In Alaska, like in almost all the other states, you need a registered agent to receive the various official documents, tax forms, and even summons that may be sent to your corporation. It’s a crucial job, which is why it’s mandatory in most states. You can’t start and run a business in Alaska without a registered agent.
Who Can Be a Registered Agent in Alaska?
Before you replace your current agent, you need to think about the replacement so you enjoy a smooth transition. For the agent you need, several requirements must be met. First of all, they can be any of the following:
- An individual adult (at least 18 years old) who is a resident of Alaska
- A business entity (such as a professional registered agent service) based in Alaska, but not a non-corporation entity (LP, LLP, LLC).
- A foreign registered agent business entity that’s authorized to do business in Alaska
Whether it’s an individual or a business entity, the agent must also have an Alaska street address. This means a physical location, in which there will always be someone to receive the official documents for your corporation during business hours. It can’t be just a P.O. box.
Steps to Change Registered Agent
To change your registered agent in the State of Alaska, you’ll start the process by visiting the Forms and Fees webpage on the State of Alaska Commerce, Community, and Economic Development website. You’ll be filling the appropriate Statement of Change form for your business depending on if your business is a foreign or a domestic business in the State of Alaska. If you run a corporation, you’ll need to file the Statement of Change for Corporations, if you run an LLC, you’ll need to file the Statement of Change for LLCs, and if your business is a non-profit, you’ll need to file the Statement of Change for Non-Profit Organization.
You’ll be required to make a payment of 25 dollars alongside the documents you’ll be sending through the mail. You can choose to pay the 25 dollars fee by Check (which should be mailed to the same address as the documents) with the check made payable to “the State of Alaska” or you can pay through your Credit Card or other online methods of payment.
Info to Put In
Irrespective of the form you’ll be filling, either for a domestic business or a foreign business, you will be required to enter the following information:
- The Entity number issued to your LLC by the State of Alaska when you formed your LLC.
- The complete street address, city, state, and zip code of your main business office.
- The name and complete business or residential address of the new registered agent for your business, and its entity number if your new agent is an entity.
- The signature of a member of the LLC or the manager that has a record with the State of Alaska. The name of the signer must be the same as one of the names on records with the State of Alaska.
- Contact details of your LLC, including the address of someone that can be contacted in order to return the documents you have filed.
- Detail about the method of payment you’ll be using (in a case when you’re paying with your card).
The form has guides and tips to help make sure you put in the exact information asked for. Just read the directions carefully and follow them exactly.
Submission Options
You can submit the files through the mail. The printed forms and the check for the fee are to be mailed to the address:
Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development
Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing
PO Box 110806, Juneau, AK 99811.
You can also choose to submit the Statement of Change through fax or in person. If you’re filing through fax, the documents and check should be faxed to (907) 465-2974. Meanwhile, if you’re submitting in-person, you’ll need to submit to the address:
333 Willoughby Ave., 9th Floor
State Office Building
Juneau, AK 99801-1770.
Keep in mind that the State of Alaska will take between 10 to 15 days to process the change of your agent.
Should You Hire a Professional?
This will actually be a lot easier if you’re planning on sifting to a professional registered agent service. The best ones offer exemplary service at extremely reasonable rates. Often, you’re able to download the needed forms with pre-filled information about the service to save time and effort. Northwest Registered agent is one of the most popular companies for this job.
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Pricing: $125/year Who Should Use It: If you are willing to pay a little more for top-notch customer support and want to combine virtual office and mail forwarding services with registered agent service. Pros
Cons
| Get Best PriceFull Review | |
 | Pricing: $99/year Who Should Use It: If you need a basic reliable registered agent service at a great price, ZenBusiness is a good choice. Pros:
Cons:
| Get Best PriceFull Review | |
 | Pricing: $119/year. Free for the first year if you use their incorporation service. Who Should Use It: If your objective is to minimize the startup costs in the first year, Incfile is a decent choice. Pros:
Cons
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 | Pricing: $299/year
| Get Best PriceFull Review | |
 | Pricing: $99/year. It is reduced to $89/year if you opt for a 3+ years package. Who Should Use It: If you are looking for reliable registered agent services that help track regulatory requirements and promptly notify about lawsuits, Harbor Compliance is a good choice. Pros:
Cons:
| Get Best PriceFull Review | |
 | Pricing: $150/year Who Should Use It: Medium-sized or Start-up Business owners who want to take advantage of Rocket Lawyer’s legal subscription services and don’t mind paying to pay a little extra to get their legal needs fulfilled in one place. Pros
Cons
| Get Best PriceFull Review |
With professionals, you know for sure the job gets done right. They usually have online storage for all the official documents. When they receive the documents for the corporation, the service will immediately scan them so they can send you the digital copies right away. The documents will also be conveniently stored in the same online location as your other business documents, like your formation documents.
Professionals may even maintain a compliance calendar, warning you way ahead of time when you should file a report or comply with some requirement with a deadline. That means you virtually eliminate the risk that you’ll fail to comply with any sort of compliance requirement. Such a failure may lead to fines and penalties, and perhaps even to the dissolution of your corporation. Reinstating your LLC can be a huge hassle, and it’s like starting the formation process for your LLC all over again.
So, if you’re going to change your registered agent in Alaska, you may as well do yourself a favor and switch to a good registered agent service. With the benefits you get with the low costs, you’re able to focus more on growing your business instead.
