Foreign corporation registration
Alabama Foreign Corporation Registration
A corporation formed in another state registers with Alabama on the Foreign Corporation Application for Registration. The $150 filing fee ($184 with the charges Alabama collects at filing) goes to Alabama; our $199 covers preparing and filing it plus the first year of Alabama registered agent service, for $383 at checkout. Alabama sets its own proof rule for foreign corporations.
Alabama corporation registration at a glance
- Filing
- Foreign Corporation Application for Registration (no form number)
- State fee
- $150 filing fee ($184 with the charges Alabama collects at filing)
- Total with us
- $383, first year of Alabama registered agent service included
- Home-state certificate
- Set by the state
- Alabama yearly filing
- Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT), every year
- Filed with
- Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division
What the Alabama filing asks for
For the filing, Alabama needs:
- The exact name of your corporation as formed, or an alternate name if that name is taken there
- The state it was formed in and its date of formation
- A Alabama registered agent with a street address there; we fill in ours
- A principal office address
Corporation into Alabama, by home state
Every home state pays the same $383 at checkout for Alabama.
| Formed in | Home-state certificate | First year |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | Certificate of Compliance, if asked | $383 |
| Arizona | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $383 |
| Arkansas | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $383 |
| California | Certificate of Status, if asked | $383 |
| Colorado | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $383 |
| Connecticut | Certificate of Legal Existence, if asked | $383 |
| Delaware | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $383 |
| Florida | Certificate of Status, if asked | $383 |
| Georgia | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $383 |
| Hawaii | Good Standing Certificate, if asked | $383 |
| Idaho | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $383 |
| Illinois | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $383 |
| Indiana | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $383 |
| Iowa | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $383 |
| Kansas | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $383 |
| Kentucky | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $383 |
| Louisiana | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $383 |
| Maine | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $383 |
| Maryland | Certificate of Status, if asked | $383 |
| Massachusetts | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $383 |
| Michigan | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $383 |
| Minnesota | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $383 |
| Mississippi | Certificate of Good Standing / Certificate of Existence, if asked | $383 |
| Missouri | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $383 |
| Montana | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $383 |
| Nebraska | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $383 |
| Nevada | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $383 |
| New Hampshire | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $383 |
| New Jersey | Standing Certificate, if asked | $383 |
| New Mexico | Certificate of Good Standing and Compliance, if asked | $383 |
| New York | Certificate of Status, if asked | $383 |
| North Carolina | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $383 |
| North Dakota | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $383 |
| Ohio | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $383 |
| Oklahoma | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $383 |
| Oregon | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $383 |
| Pennsylvania | Subsistence Certificate, if asked | $383 |
| Rhode Island | Certificate of Status / Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $383 |
| South Carolina | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $383 |
| South Dakota | Certificate of Good Standing/Existence, if asked | $383 |
| Tennessee | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $383 |
| Texas | Certificate of Fact - Status, if asked | $383 |
| Utah | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $383 |
| Vermont | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $383 |
| Virginia | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $383 |
| Washington | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $383 |
| West Virginia | Certificate of Existence, if asked | $383 |
| Wisconsin | Certificate of Status, if asked | $383 |
| Wyoming | Certificate of Good Standing, if asked | $383 |
Alabama registered agent rule
Alabama requires every registered foreign corporation to keep a registered agent there. The agent's address must be a street address in Alabama, not a P.O. box. Switching agents later costs $100 on Change of Registered Agent or Registered Office by Entity. Our $199 includes the first year of Alabama registered agent service, then $149 a year.
Alabama yearly filings
Once registered, your corporation files the Alabama Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT) every year.
How long Alabama takes
We file it online with the Alabama Secretary of State.
Leaving Alabama later
If your corporation stops doing business there, it ends the registration by filing a Foreign Corporation Certificate of Withdrawal. Until that is filed, Alabama's yearly filing stays due.
Alabama foreign corporation questions
Do I have to register my corporation in Alabama?
Yes, if it was formed in another state and does business there. An office, staff or regular sales there usually mean registering.
How much does foreign corporation registration in Alabama cost?
$383 at checkout: the $150 filing fee ($184 with the charges Alabama collects at filing) plus our $199, which includes the first year of registered agent service.
What does it cost each year to stay registered in Alabama?
$149 a year for our registered agent service, plus the Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT). The home state's own yearly filing stays separate.
Do I need a registered agent in Alabama?
Yes. Alabama requires one for every corporation registered there from another state, with a street address in the state. Ours is included for the first year, then $149 a year.
What if my company's name is taken in Alabama?
Alabama lets an out-of-state corporation register under an alternate name. A name can be held for $25.
How do I withdraw from Alabama later?
File a Certificate of Withdrawal with the Alabama Secretary of State.
Can I form a new Alabama corporation instead?
It is possible, but that is a separate company that files Alabama's Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT), while the original keeps its home-state filings. Registering keeps one company in both states.
Is the Alabama filing the same for an LLC?
No: LLCs file their own registration ($184 in state fees, the same fee), and corporations file this one.
Is this a certificate of authority?
Alabama calls it registration; other states call the same step a certificate of authority or foreign qualification.