How to Change Registered Agent

You choose a replacement, file an update with the state, and confirm the public record shows the new agent.

Start with the basics. A registered agent is the contact your business names for official mail. Picture a front desk that signs for every important package so nothing gets lost. Both LLCs and corporations need one, so both have to update the record when the agent changes. Check the state's instructions for your entity type, since we can't promise the steps are identical.

You'll also run into the term "service of process." It means the formal delivery of legal papers, such as a notice that someone is suing your business. The registered agent is the one positioned to receive those papers for you.

Why does a gap in coverage matter?

If nobody is positioned to receive legal papers, your business may not find out about a lawsuit or a state notice in time to respond.

We can't tell you what would happen in any specific case, and we won't guarantee outcomes. But the risk is easy to understand. Papers get delivered, and nobody on your side sees them.

That's the reason for the sequence below. It's general practice, not a state-confirmed procedure, and it aims to keep someone covering the role the whole time.

The steps, in order.

1. Decide who the new agent will be. A service, another person, or yourself. The next section helps you choose.
2. Get a clear yes. Confirm the new agent accepts the role before you file anything.
3. Gather what the filing will need. That's your business name exactly as the state has it, plus the new agent's name and registered agent address (where the agent receives official mail). Ask the state what kind of address it accepts, and whether it has to be in Alaska.
4. File the change with the state. This is how you update your business entity in Alaska. The state determines the form, the fee, and how long processing takes. Find all three in its official instructions.
5. Verify the change. After filing, look at the public business record and confirm it shows the new agent. Don't assume it's done because you sent the paperwork. If the record still shows the old agent, you haven't finished.
6. Keep the old agent in place until the record is right. This is general practice to avoid a gap in coverage.
7. Notify the old agent and update your own files. Do this last. Make sure your internal records, and anyone on your team who needs to know, reflect the new agent.

Before you file: a decision tree and checklist.

Work through these in order.

Decision tree.

• Do you want a dedicated service handling the role?
• Yes: compare Alaska services using the questions in the next section.
• No: go to the next question.
• Has another person agreed to the role, and do they meet the state's requirements?
• Yes: confirm they accept in writing, then move to filing.
• No or unsure: lean toward a service.
• Will you act as your own agent?
• Check the state's official eligibility and address rules first. Then decide whether you want the duty sitting with you.

Pre-filing checklist.

• New agent agreed - What to confirm: They've said yes to the role - Where to confirm it: The agent.
• Agent address - What to confirm: It's an address the state accepts, including any location requirement - Where to confirm it: The state.
• Business name - What to confirm: Spelling and entity type match the record exactly - Where to confirm it: Your state business record.
• Form - What to confirm: You have the correct change form for your entity type - Where to confirm it: The state.
• Fee - What to confirm: You know what the state charges - Where to confirm it: The state.
• Timing - What to confirm: You know when the change takes effect - Where to confirm it: The state.
• Old agent - What to confirm: Still in place until the record is updated - Where to confirm it: You (general practice).
• Verification - What to confirm: You know where to check the public record afterward - Where to confirm it: The state.
• Internal records - What to confirm: Your files will show the new agent - Where to confirm it: You.

The filing is paperwork. The harder part is picking a replacement you won't need to replace again.

Think about what drove the change. If your last agent moved, got busy, or stopped being reachable, you're probably looking for something more dependable. If the change was about cost or service, you'll care about different things. Either way, the agent affects your upkeep long after the first day, not just the filing.

Service, another person, or yourself: what does each trade away?

• Registered agent service - Upside: The role is the provider's business, not tied to one person's schedule - Downside: An outside party is involved, and services charge their own fees.
• Another individual - Upside: Familiar, and you may already trust them - Downside: The role depends on one person staying reachable.
• Yourself - Upside: Keeps everything in-house - Downside: The duty sits with you, and the state sets who is eligible.

What should I ask a registered agent provider?

Use these questions with any service you consider, including the one we link to. We don't state ratings, features, or prices for any provider, so the answers have to come from them.

• Does it serve Alaska? Confirm this directly rather than assuming.
• How do notices reach you? Ask how legal papers and state mail are delivered, and in what form.
• Are the terms easy to read? If you can't tell what you're agreeing to, that's a reason to keep looking.
• What does it cost, and for how long? Get the fee and any renewal terms from the provider itself.
• Can it explain the role you're buying? A good provider can describe what it does in plain language.

Run two or three providers through the same questions and compare the answers side by side. That tells you more than any ranking could.

Why we recommend this service.

We link to one provider, Incorp, and it's the only one we name. This is an affiliate recommendation based on its public reputation as a registered agent service. We haven't personally vetted it beyond that.

A service fits the role well because handling registered agent duties is the point of the business, which matches the first row of the table above. We make no claims about its prices, ratings, or guarantees, so apply the questions above before you sign up.

*Disclosure: if you use the link below, we may earn a commission.*.

If you've decided on a service, here's the one we point to: [Recommended Registered Agent for Alaska](https://www.incorp.com/registered-agent-services/alaska?utm_term=change%20registered%20agent%20alaska&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=registeredagentsak.com&utm_content=https%3A%2F%2Fregisteredagentsak.com%2Fanswers%2Fhow-to-change-registered-agent&utm_campaign=alaska-registered-agent).

How much does changing a registered agent cost?

The state charges a filing fee for the change, and services charge their own fees. We don't quote amounts for either. Confirm the state's fee with the state and the service's fee with the provider.

Where does formation fit in?

Formation is when a registered agent is first named. If you're changing agents later, you're updating something you set up at the start.

This guide and a registered agent service don't fit every situation.

• You need Alaska's exact form, fee, or turnaround. Those come from the state's official filing instructions, not from this guide.
• Your business is registered in another state. This guide covers Alaska only, so use that state's instructions instead.
• You need legal or tax advice. This is general information, not personal advice. We hold no professional credentials and can't guarantee a compliance outcome.
• You want price comparisons. We don't quote prices for any service.
• You'd rather keep the role in-house. A service adds an outside party and its fees, so another path may suit you better.
• You already have a dependable person who meets the state's requirements. If that arrangement works, you may not need a service.

For most owners who want the role handled reliably, a registered agent service is the cleanest replacement, and Incorp is the one we link to.

Your path is the same either way. Confirm the new agent, file with the state, verify the public record, then notify the old agent. Start by finding the state's official change instructions, and use the checklist above to make sure nothing is missing before you file.