Texas

Alabama

Foreign registration · no form number

Texas LLC Foreign Registration in Alabama

An LLC formed in Texas that wants to do business in Alabama files an online registration (no form number), with $184 in state fees. Alabama needs nothing from Texas: no Certificate of Fact - Status. We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Entities Division from your Texas records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Texas vs Alabama: the paperwork

	Texas formed here	Alabama registering here
Document	Texas Certificate of Fact - Status (not needed here)	Foreign Limited Liability Company Application for Registration (no form number)
State fee	$15	$184 at order (filing fee $150 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Texas: online through SOSPortal, usually within 10 minutes, as a download link that lasts 90 days	Filed online with Alabama
Office	Texas Secretary of State	Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division
Official page	sos.state.tx.us	sos.alabama.gov
Name endings	limited liability company, limited company or an abbreviation of either	limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC
Yearly filing	Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report, fee set by the state, every year	Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report, fee set by the state, every year
Due	May 15 each year
Agent	Your Texas registered agent	Our Alabama registered agent

From Texas to Alabama, step by step

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

Your Texas name and Alabama's rules

Alabama accepts your Texas name if it includes limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC. Texas's list (limited liability company, limited company or an abbreviation of either) is not the same, but an ending such as “limited liability company” works in both states. If Alabama's records show it taken, you can use an alternate name for the Texas company. Alabama can hold a name for $25 before you file.

Agents: Alabama and Texas

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

Yearly filings: Alabama and Texas

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

LLC or corporation, Texas to Alabama

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

The other way: Alabama into Texas

An LLC formed in Alabama that registers with Texas files Form 304 with $767.13 in state fees and a $50 required expedite; no Alabama certificate is needed. See that filing.

Questions Texas owners ask about Alabama

Does my Texas company need to register in Alabama?

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

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

$383 at checkout, with nothing to pay Texas.

Do I need Texas's certificate of good standing?

No, Alabama takes the registration without it.

What are the yearly costs for Texas and Alabama?

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

What if I don't register with Alabama?

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

Does Alabama require a registered agent?

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

Will Alabama accept my Texas name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its Texas name at home. Alabama names must include limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC; “limited liability company” works in both states.

Can I form a new Alabama LLC instead?

Yes, but Texas 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 Texas's yearly report.

How do I withdraw from Alabama later?

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

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