Whether you’re searching for the right business name or registering your LLC with the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (DCCED), Incfile can help. We have all the information you need to know on how to conduct an Alaska business search, plus LLC naming rules, fictitious names and registering your business.
General Rules for LLC Names
These rules typically apply to all LLCs, regardless of what state they’re formed in.
Your preferred business name cannot be used by any other LLC or formed business in the State of Alaska. This is why it's highly important to perform an Alaska business entity search before you begin the filing process.
Your LLC name should be unique, but that’s not enough. 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, such as “A,” “An,” or “The”
- The conjunction "And," or “&"
- The singular, plural or possessive forms of words
- Abbreviations, punctuation, symbols, fonts, typefaces, etc.
All LLCs must have the words “Limited Liability Company,” “L.L.C.” or “LLC” in their names, normally at the end of the name.
Most states will not allow you to form LLCs with names that:
- Are very similar to the name of a federal or state agency or organization (e.g., FBI, FDA, Alaska Comptroller, 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 International Olympic Committee
- Imply a purpose that would be illegal for your business to carry out
Specific Rules for Alaska Business Names
As mentioned above, Alaska requires LLCs to comply with the general naming rules. In addition to the general naming rules, Alaska requires that a few other restrictions are met, such as the rule that no business name may use vulgar language.
How to Come Up with a Business Name
Finding the perfect business name can be tricky. We have a complete guide to choosing the right business name, but essentially, you'll want to choose a name that will:
Best represent your product or services
Be memorable enough to stand out
Appeal to your customers
Not be used by any other business
Need help coming up with business name ideas? Try our free Business Name Generator.
Alaska Business Search
Once you have an idea of your preferred business name, you’ll need to perform an Alaska business entity search to make sure the name hasn’t been taken by another formed business.
Incfile offers a fast, simple and convenient tool to look up your proposed business name. The Alaska DCCED also has a tool that lets you search the State of Alaska business registry to see whether another business entity already has your desired business name.
Trademarks and Service Marks
You must be careful that your Alaska LLC name doesn’t infringe on the trademark or service mark of another business. The easiest way to make sure your proposed business name doesn’t do that is to complete a trademark search through Incfile. If no one else is using it, you can even register it as a trademark yourself.
Let Incfile run a trademark search for you.
Alaska DBA or Fictitious Name
You may do business under a different name from your legal LLC name. In some states, this is called an ABA (also known as), trade name or assumed name. In Alaska, it's called a DBA (doing business as). You may decide to use an Alaska DBA name for a variety of reasons.
For example, your business might be called Northern Marketing Solutions, LLC, and under that company, you have an event planning business called Northern Events. You could file for a DBA business name just for that company. You'll need to register your DBA business name with the Alaska DCCED, or you can have Incfile do it on your behalf through our DBA service.
Note: A trade name is not the same as a trademark. Learn more about trademark vs. DBA.
Register Your Business Name with the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (DCCED)
Once you’ve completed an Alaska business entity search, checked availability, followed the naming rules and decided whether you need a DBA name, you can register your 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. You can reserve a business name with the Alaska DCCED. Your name will be reserved for 120 days once the application is processed. If you’re forming your Alaska LLC right away, you won’t need to reserve a name.
If you’re ready to start your LLC now, you can file your Articles of Organization with the Alaska DCCED or have Incfile do it for you.
Incorporate in Alaska for $0 + State Fee ($250)
FAQs about Alaska Business Names
Use our intuitive, free Business Name Search tool and enter your desired business name. You can also perform an Alaska business search of the state's registry, which will tell you whether there are any corporations or LLCs in the state with that name.
Yes. Most LLCs are bound by general rules (applicable to all LLCs) and specific rules (applicable in the State of Alaska). You'll find more information above.
Yes. You can conduct business under a DBA (doing business as) name. Details are above.
Yes. The Alaska DCCED allows you to reserve a name for 120 days if you don’t want to start your business immediately. Details are above. If you’re ready to start your business now, you don’t need to reserve a name.
Launch
Your Business with Incfile
No contracts. No surprises.
Only $0 + state fee to launch your business.
Start Now