Maryland

Alabama

Foreign registration · no form number

Maryland LLC Foreign Registration in Alabama

To do business in Alabama, an LLC formed in Maryland registers there on an online registration (no form number), with $184 in state fees. Alabama asks nothing of Maryland here, not even the Certificate of Status. We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Entities Division using your Maryland records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Maryland vs Alabama: the paperwork

	Maryland formed here	Alabama registering here
Document	Maryland Certificate of Status (not needed here)	Foreign Limited Liability Company Application for Registration (no form number)
State fee	$20	$184 at order (filing fee $150 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Maryland: online through Maryland Business Express, emailed right away	Filed online with Alabama
Office	Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Charter Division	Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division
Official page	businessexpress.maryland.gov	sos.alabama.gov
Yearly filing	Business Entity Annual Report (Form 1), $300, every year	Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report, fee set by the state, every year
Due	April 15
Agent	Your Maryland resident agent	Our Alabama registered agent

From Maryland to Alabama, step by step

We prepare and file the registration
It lists us as your Alabama registered agent, next to your Maryland name and formation date. No Maryland paperwork holds up the Alabama filing. After approval, your Maryland LLC is registered with Alabama.

Will your Maryland name work for Alabama?

Alabama accepts your Maryland name if it includes limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC. If the Maryland name already ends in LLC, it meets the rule. If another Alabama company uses the Maryland name, an alternate name is allowed. Alabama can hold a name for $25 before you file.

Agents: Alabama and Maryland

Alabama calls it a registered agent; Maryland says resident agent. Alabama papers come to us; Maryland's agent is unchanged.

Staying in good standing in Maryland and Alabama

Maryland wants the Business Entity Annual Report (Form 1) every year ($300); Alabama wants the Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report every year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Maryland to Alabama

A corporation formed in Maryland files its own registration with Alabama ($184 in state fees, the same). After that come Maryland's periodic report ($300) and Alabama's Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT). See the corporation filing.

Registering an Alabama company in Maryland

An LLC formed in Alabama that registers with Maryland files Maryland's registration (no form number) with $104.50 in state fees and a $50 required expedite, plus the Certificate of Existence ($25) dated within 60 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Maryland to Alabama

Does my Maryland company need to register in Alabama?

Yes, once a Maryland business operates there; Alabama registers it as a foreign LLC.

How much does it cost to register a Maryland LLC in Alabama?

$383 at checkout, with nothing to pay Maryland.

Do I need Maryland's certificate of good standing?

No, Alabama takes the registration without it.

What are the yearly costs for Maryland and Alabama?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), Maryland's report ($300) and Alabama's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with Alabama?

A Maryland company cannot sue in court there until it registers.

Does Alabama require a registered agent?

Yes: the Maryland resident agent stays, and ours covers Alabama for year one, with a street address there.

Will Alabama accept my Maryland name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its Maryland name at home. Alabama names must include limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC.

Can I form a new Alabama LLC instead?

Yes, but Maryland keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Alabama's Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report, and the original keeps Maryland's Business Entity Annual Report (Form 1).

How do I withdraw from Alabama later?

Maryland companies leave by filing a Foreign LLC Certificate of Withdrawal ($100); until then, Alabama's report stays due alongside Maryland's filings.

Official sources

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