How To Get a Registered Agent in Alaska

Operating a business in Alaska can be challenging and rewarding, but getting approval to do business there will depend on meeting specific requirements like electing a registered agent in Alaska to serve as a point of contact between your business and the state or third-party organizations.

Your registered agent will take care of various legal correspondence. However, you must know their requirements, responsibilities, and perks before choosing the best registered agent service for your business.

Key Takeaways

• Individuals and corporations can be registered agents for Alaska corporations, LLCs, and nonprofit organizations.

• No PO Boxes or similar mailing services qualify as registered offices in Alaska.

• Using a third-party registered agent can keep your company in good standing with the state and secure your privacy.

What Is a Registered Agent?

In simple terms, an Alaska registered agent is a company’s primary point of contact for all legal correspondence with the state and other business entities. They may receive service of process notices on behalf of your business, handle the annual report, notify you of tax filings, etc.

They’re often necessary intermediaries for maintaining maximum availability when sharing legal correspondence with state agencies, other Alaska LLCs and corporations, etc.

Registered Agent Responsibilities

An Alaska registered agent has a few crucial responsibilities to meet to operate in good standing and help their clients be compliant:

• Maintain a registered office, which can be a place of residence or office address

• List their contact information in the public record to ensure timely and transparent communication channels

• Keep regular business hours to receive and file legal documents[1]

An Alaska registered agent may lose their good standing if they try to use a PO Box as a registered office instead of maintaining a physical address.

Unlike most other states, Alaska doesn’t have a Secretary of State. Most official correspondence regarding state regulations will go through the Division of Corporations and the lieutenant governor’s office.

Choosing Your Alaska Registered Agent

The importance of electing an Alaska registered agent can’t be overstated. However, naming one isn’t always easy if you’re unsure what to look for and who can serve you best.

Alaska Registered Agent Requirements

Every adult Alaska resident over 18 in good standing with the Alaska state government can be a registered agent. Suppose you don’t want to name yourself or a company officer. In that case, you can select an individual to receive and forward legal documents. They must keep regular business hours and have an acceptable physical address as their registered office.

You can also choose another company to serve as your registered agent. A business entity with a physical presence and authorization to do business in Alaska may represent your limited liability company (LLC), corporation, or nonprofit as a registered agent.

Companies are bound to the same registered office and office hours requirements and responsibilities as individuals. Naming a business that doesn’t meet these requirements in your formation documents can result in the rejection of your paperwork by the state government.

Can I Be My Own Alaska Registered Agent?

Business owners don’t always trust others with vital responsibilities. As such, you may be tempted to be your own registered agent in Alaska. The good news is that you can do it. The bad news is that it’s not as advantageous as it sounds.

Here are a few pros of being your own registered agent:

• You save money by not paying anyone to handle legal correspondence

• You avoid having a third party look at your mail

• Your paperwork may reach you more quickly

But let’s look at the disadvantages:

• You spend more money paying for office space than when hiring a registered agent

• Your address becomes part of the public record, opening the door to junk mail 

• You can’t work irregular hours unless you spend your whole time at the office

• Your productivity may suffer if you’re forced to spend time sorting paperwork

• You risk being served a lawsuit in front of clients and employees, hurting your reputation

Benefits of a Third-Party Registered Agent

Why would you need an Alaska registered agent service like Swyft Filings? As tempting as it can be to be your own registered agent, there are upsides to using a third-party service.

More Privacy

All business owners should understand the concept of reputation and saving face, even during tough times. So picture yourself in a crucial client meeting, making a pitch, and being interrupted by a service of process agent.

Getting served publicly with a lawsuit can hurt your reputation, especially if the plaintiff has a valid claim. That can happen more than once if you’re your own registered agent and make your contact information and address public.

But using an Alaska registered agent service provider can preserve your privacy. No one will hand you any legal paperwork directly. Instead, all legal correspondence goes through your point of contact. 

You can benefit from same-day mail forwarding, private online channel notifications, etc., and your legal dealings won’t be in the spotlight.

More Cross-State Expansion Opportunities

You can’t comply with the state regulations without a physical presence in Alaska, even as an out-of-state company. But that often means paying for office space and having someone there during regular hours to serve as a registered agent.

A move like this usually costs more than you can justify. Similarly, you may not have a company officer who can use their address as a registered office in Alaska.

Therefore, electing an Alaska registered agent service as your point of contact is easier. It would satisfy the physical presence requirement and help you get authorization to do business in the state.

Increased Scheduling Flexibility

Small business owners sometimes work irregular hours with clients from multiple time zones in a hybrid workplace. That’s not an option when electing yourself or a company officer as the registered agent for your Alaska corporation or LLC.

A registered agent must be available during regular business hours. That means you might not get the scheduling flexibility you dreamt of having as a business owner.

Third-party registered agent service providers can help you create your optimal weekly work schedule. The state only cares that it has a point of contact in or outside your company to contact about legal matters.

More Time for Important Business Tasks

Sorting through legal documents, junk mail, and everything else takes time and requires exceptional organizational skills. It may even demand legal knowledge and experience in dealing with the state.

These aren’t traits every business owner or company officer has. The administrative responsibilities of a registered agent are time-consuming. They’re also not the type of high-value tasks a business owner might do.

Hiring a third-party registered agent service can help you stay focused on meeting with clients, brainstorming, and improving vital business operations.

How To Set up an Alaska Registered Agent

Understanding the requirements and responsibilities of a registered agent isn’t enough to appoint one in Alaska. You must know the proper paperwork and filing process to elect an Alaska registered agent and ensure you can get your authorization to do business in the state. 

This can vary depending on your business’s entity type.

Electing an Alaska Registered Agent

Naming an Alaska registered agent during your initial business filing is easy. But the forms differ between LLCs and corporations. Choosing the right one is crucial to avoid wasting money on filing fees and delaying the release of your authorization to transact in the state.

Electing an Alaska Registered Agent for an LLC

Small business owners can name a registered agent in the Articles of Organization Form. It’s an easy document to fill out as it comes with detailed instructions. Submitting the document costs $250 in state filing fees and may take up to 15 business days to process.[2]

You can mail the form and the fee to the following address:

State of Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing Corporations Section

P.O. Box 110806

Juneau AK 99811-0806

Electing an Alaska Registered Agent for a Corporation

Registering a domestic business corporation in Alaska costs $250 in state fees. You must draft and submit the Articles of Incorporation Form and name your registered agent to receive authorization to do business in the state.[3]

The registered agent’s name, business address, and other contact details are required. You can send the document and payment to the following address:

State of Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing Corporations Section

P.O. Box 110806

Juneau AK 99811-0806

Changing an Alaska Registered Agent

There are two ways to change your registered agent in Alaska. The fastest method is to hire a new third-party registered agent service. 

Once you authorize them, they can submit business filings on your behalf and spare you the trouble. Some may even pay the filing fees if you enter into a long-term contract.

But suppose you want to change your agent yourself. In that case, the process is similar to electing one during your company’s formation process. There are different forms for LLCs, nonprofits, corporations, domestic and foreign entities, etc.

Changing an Alaska Registered Agent for an LLC

Filing a Statement of Change with the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development will allow you to change your registered agent. It costs $25 for domestic LLCs, and you can mail the paperwork to the following address:

State of Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing

Corporations Section

P.O. Box 110806

Juneau AK 99811-0806

Changing an Alaska Registered Agent for a Corporation

Changing your corporation’s registered agent requires filing the Statement of Change Form for a Domestic Business Corporation. It also costs $25 in state fees; you can mail the payment and the form to this mailing address:[4]

State of Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing

Corporations Section

P.O. Box 110806

Juneau AK 99811-0806

FAQs

Who can be an Alaska registered agent?

Alaska residents over 18 can be registered agents if they maintain good standing with the state and have a physical street address. Corporations can also serve as registered agent service providers if they have a registered office in Alaska and authorization to do business there. 

Note that LLCs can’t serve as registered agents.

How much does a registered agent in Alaska cost?

Registered agents can be expensive, sometimes costing hundreds of dollars annually. But a third-party service like Swyft Filings can charge $199 per year for an extensive registered agent service package.

How can I change my registered agent in Alaska?

You must file the appropriate Statement of Change Form for your business entity’s structure with the state’s Division of Corporations. LLCs, corporations, nonprofits, and other entities tend to have slightly different forms.

Alternatively, you can hire a new registered agent third-party service, like Swyft Filings, to manage your business filings.

How can I find a registered agent in Alaska?

The fastest way to find a registered agent in Alaska is to look online for service providers. Reading testimonials, reviews, and other recommendations can help you identify a provider that understands your business and unique industry needs.

What is an Alaska registered office?

A registered office in Alaska is no different than one in any other state. It’s an actual, physical address listed by a registered agent in the public record where they can be contacted on behalf of their clients.[5] It must be a physical street home or business office open during regular business hours, not a PO Box.

What’s the difference between a registered agent and a resident or statutory agent?

These terms are interchangeable, despite the latter two seeing less use. Only some states will refer to resident or statutory agents on official paperwork.

What is a registered agent service?

A registered agent service is a third party that fulfills the registered agent requirements on behalf of the business. Swyft Filings offers a reliable registered agent service that maintains your privacy, provides immediate access to vital documents, and gives you more time to focus on your business.

Bibliography

1. Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing. “Corporations – Registered Agents FAQs.” Accessed January 11, 2023.

2. State of Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing CORPORATIONS SECTION. “ARTICLES OF ORGANIZATION Domestic Limited Liability Company AS 10.50.075.” Accessed January 11, 2023.

3. State of Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing CORPORATIONS SECTION “ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION Domestic Business Corporation AS 10.06.205, .208, .210.” Accessed January 11, 2023.

4. State of Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing. “Statement of Change.” Accessed January 11, 2023.

5. State of Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing. “Registered Agent FAQs.” Accessed January 11, 2023.