Are you looking to form an Alaska LLC? If so, one of the first steps you’ll need to take is choosing a name for your company. But along with choosing one that aligns with your branding, you also have to select one that is available.
To confirm whether the name you want to use is available in Alaska, all you have to do is conduct a business entity search. Here is everything you need to know about this process.
In Alaska, business names are required to be unique and distinguishable from the name of any other company doing business in the state. But how do you know if the name you’ve chosen is unique? This is where a business entity search comes into play.
With a business entity search, you can easily search all of the businesses in Alaska to make sure your name is unique and distinguishable. This is not only important for complying with state naming guidelines, but having a unique name is also key for branding purposes and to avoid confusing your customers.
LLCs in Alaska have a lot of freedom regarding what they are allowed to name their businesses, but there are a few state naming guidelines you’ll be required to follow. These guidelines include:
We’ve mentioned this one already, but your business name cannot too closely match the name of any other Alaska business.
Your LLC’s name will need to include “Limited Liability Company” an abbreviation of this term.
Businesses in Alaska are not allowed to use certain words in their names unless they obtain the appropriate permissions and licenses. This includes prohibited terms like “Bank,” “Trust,” “Insurance,” “Corporation,” or any words suggesting government affiliation. They are also not allowed to contain certain words deemed offensive or inappropriate.
Your business name cannot imply that your LLC exists for a purpose other than what is stated in its Certificate of Organization. For example, you wouldn’t be allowed to name your company “Frontier Accounting Services” if it’s a retail store that doesn’t actually offer accounting services.
Once you’ve decided what you’d like to name your Alaska LLC, the next step is to ensure the name you’ve picked is available by conducting a business name search. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do this:
You can search all of the businesses in Alaska by using the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development’s business name database. This database provides two different search options:
If you are conducting a business entity search to confirm that the name you want to use is available, there are a few strategies you can use to make the process more effective. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of the Alaska business name database:
Once you’ve searched a business name using the Alaska business name database, you’ll be given a list of results displaying all the businesses in the state that match that name. You can review these search results to learn more about the companies listed, including details such as the business type, entity ID number, the full business name, and its status.
Once you’ve chosen a name that is available and complies with state naming guidelines, you’ll want to protect it so that no one else is able to claim it. There are a few different ways to do this. If you aren’t ready yet to file your LLC with the state, you can still go ahead and reserve your name for 120 days by filing a Name Reservation form with the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing.
You can also consider trademarking your business name for even more protection. You can file for a trademark at the state level through the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development or at the federal level through the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
If you plan to build a website for your business now or at any point in the future, it’s a good idea to purchase your domain name ahead of time as well.
Choosing a name for your LLC and confirming its availability is a key first step to forming your company. If you would like assistance with this step and the entire rest of the process, Tailor Brands can help! Tailor Brands makes forming an Alaska LLC easy and affordable with our LLC formation packages. Check out these packages and the services they include, or feel free to contact us today to learn more about why Tailor Brands is the premiere choice for forming an LLC in Alaska!
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about researching business names in Alaska:
Since LLCs in Alaska must have unique, distinguishable names, you should perform a business entity search to confirm that the name you want isn’t already in use.
You can make sure the name you want is available by searching for it on the business name database provided by the Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing.
In Alaska, you can reserve your LLC name for 120 days by filing a Name Reservation form and paying $25.
Yes, if you’re using a DBA for your business, you should register its name as well. This is important for complying with state guidelines as well as protecting your business identity.
In Alaska, LLC names must be unique and distinguishable, and they must also contain the words “Limited Liability Company” (or an abbreviation). They cannot include any prohibited terms.
If another business is already using the name you want, you’ll need to come up with alternatives and conduct additional business name searches to confirm their availability.
This portion of our website is for informational purposes only. Tailor Brands is not a law firm, and none of the information on this website constitutes or is intended to convey legal advice. All statements, opinions, recommendations, and conclusions are solely the expression of the author and provided on an as-is basis. Accordingly, Tailor Brands is not responsible for the information and/or its accuracy or completeness. It also does not indicate any affiliation between Tailor Brands and any other brands, services or logos.
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