Alabama

Foreign registration · no form number

West Virginia LLC Foreign Registration in Alabama

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

West Virginia vs Alabama: the paperwork

	West Virginia formed here	Alabama registering here
Document	West Virginia Certificate of Existence (not needed here)	Foreign Limited Liability Company Application for Registration (no form number)
State fee	$10	$184 at order (filing fee $150 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	West Virginia: in about 5 to 10 business days, with 24-hour, 2-hour and 1-hour expedite options	Filed online with Alabama
Office	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division	Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division
Official page	sos.wv.gov	sos.alabama.gov
Name endings	limited liability company, limited company, L.L.C., LLC, L.C. or LC, with limited abbreviated Ltd. and company abbreviated Co.	limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $26, every year	Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report, fee set by the state, every year
Due	July 1 each year
Agent	Your West Virginia agent for service of process	Our Alabama registered agent

From West Virginia to Alabama, step by step

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

Your West Virginia name and Alabama's rules

Alabama accepts your West Virginia name if it includes limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC. West Virginia's list (limited liability company, limited company, L.L.C., LLC, L.C. or LC, with limited abbreviated Ltd. and company abbreviated Co.) 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 West Virginia company. Alabama can hold a name for $25 before you file.

Agents: Alabama and West Virginia

Alabama calls it a registered agent; West Virginia says agent for service of process. Alabama papers come to us; West Virginia's agent is unchanged.

Yearly filings: Alabama and West Virginia

West Virginia wants the Annual Report every year ($26); 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, West Virginia to Alabama

A corporation formed in West Virginia files its own registration with Alabama ($184 in state fees, the same). After that come West Virginia's Annual Report ($25) and Alabama's Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT). See the corporation filing.

The other way: Alabama into West Virginia

An LLC formed in Alabama that registers with West Virginia files Form LLF-1 with $151 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($25). See that filing.

Common questions: West Virginia to Alabama

Does my West Virginia company need to register in Alabama?

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

How much does the Alabama registration cost?

$383 at checkout, with nothing to pay West Virginia.

Do I need West Virginia's certificate of good standing?

No, Alabama takes the registration without it.

What are the yearly costs for West Virginia and Alabama?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), West Virginia's report ($26) and Alabama's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with Alabama?

A West Virginia company cannot sue in court there until it registers.

Does Alabama require a registered agent?

Yes: the West Virginia agent for service of process stays, and ours covers Alabama for year one, with a street address there.

Will Alabama accept my West Virginia name?

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

How do I withdraw from Alabama later?

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

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