Articles of Organization Alaska


The Articles of Organization is the legal document you file with the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development in order to officially form your limited liability company (LLC). 

In this guide, we’ll give you the links to the form and we’ll help you fill it out. You can also have a professional LLC service do the work for you.

Recommended: Northwest will form an LLC for you for just $29 plus state fees.

Woman excited that she just filed her articles of organization

How to File the Articles of Organization in Alaska

You can download Form 08-484: Articles of Organization from the Alaska Secretary of State website to file by mail, by fax, or in person OR file online through the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development.

In order to file your LLC’s Articles of Organization, you will need to fill out the following information:

Article 1: Name of the Limited Liability Company

Your LLC’s name will have to be both creative and legally compliant. 

You will need to make sure that your business name:

  • Satisfies Alaska’s naming guidelines
  • Is not already taken by another business in Alaska

There are certain guidelines that you will need to follow when naming your LLC:

  • You must include the words “limited liability company” — or the abbreviations “L.L.C.” or “LLC”. The word “limited” may be abbreviated as “Ltd”, and the word “company” may be abbreviated as “Co,”, 
  • You can use the name of a city, borough, or village, but the words “city, borough, village” or any other words that imply that the LLC is a municipality cannot be used.
  • You cannot use any words that suggest that your LLC is a government agency (e.g., FBI, State, etc.). 

For a full list of naming guidelines see the Alaska naming statute.

Check Name Availability:

Do a name search through the Corporations Database on the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development website to check your LLC name’s availability. If you are unsure about what to name your LLC, use our business name generator to brainstorm business names.

Register Your Domain Name:

You’ll want to check that your business name (or something very similar) is available as a web domain.

Find a Domain Now

Article 2: Disclosure of Corporate Purposes

You will need to include the principle purpose of your LLC’s formation. This can be anything “lawful” (i.e., to operate legitimately within the state of Alaska.). You must also include the NAICS code where indicated.

Note: Your NAICS code cannot conflict with your LLC’s purpose. 

See the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development website for more information on NAICS codes.

Article 3: Registered Agent

Your Alaska registered agent can be either an individual or business entity, like a registered agent service.

If it is a business entity, it cannot be a:

  • LLC
  • LP
  • LLP

In addition, business entity registered agents must be in good standing within the state of Alaska.

Individuals are legally required to be Alaska residents in order to act as your business’s registered agent. 

This means that your LLC’s registered agent can be:

  • Yourself
  • Another LLC member
  • A specialized registered agent service

You must provide your registered agent’s name, physical address, and mailing address. 

Recommended: Get a year of free of registered agent services when you form your LLC with Northwest ($29 + State Fees).

Article 4: Management

You must include whether your LLC will be member or manager-managed. Member-managed LLCs in Alaska have no managers and at least one member, whereas at least one member and one manager need to be present in order for the LLC to be manager-managed. 

Article 5: Optional Provisions

You can use this section to attach any additional pages or provisions that you may need — keep in mind that these need to comply with Alaska’s statutes. 

Organizer, Effectiveness of Filing, and Execution

Finally, you will need to note who the organizer of the LLC will be. Your organizer will be required to sign your Alaska LLC Articles of Organization before filing it with the Secretary of State. 

Note: You will need to file your Initial Report online after forming your Alaskan LLC. The fee for this is $0.

How to Submit the Articles of Organization

You can mail this form to:

State of Alaska, Corporations Section
P.O. Box 110806
Juneau, AK 99811-0806 

For in-person filings, visit the following address:

333 Willoughby Ave., 9th FL
State Office Building
Juneau, AK 99801

Fax filings may be sent to:

(907) 465-2974

To file online, use the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development website.

File Online

Steps After Filing the Articles of Organization

After you have filed your Articles of Organization, we recommend taking the following steps:

1. Get an EIN

An Employer Identification Number (EIN), also known as a Federal Tax ID Number, can be thought of as your business’s Social Security number. It is used by the IRS to identify your business and ensure that it is operating legitimately. 

According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), an LLC is required to obtain an EIN if:

  • It hires employees
  • It is required to file excise tax forms
  • It is a multi-member LLC
  • It withholds taxes for non-wage income paid to nonresident aliens

That being said, we recommend that all LLCs get an EIN so that they can open a business bank account.

You can apply for an EIN for your LLC by filing Form SS-4.

2. Create an Operating Agreement

LLC operating agreements are legal documents that outline the responsibilities, duties, and rights of all members of your LLC. 

Even though Alaska law does not require you to draft an Alaska LLC operating agreement, it is still highly recommended. This is the case even if you operate as a single-member LLC (e.g., to avoid piercing your corporate veil, etc.). 

Recommended: Use our free LLC operating agreement template to create your very own LLC operating agreement quickly.

3. Apply for Business Licenses

After you have registered your LLC and applied for your EIN, you will want to ensure that your business remains “legitimate”. You can do this by applying for any local, state, and federal business licenses that you may need.

For a more in-depth overview, see our guide on how to get business licenses in Alaska.

4. Create a Business Website

Now is a good time to build a business website. A business website adds to your credibility, branding, marketing, and customer experience.

Your website can also be a gateway to your other platforms, including your LLC’s social media accounts, online stores, and contact information. 

Recommended Service: Check out the GoDaddy Website Builder to get started. 

5. Get a Business Bank Account

Next, you will want to open a separate bank account. This can offer both legal and financial benefits. 

Choosing to open a business bank account can allow you to:

  • Build your business credit
  • Access larger business loans
  • Allow you to accept credit card payments
  • Offer high-yield savings accounts

Most premium online banks also come with third-party integrations, including accounting and ecommerce tools. These can help you manage your budget, automatically detract a percentage of your revenue for your LLC taxes, and expedite your online payments. 

Besides the financial benefits, opening a business bank account can allow you maintain your LLC’s corporate veil by separating your personal and business finances.

Recommended: Interested in getting started? See our in-depth review of the best banks for startups and entrepreneurs in 2024. 

6. Build Business Credit

When you are just starting your business, you will need to build your business credit from the ground up. The fastest way to do this is by opening net 30 accounts and getting a business credit card:

  • First, you will want to open at least five net 30 accounts that report to business credit bureaus. 
  • Then, you can apply for an easy-approval business credit card from a company like BILL.

Taking these steps will help you increase your business’s cash flow and build business credit fast, which will be essential when you are applying for higher-end business credit cards and large business loans in the future. 

See our How to Build Business Credit guide for more information. 

7. Find a Business Phone System

You will also likely want to invest in a business phone system. This can go a long way in improving your credibility and can ensure that you have placed yourself in a position that always allows you to provide adequate customer service. 

Most high-end business phone systems will include the following features:

  • Unlimited calling
  • Conference calling
  • Voicemail transcription
  • Toll-free and vanity phone numbers
  • Team collaboration tools
  • Hold music

Recommended: Check out our review of the best business phone systems to get started. 

8. Get Business Insurance

As a business owner, you will also want to consider whether you will benefit from purchasing business insurance. 

This will be highly dependent on your industry, amount of risk, and business operations. It can also depend on the existence — and number — of employees in your LLC.

There are several business insurance policies that you may want to consider, although this can be highly situational. Below we have provided an overview of the most common small business insurance policies:

See our Small Business Insurance article for more information. 

9. Taxes and Accounting

Next, you will want to learn everything you need to know about how LLCs are taxed. This is important because LLCs are a very flexible business entity, and — depending on the situation — can choose to be taxed as:

  • Pass-through entities
  • C corps
  • S corps

Generally speaking, we recommend talking to a professional attorney or law firm if you are in need of the most up-to-date tax advice (e.g., whether you need to pay sales tax, etc.).

Working with an accountant can help you manage all your business expenses and taxes effectively and on time, and ensure you do not face any penalties or back taxes when starting out. 

Need help with accounting? Check out our review of the best accounting software