Alaska's registry only. Nationwide protection comes from a federal trademark, which is why the checker runs the USPTO search alongside the Alaska lookup.

Still choosing a name? Try the Alaska business name generator — every idea checked against the same registry.

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