Alabama

Texas

Foreign registration · Form 304

Alabama LLC Foreign Registration in Texas

Texas registers an LLC from Alabama as a foreign LLC on Form 304, with $767.13 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. Texas needs nothing from Alabama: no Certificate of Existence. We file it with the Texas Secretary of State using your Alabama records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Alabama vs Texas: the paperwork

	Alabama formed here	Texas registering here
Document	Alabama Certificate of Existence (not needed here)	Form 304
State fee	$25	$767.13 at order (filing fee $750 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Alabama: online as an instant printable certificate with a seal and authentication number	Filed with Texas
Required expedite		$50 at order (Texas Express)
Faster options		next-day $500, same-day $750
Office	Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division	Texas Secretary of State
Official page	sos.alabama.gov	sos.state.tx.us
Name endings	limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC	limited liability company, limited company or an abbreviation of either
Yearly filing	Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report, fee set by the state, every year	Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report, fee set by the state, every year
Due		May 15 each year
Agent	Your Alabama registered agent	Our Texas registered agent

From Alabama to Texas, step by step

We prepare and file Form 304
It names us as your Texas registered agent, with your Alabama name and formation date. No Alabama paperwork holds up the Texas filing. Once Texas approves it, the Alabama company can do business there.

Your Alabama name and Texas's rules

Texas accepts your Alabama name if it includes limited liability company, limited company or an abbreviation of either. Alabama's list (limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC) is not the same, but an ending such as “limited liability company” works in both states. If Texas's records show it taken, you can use an alternate name for the Alabama company. We search Texas's records for Alabama's name on file before anything is filed.

Agents: Texas and Alabama

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

Yearly filings: Texas and Alabama

Alabama wants the Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report every year; Texas wants the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report every year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Alabama to Texas

A corporation formed in Alabama files Form 301 with Texas ($767.13 in state fees and the $50 required expedite, the same). After that come Alabama's Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT) and Texas's Franchise Tax Report + Public Information Report (no fee). See the corporation filing.

The other way: Texas into Alabama

An LLC formed in Texas that registers with Alabama files Alabama's registration (no form number) with $184 in state fees; no Texas certificate is needed. See that filing.

Common questions: Alabama to Texas

Does my Alabama company need to register in Texas?

Yes, once an Alabama business operates there; Texas law lists 16 activities that do not count on their own.

How much does it cost to register an Alabama LLC in Texas?

$1,016.13 at checkout, including the $50 required expedite, with nothing to pay Alabama.

Do I need Alabama's certificate of good standing?

No, Texas takes Form 304 without it.

How long does the Texas registration take?

Typically 2 to 3 business days with Texas's required expedite; nothing comes from Alabama first. Faster state options: next-day $500, same-day $750.

What are the yearly costs for Alabama and Texas?

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

What if I don't register with Texas?

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

Does Texas require a registered agent?

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

Will Texas 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. Texas names must include limited liability company, limited company or an abbreviation of either; “limited liability company” works in both states.

Can I form a new Texas LLC instead?

Yes, but Alabama keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Texas's Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report, and the original keeps Alabama's yearly report.

How do I withdraw from Texas later?

Alabama companies leave by filing Form 608, Certificate of Withdrawal of Registration ($15); until then, Texas's report stays due alongside Alabama's filings.

Official sources

People also search

LLC into Texas, by home state (48)

Alabama into other states (47)

The same move for a corporation