[0:00] The short answer Dan: To start an LLC in Alaska, you file Articles of Organization with the Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, and pay $250. Maya: Is that the only state cost? Dan: No. There's also a $50 business license each year, and a $100 report every two years. Maya: This is The Business Formation Podcast. Today, Alaska for 2026, in six steps, with what it all costs and the three best ways to have it filed for you. What's the first step? [0:32] Step 1: Choose a name Dan: Include limited liability company, or the abbreviation L.L.C. or LLC. The name also has to be distinguishable on the Division's records. Maya: Can I use a place name? Dan: You can use a city's name. Just don't use the word city, borough, or village. Maya: How do I check availability? Dan: The online application checks the name for you. And you can reserve one for 120 days for $25. [1:00] Step 2: Name a registered agent Maya: Who can be my registered agent in Alaska? Dan: An individual or a corporation, not an LLC, with both a physical and a mailing address in Alaska. Maya: Could an agent in another state do it? Dan: No. An out-of-state agent can't serve. Maya: Is the address public? Dan: It is, so many owners use a commercial agent. Changing agents later costs $25. Maya: What if I have no agent? Dan: Go 30 days without one and the state can dissolve the LLC. [1:33] Step 3: File the Articles of Organization Maya: How do I file? Dan: File Form 08-0484 online with the Division of Corporations. It's $250. Maya: What else do they ask for? Dan: A NAICS code describing the business. Maya: I'm Maya, by the way, here with Dan. Dan: Nice to meet you, Maya. On timing, online filings post immediately. Paper filings normally take 10 to 15 business days. Maya: Anything after approval? Dan: Within six months, file the free initial report. It adds the owners and officers. [2:08] Step 4: Write an operating agreement Maya: Does Alaska want to see my operating agreement? Dan: No. The business keeps it, and it isn't filed with the state. Maya: So it's optional? Dan: I'd still write one. Put in who owns what, how profits are split, who makes decisions, and what happens if a member leaves. [2:24] Step 5: Free EIN and a business license Maya: What's next on the federal side? Dan: Apply for your EIN free with the IRS at IRS.gov, after the state files your Articles. Maya: How fast? Dan: If it's approved online, the number is issued right away. Maya: And the license you mentioned? Dan: Alaska requires a state business license to do business there. It's $50 a year. Maya: Any beneficial ownership paperwork? Dan: No. FinCEN no longer requires it from U.S. companies. [2:52] Step 6: The biennial report Maya: What's due after that? Dan: A biennial report, every two years, due before January 2. Maya: Every two years? Which years? Dan: It follows your formation year. An LLC formed in an even year files in even years, and an odd-year LLC files in odd years. Maya: What does it cost? Dan: $100. File on or after February 2 and it's $137.50 with the late fee. Maya: And if I ignore it? Dan: Six months delinquent, and the state can dissolve the LLC. [3:25] What it costs Maya: Give me the do-it-yourself number. Dan: $250 to form. Then $50 a year for the business license, and $100 every two years for the report. Maya: What's free? Dan: The EIN and the initial report. Maya: And the first year? Dan: $250 plus $50 is $300. A name reservation adds $25. [3:48] The two-year math Maya: Let me run two years. What do I pay? Dan: $250 to form, then $50 for the license each year. That's $350 over two years. Maya: And the report? Dan: $100 once every two years. So a two-year stretch with the report comes to $450. Maya: And if I file late? Dan: $137.50 instead of $100. That's $37.50 more. [4:17] Picking your registered agent Maya: Could I be my own agent? Dan: If you're an individual with a physical and a mailing address in Alaska, the rules allow it. Maya: Can my LLC be its own agent? Dan: No. The agent has to be an individual or a corporation, not an LLC. Maya: And changing agents? Dan: $25. And the state can dissolve the LLC after 30 days with none. [4:39] The initial report Maya: Tell me more about the initial report. Is it the same as the biennial one? Dan: No. The initial report comes first, within six months of formation. Maya: What does it cost? Dan: Nothing. It's free. Maya: What goes in it? Dan: It adds the owners and officers. Maya: And if I forget? Dan: Put it on your calendar the day you file the Articles, so six months doesn't sneak up on you. [5:02] Late and delinquent Maya: Let me press on the biennial report. What exactly happens if I'm late? Dan: File on or after February 2 and the fee goes from $100 to $137.50. Maya: And much later than that? Dan: Six months delinquent, and the state can dissolve the LLC. That's involuntary dissolution. Maya: So the same word shows up for the agent rule. Dan: It does. Thirty days without a registered agent can lead to it too. [5:31] Online or paper Maya: Should I file online or on paper? Dan: Online filings post immediately. Paper filings normally take 10 to 15 business days. Maya: Is the fee different? Dan: The Articles are $250 either way, per the Division's fees. Maya: And the name check? Dan: The online application checks the name for you, which is one more reason online is the easy route. Maya: Then paper is only for people who prefer it. Dan: Yes. The state accepts both, but the waiting time is the difference. [6:00] First-year checklist Maya: Give me the order of operations. Dan: Pick the name. Choose an agent with a physical and mailing address in Alaska. File Form 08-0484 for $250. Then file the free initial report within six months, get your EIN, buy the $50 license, and write your operating agreement. Maya: And the calendar? Dan: The biennial report, before January 2 in your filing years. [6:28] The 3 best ways to file in Alaska Maya: What if I want someone else to file it? Dan: Here are the three best ways to file in Alaska. Number one, our pick, is Mainstay Filing, $199 a year plus the state fee. With the $250 state fee, checkout comes to $449. Maya: What's in it? Dan: Your Articles of Organization filed, your EIN application, and your registered agent every year. It renews at the same $199. Maya: And the report? Dan: In Alaska, Mainstay files your biennial report before January 2 in your filing years. You pay only the state fee. Maya: Number two? Dan: AK Registered Agent.org. It prepares and files your Articles for $199 plus the state fee, also $449 at checkout. The first year of agent service is free, then it's $99 a year. Maya: And number three? Dan: Alaska Registered Agent.co. Same offer. $199 plus the state fee, first year of agent service free, then $99 a year. Maya: What's the trade-off? Dan: Alaska's report only comes every two years. So if you'll file it yourself, numbers two and three cost less from year two, at $99 a year for the agent alone. The $100 state fee is the same either way. [7:55] Three years of service fees Maya: Give me the three-year view. Dan: Mainstay is $199 a year, so $597. Number two or three is $199 in year one, then $99 in each of the next two years, for $397. Maya: A $200 gap. Dan: Yes. The question is whether you'd rather have the biennial report filed for you. [8:19] Recap Maya: One more time through it? Dan: Choose a name with LLC in it, name an Alaska registered agent, file the Articles of Organization online for $250, write an operating agreement, get your free EIN and a $50 business license, and file your $100 biennial report before January 2. Maya: The links to all three services and every official source are in the show notes. Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast, and good luck with your new Alaska LLC.