How to search Alaska business entities online
Updated August 2026
Quick Answer
Alaska's entity search is at commerce.alaska.gov/cbp/main/search/entities, run by the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing. Search by entity number, name, officer, or registered agent — it's fully public, no account required — then open a result to view filed documents online at no charge. The tool covers all entity types registered with the Corporations Section — business corporations, professional corporations, nonprofit corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, cooperative corporations, religious corporations, and ANCSA corporations — under the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development.
- Go to commerce.alaska.gov/cbp/main/search/entities.
- Search by entity name (Starts With or Contains), entity number, officer, or registered agent.
- Open the result and click "Click to View" to see filed documents free online.
Important distinction: entity registration vs. business license
Alaska requires two separate registrations for most businesses. Forming an LLC or corporation through the Corporations Section satisfies the state entity registration requirement. A separate Alaska Business License — issued by the Business Licensing Section of the same division — is also required for most businesses operating in Alaska, including sole proprietors and general partnerships that do not register as formal entities. The two registrations are processed through different parts of the CBPL division. The Corporations Section search does not show business license status, and the business license search does not show entity registration status.
Search options
The search interface offers four approaches:
- By entity number — exact match, returns a single record
- By entity name — two modes: Starts With (results begin with your term) or Contains (broader, finds the term anywhere in the name)
- By officer name — links an individual to the entities they are listed on
- By registered agent name — useful when researching which entities a specific agent represents
A "Current Only" checkbox filters results to entities in an active status, removing dissolved and cancelled records from the result list. The search runs without a user account — searching is fully public.
What the entity detail page shows
Selecting an entity from search results opens the detail record, which displays filed documents with a "Click to View" link for most documents. Documents viewable online are accessible at no charge. If a filed document predates the online system or is otherwise not available electronically, its entry shows without the "Click to View" link — those require a paper copy request.
One practical note on timing: online filings post to the database immediately; paper filings follow a 10–15 business day processing window (longer during the April–June and October–December biennial reporting peaks). A search conducted during that window may not reflect recently mailed filings.
Obtaining copies
Copy requests for documents not viewable online use Form 08-562. The fee structure from the Corporations Section:
- $10.00 per document for a regular uncertified copy
- $30.00 for the complete entity file up to 50 pages, plus $1.00 per page above 50
- An additional $5.00 per document for a certified copy
- An additional $25.00 per document for an apostille
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the different ways to search for a business in Alaska's entity database?
You can search by entity number for an exact match, by entity name using Starts With or Contains modes, by officer name, or by registered agent name. A "Current Only" checkbox filters out dissolved and cancelled entities, and no account is needed to search.
How long does it take for a paper filing to show up in Alaska's business search?
Online filings post to the database immediately, but paper filings take 10–15 business days to process, and longer during the April–June and October–December biennial reporting peaks, so a recently mailed filing may not appear yet.
Does Alaska's business entity search show whether a company has a business license?
No. The Corporations Section search only covers entity registration (LLCs, corporations, and similar entities) and does not show Alaska Business License status, which is tracked separately by the Business Licensing Section within the same division.