Foreign LLC registration

Alabama Foreign LLC Registration

An LLC formed in another state registers with Alabama on the Foreign Limited Liability Company 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 does not ask for a home-state certificate with this filing.

Our service$199

Alabama state fee$184

Total$383

Choose your home state

Alabama LLC registration at a glance

Filing: Foreign Limited Liability Company 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: Not required
Alabama yearly filing: Yearly report (named below), 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 LLC as formed, with an ending Alabama accepts: limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC, 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

LLC into Alabama, by home state

Every home state pays the same $383 at checkout for Alabama.

Formed in	Home-state certificate	First year
Alaska	Not needed	$383
Arizona	Not needed	$383
Arkansas	Not needed	$383
California	Not needed	$383
Colorado	Not needed	$383
Connecticut	Not needed	$383
Delaware	Not needed	$383
Florida	Not needed	$383
Georgia	Not needed	$383
Hawaii	Not needed	$383
Idaho	Not needed	$383
Illinois	Not needed	$383
Indiana	Not needed	$383
Iowa	Not needed	$383
Kansas	Not needed	$383
Kentucky	Not needed	$383
Louisiana	Not needed	$383
Maine	Not needed	$383
Maryland	Not needed	$383
Massachusetts	Not needed	$383
Michigan	Not needed	$383
Minnesota	Not needed	$383
Mississippi	Not needed	$383
Missouri	Not needed	$383
Montana	Not needed	$383
Nebraska	Not needed	$383
Nevada	Not needed	$383
New Hampshire	Not needed	$383
New Jersey	Not needed	$383
New Mexico	Not needed	$383
New York	Not needed	$383
North Carolina	Not needed	$383
North Dakota	Not needed	$383
Ohio	Not needed	$383
Oklahoma	Not needed	$383
Oregon	Not needed	$383
Pennsylvania	Not needed	$383
Rhode Island	Not needed	$383
South Carolina	Not needed	$383
South Dakota	Not needed	$383
Tennessee	Not needed	$383
Texas	Not needed	$383
Utah	Not needed	$383
Vermont	Not needed	$383
Virginia	Not needed	$383
Washington	Not needed	$383
West Virginia	Not needed	$383
Wisconsin	Not needed	$383
Wyoming	Not needed	$383

If you do business in Alabama without registering

An unregistered LLC doing business there cannot start a lawsuit in Alabama courts until it registers. Its contracts stay valid, and it can still defend a case brought against it. The Alabama attorney general can ask a court to stop the LLC doing business there until it registers. With no registered agent on file, legal papers can be served through the Alabama Secretary of State.

Alabama registered agent rule

Alabama requires every registered foreign LLC 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 LLC files the Alabama Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report every year.

How long Alabama takes

We file it online with the Alabama Secretary of State.

Leaving Alabama later

If your LLC stops doing business there, it ends the registration by filing a Foreign LLC Certificate of Withdrawal ($100). Until that is filed, Alabama's yearly filing stays due.

Alabama foreign LLC questions

Do I have to register my LLC 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 LLC 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.

Does Alabama need a certificate from my home state?

No, Alabama does not ask for one with this filing.

What does it cost each year to stay registered in Alabama?

$149 a year for our registered agent service, plus the yearly report. The home state's own yearly filing stays separate.

What if I don't register with Alabama?

Your LLC cannot sue in court there until it registers.

Do I need a registered agent in Alabama?

Yes. Alabama requires one for every LLC 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 LLC register under an alternate name. The name must include limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC. A name can be held for $25.

How do I withdraw from Alabama later?

File a Certificate of Withdrawal ($100) with the Alabama Secretary of State.

Can I form a new Alabama LLC instead?

It is possible, but that is a separate company that files Alabama's yearly report, while the original keeps its home-state filings. Registering keeps one company in both states.

Is the Alabama filing the same for a corporation?

No: corporations file their own registration ($184 in state fees, the same fee), and LLCs 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.