Step by step · Alabama
3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Alabama (2026), Explained
In brief
- What the state charges
- $150
- Do you attach a home-state certificate?
- Not asked for
- Ongoing requirement
- No state fee, business privilege tax return
- Services we suggest
- Mainstay Filing, Alabama Registered Agent.co then AL Registered Agent.org
Alabama: the ranked picks
Ranked using five checks described on our method page.1. Mainstay Filing: best for growing companies
$199 to register, $149 for the agent later
Why Mainstay Filing? The registration is $199 and there is no charge for the registered agent until year two.
The additional $100 compared with Alabama Registered Agent.co buys coverage outside Alabama.
From the second year, $149 a year covers the registered agent anywhere.
Includes
- The registration filing
- Registered agent, covered for the first year
- The same fee in every state
Points in its favor
- The first year of agent service is included
- All fifty states are covered
- $199 on top of the state fee
Where it falls short
- Agent costs $50 more each year
2. Alabama Registered Agent.co: best for a budget registration
$199 to register, $99 for the agent later
Number 2 on the list is Alabama Registered Agent.co, where it charges $199 plus the state fee, with the agent included in year one, then $99 a year.
Includes
- Application prepared and submitted
- Agent service during year one
Points in its favor
- $199 on top of the state fee
- First-year agent in the price
- $99 each year from year two
Where it falls short
- Works in Alabama alone, which leaves your home state needing its own agent
3. AL Registered Agent.org: best for another in-state filer
$199 to register, $99 for the agent later
Number 3 on the list is AL Registered Agent.org, where it charges $199 plus the state fee, with the agent included in year one, then $99 a year.
With the same prices as Alabama Registered Agent.co, this is a near tie.
Includes
- Application prepared and submitted
- Agent service during year one
Points in its favor
- First-year agent in the price
- $199 on top of the state fee
- $99 each year from year two
Where it falls short
- Works in Alabama alone, which leaves your home state needing its own agent
Compare prices
| # | Company | Opening price | Year two on | Three-year total | Included in the price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149/yr | $497 | the registration filing; registered agent, covered for the first year; the same fee in every state | Open Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | Alabama Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | application prepared and submitted; agent service during year one | Open Alabama Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | AL Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | application prepared and submitted; agent service during year one | Open AL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
The questions, one by one
When must an out-of-state LLC register here?
An LLC formed elsewhere registers with the Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division before it does business in Alabama.
If you skip it, expect it is blocked from filing its own lawsuits (Ala. Code 10A-1-7.21(a)).
(revenue.alabama.gov, October 2026)
What are the fees to register?
$150 goes to the state, plus $199 if a service handles it.
Across three years the state's fees add up to $150, counting any recurring report. (sos.alabama.gov, October 2026)
What do I file, and where does it go?
Submit the Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) Application for Registration to the Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division.
You do not need to attach a good standing certificate from home.
What do I owe after registering?
Business privilege tax return: no fee.
The due date, in the state's words, is same date as the federal return.
What decided the ranking?
How much work the price handles counts for 28%, and Mainstay Filing comes out ahead on it.
Five criteria set the order: what three years cost (34%), how much work the price handles (28%), prices spelled out (16%), renewal terms (12%) and reach beyond one state (10%).
One provider for two states is why it comes first.
Alabama requirements checklist
| Item | Detail | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Fee to register | $150 | (sos.alabama.gov, October 2026) |
| Proof of good standing | Not asked for | (revenue.alabama.gov, October 2026) |
| Three-year state total | $150 | Added up from the rows above |
Additional questions
Will one agent cover both states?
Yes. Your home state still requires its own agent, and Mainstay Filing can cover both states under one account.
What is the three-year price of each?
$497 with Mainstay Filing, $397 with Alabama Registered Agent.co, $397 with AL Registered Agent.org, and state fees come extra.
What are the figures based on?
Alabama's official documents supply the state fees, and the companies' price pages supply the service fees.
Is a service required?
No law demands one. A service is a convenience.
Can someone else submit the registration?
Yes. Every pick files it for you, and the state fee is the same either way.
What is the best foreign registration service for Alabama?
We would start with Mainstay Filing, then Alabama Registered Agent.co and AL Registered Agent.org.
Official sources and price pages
- Alabama formation fee: Filing fee, found at alison.legislature.state.al.us, confirmed October 2026
- Alabama formation fee: Filing fee, found at sos.alabama.gov, confirmed October 2026
- Alabama formation fee: Name reservation, found at sos.alabama.gov, confirmed October 2026
- Alabama formation fee: Name reservation, found at alison.legislature.state.al.us, confirmed October 2026
- Alabama registered agent statute, found at alisondb.legislature.state.al.us, confirmed October 2026
- Alabama Secretary of State, LLC, found at sos.alabama.gov, confirmed October 2026
- Foreign LLC Application for Registration, found at sos.alabama.gov, confirmed October 2026
- Secretary of State Online Services, found at alabamainteractive.org, confirmed October 2026
- Code of Alabama, section 10A-1-7.01, found at alison.legislature.state.al.us, confirmed October 2026
- Department of Revenue, business privilege, found at revenue.alabama.gov, confirmed October 2026
- Code of Alabama, section 10A-1-7.21, found at alison.legislature.state.al.us, confirmed November 2026
- Prices taken from the Mainstay Filing Alabama service page on November 13, 2026
- Prices taken from the Alabama Registered Agent.co pricing page on November 13, 2026
- Prices taken from the AL Registered Agent.org pricing page on November 13, 2026