Alabama

Foreign registration · no form number

Montana LLC Foreign Registration in Alabama

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

Montana vs Alabama: the paperwork

	Montana formed here	Alabama registering here
Document	Montana Certificate of Existence (not needed here)	Foreign Limited Liability Company Application for Registration (no form number)
State fee	$5	$184 at order (filing fee $150 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Montana: online	Filed online with Alabama
Office	Montana Secretary of State, Business Services	Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division
Official page	biz.sosmt.gov	sos.alabama.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $20, every year	Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report, fee set by the state, every year
Due	April 15
Agent	Your Montana registered agent	Our Alabama registered agent

How Montana companies register with Alabama

We prepare and file the registration
It names us as your Alabama registered agent, with your Montana name and formation date. Nothing has to come from Montana first, so the Alabama filing can go in right away. Once Alabama approves it, the Montana company can do business there.

Your Montana name and Alabama's rules

Alabama accepts your Montana name if it includes limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC. If the Montana name already ends in LLC, it meets the rule. If Alabama's records show it taken, you can use an alternate name for the Montana company. Alabama can hold a name for $25 before you file.

Agents: Alabama and Montana

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

Staying in good standing in Montana and Alabama

Montana wants the Annual Report every year ($20); 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, Montana to Alabama

A corporation formed in Montana files its own registration with Alabama ($184 in state fees, the same). After that come Montana's Annual Report (no fee) and Alabama's Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT). See the corporation filing.

The other way: Alabama into Montana

An LLC formed in Alabama that registers with Montana files Montana's registration (no form number) with $70 in state fees; no Alabama certificate is needed. See that filing.

Common questions: Montana to Alabama

Does my Montana company need to register in Alabama?

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

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

$383 at checkout, with nothing to pay Montana.

Do I need Montana's certificate of good standing?

No, Alabama takes the registration without it.

What are the yearly costs for Montana and Alabama?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), Montana's report ($20) and Alabama's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with Alabama?

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

Does Alabama require a registered agent?

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

Will Alabama accept my Montana name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its Montana 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 Montana 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 Montana's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from Alabama later?

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

Official sources

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