Alabama

Foreign registration · no form number

Alabama Corporation Foreign Registration in South Dakota

South Dakota registers a corporation from Alabama as a foreign corporation on an online registration (no form number), with $750 in state fees. South Dakota also wants Alabama's Certificate of Existence ($25). We file it with the Secretary of State using your Alabama records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Alabama vs South Dakota: the paperwork

	Alabama formed here	South Dakota registering here
Document	Alabama Certificate of Existence	Application for Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Corporation) (no form number)
State fee	$25	$750 at order
How it is handled	Alabama: online as an instant printable certificate with a seal and authentication number	Filed online with South Dakota
Paid expedite		$50
Office	Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division	South Dakota Secretary of State
Official page	sos.alabama.gov	sdsos.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT), fee set by the state, every year	Annual Report, fee set by the state, every year
Due		By the first day of the registration anniversary month each year
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Online processing: immediately
Agent	Your Alabama registered agent	Our South Dakota registered agent

From Alabama to South Dakota, step by step

Order the Alabama certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($25) is ordered from Alabama separately; it is not part of our South Dakota order. South Dakota wants the Alabama certificate current, so it is ordered close to the filing date.
We prepare and file the registration
It lists us as your South Dakota registered agent, next to your Alabama name and formation date, with the certificate attached. Alabama issues the certificate instantly, so the South Dakota filing can go in the same day. After approval, your Alabama corporation is registered with South Dakota.

South Dakota costs for Alabama companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$750
Certificate of Existence, paid to Alabama	$25
Our service, with a year of South Dakota registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Alabama certificate included	$974

South Dakota's paid expedite is optional and not in the total.

Will your Alabama name work for South Dakota?

If South Dakota's records show it taken, you can use an alternate name for the Alabama company. South Dakota can hold a name for $25 before you file.

Agents: South Dakota and Alabama

Alabama and South Dakota both call it a registered agent. Your current registered agent stays for Alabama; ours takes South Dakota's papers and notices.

Staying in good standing in Alabama and South Dakota

Alabama wants the Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT) every year; South Dakota wants the Annual Report every year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Alabama to South Dakota

An LLC formed in Alabama files its own registration with South Dakota ($750 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Existence ($25)). After that come Alabama's Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report and South Dakota's Annual Report ($55). See the LLC filing.

The other way: South Dakota into Alabama

A corporation formed in South Dakota that registers with Alabama files Alabama's registration (no form number) with $184 in state fees. See that filing.

Common questions: Alabama to South Dakota

Does my Alabama company need to register in South Dakota?

Yes, once an Alabama business operates there; South Dakota law lists 11 activities that do not count on their own.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Yes: South Dakota issues one to Alabama corporations once the filing is approved.

How much does the South Dakota registration cost?

$949 at checkout plus $25 to Alabama for the Certificate of Existence, $974 in all (checkout is $750 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Alabama's certificate of good standing?

Yes: South Dakota wants Alabama's Certificate of Existence ($25), current at filing.

How long does the South Dakota registration take?

South Dakota approves online filings immediately; Alabama's certificate is an instant download, so there is no wait before filing. Paid expedite: $50.

What are the yearly costs for Alabama and South Dakota?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), Alabama's report (fee set by the state) and South Dakota's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with South Dakota?

An Alabama company cannot sue in court there until it registers.

Does South Dakota require a registered agent?

Yes: the Alabama registered agent stays, and ours covers South Dakota for year one.

Will South Dakota accept my Alabama name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its Alabama name at home.

Can I form a new South Dakota corporation instead?

Yes, but Alabama keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files South Dakota's Annual Report, and the original keeps Alabama's Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT).

Official sources

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The same move for an LLC