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Founder Primer

LLC paperwork, boiled down for founders.

Primer 1 · Alaska

LLC Formation in Alaska (2026): 7 Moves and the 3 Best LLC Services

Our 2026 marks for starting an LLC in Alaska: Alaska Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and AK Registered Agent.org ($199), highest first. To start the LLC: 7 moves and $250 paid to Alaska; the biennial report follows every two years.
From the Founder Primer desk

Start here

Charged by the state
$250
Check it yourself at akleg.gov; we read it in August 2026
Biennial report
$100 every 2 years
Date to circle: January 2 of the filing year
Three-year state cost
$350
Filing plus recurring state fees
How many moves
7
In order

Primer goals

  • The official Alaska fee and form
  • The registered agent requirement
  • What comes after formation
  • The services we rank

Our picks for Alaska

Five published criteria set the order; read them on how we score.

Best overall $199 year one, $99 later

1. Alaska Registered Agent.co: best for a low-cost Alaska start

Alaska Registered Agent.co gets the top mark in Alaska: a Alaska formation at $199 with year one of the agent covered, agent renewal $99.

It beats Mainstay Filing on three-year cost, a big part of the score.

The biennial report is outside the price.

Inside the price
  • We prepare and file the formation
  • Agent service for year one
In its favor
  • A free first agent year
  • A $199 formation fee
  • Then $99 a year
Against it
  • You prepare the biennial report yourself
  • A $99 add-on for the EIN
Visit Alaska Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Upkeep included $199/yr and the $250 state fee

2. Mainstay Filing: best for new owners who want it done

Number 2 is Mainstay Filing, where $199 a year buys the filing, the registered agent and the biennial report in one go, and renewal is the same $199.

A $200 gap to Alaska Registered Agent.co over three years settles its place.

It files every biennial report, and the only extra is the state's own $100.

Inside the price
  • Formation filing, prepared and sent
  • Registered agent all year
  • Biennial report filed on time
  • EIN application included
  • State fee billed at cost
In its favor
  • Renews at $199
  • No extra fee for the EIN application
  • Flat $199 a year
Against it
  • Alaska Registered Agent.co renews for $100 less
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Alaska focus $199 year one, $99 later

3. AK Registered Agent.org: best for founders who file their own reports

AK Registered Agent.org lands third: a Alaska formation at $199 with year one of the agent covered, agent renewal $99.

The biennial report is outside the price.

It lists the same prices as Alaska Registered Agent.co.

Inside the price
  • We prepare and file the formation
  • Agent service for year one
In its favor
  • Then $99 a year
  • A $199 formation fee
  • A free first agent year
Against it
  • You prepare the biennial report yourself
  • A $99 add-on for the EIN
Visit AK Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Marks and prices together

# Service First year From year two Three-year total
1 Alaska Registered Agent.co $199 $99/yr $397 Visit Alaska Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing $199 $199/yr $597 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 AK Registered Agent.org $199 $99/yr $397 Visit AK Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Each company's listed price on November 13, 2026. The $250 state fee is not in these figures.

Starting a Alaska LLC, move by move

  1. Move 1

    Choose a name

    Name search comes first. Use the records at the Alaska Secretary of State.

    Have a backup ready.

  2. Move 2

    Who is the registered agent?

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. An Alaska resident whose business office is the registered office, or a corporation authorized to do business in Alaska whose business office is the registered office.

    The registered office needs a physical Alaska address. A P.O. box can be given only as a separate mailing address.

    Every pick above takes the registered agent role.

    Where this comes from: Check it yourself at akleg.gov; we read it in October 2026

  3. Move 3

    DIY or hire help

    Without a service you pay the state $250, nothing more. Any of our picks adds $199 and handles the paperwork.

  4. Move 4

    Send in the Articles of Organization

    the Alaska Secretary of State forms the LLC when it accepts the Articles of Organization (Form 08-484) with $250, under Alaska Stat. §§ 10.50.070.

    Where this comes from: Check it yourself at akleg.gov; we read it in August 2026

  5. Move 5

    Order the LLC's federal tax ID

    Approval first. Then the IRS. Mainstay Filing files the EIN application inside the package.

  6. Move 6

    Draft the operating agreement

    The operating agreement is the owners' rulebook. The company keeps it; the state does not ask for it.

  7. Move 7

    Plan for year two

    Every other year the LLC files the biennial report and pays $100; deadline January 2 of the filing year. File late and add $37.50.

    Where this comes from: Check it yourself at commerce.alaska.gov; we read it in August 2026

Alaska costs by move

Item Goes to Price
Filing the LLC State office $250
Biennial report State office $100 every two years
Late fee State office $37.50
Service fees (optional) Service $199 in year one
State fees, years one to three State office $350

Filing plus the reports in years two and three plus any minimum tax: that is the state's three-year total. Sources are listed below.

The logic behind the order

edged out on founder outlay over three years, worth 27%.

Alaska Registered Agent.co costs $397 for years one to three; Mainstay Filing costs $200 more.

Common questions

How big is the Alaska formation fee?

$250, per the official fee schedule. Services we rank charge $199 on top.

Which form creates the LLC?

Look for the Articles of Organization (Form 08-484); the Alaska Secretary of State is the office.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does Alaska require each year?

The repeating item is the biennial report ($100, every two years, due January 2 of the filing year).

Can I form the LLC without a service?

The state accepts filings directly from owners, so you need no service. Expect $250 and a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Alaska Registered Agent.co, Mainstay Filing and AK Registered Agent.org, best mark first.

More primers

Sources, so you can check us

  1. Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development facts trace to commerce.alaska.gov (read August 2026); that page is the authority, not us.
  2. Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development facts trace to commerce.alaska.gov (read August 2026); that page is the authority, not us.
  3. Alaska report due date facts trace to commerce.alaska.gov (read August 2026); that page is the authority, not us.
  4. Alaska Stat. §§ 10.50.070, 10.50.075 facts trace to akleg.gov (read August 2026); that page is the authority, not us.
  5. The pricing page from Alaska Registered Agent.co, November 13, 2026
  6. The Alaska service page from Mainstay Filing, November 13, 2026
  7. The pricing page from AK Registered Agent.org, November 13, 2026