Forming an Alabama LLC in 2026: Fees, Steps and the One Form That Matters
Our formation service is $199 flat, plus Alabama's $200 state filing fee. Every Alabama LLC also needs a registered agent on file — that's a separate $99/year line item, not part of the $199.
One filing brings an Alabama LLC to life: the Certificate of Formation, delivered to the Secretary of State with the official $200 fee. After that, Alabama asks surprisingly little. A registered agent stays on file permanently, and the state collects no annual report from LLCs at all. Steps, fees, and our role, all below.
Build Your Alabama LLC — $199
A single $199 fee covers prep and submission to Alabama Secretary of State.
Why Form an LLC in Alabama
A limited liability company sits between a sole proprietorship and a corporation: liability protection like a corporation, taxes like a sole prop. Alabama's small-business landscape leans heavily on the LLC structure for its mix of protection, simplicity, and minimal ongoing compliance.
The $200 Alabama LLC Filing Fee
Alabama's fee statute, Ala. Code § 10A-1-4.31, prices the Certificate of Formation at a flat $200. A quirk buried in that statute: half of your $200 does not stay in Montgomery. The Secretary of State forwards $100 to the treasurer of whichever county hosts your registered agent's office. None of that changes your total; the filer pays $200, full stop.
Filing happens online through the Secretary of State or on paper by mail. Online is the faster lane.
Certificate of Formation: The Document That Creates the LLC
Alabama skipped the "Articles of Organization" naming convention. Here the document is the Domestic Limited Liability Company (LLC) Certificate of Formation, and it carries no form number; the PDF footer identifies it only by name and a 10/2022 revision date. Under Ala. Code § 10A-5A-2.01, one or more organizers execute the certificate and deliver it to the Secretary of State for filing, and approval is what brings the LLC into existence.
Grab the official Certificate of Formation (PDF) from the Secretary of State.
What it asks for: the LLC name with its designator, the principal address, your registered agent's name and Alabama street address, whether members or managers run the company, and the organizers' names.
What an Alabama LLC Runs, Line by Line
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Our LLC formation service | $199 one-time |
| State filing fee, Certificate of Formation | $200 one-time |
| Registered agent (every Alabama LLC needs one) | $99/year |
| Annual report | None exists for Alabama LLCs |
$199 buys our filing service. Alabama Secretary of State receives the state fee directly. The agent service stands alone at $99 annually.
The recurring picture is unusually kind here: no annual report, and the Business Privilege Tax return (Department of Revenue, not the Secretary of State) is only owed in years when the calculated tax clears $100. The minimum tax is $0. Full breakdown on our annual report page.
How to Form an Alabama LLC, Step by Step
- Clear the name. It needs an LLC designator and cannot collide with an existing entity on the state's records. Run it through the Secretary of State's entity search first; restricted words (banking, insurance, government-adjacent terms) need separate clearance.
- Put a registered agent in place. In-state street address, reachable during business hours, listed publicly. Our $99/year service fills the slot with our address instead of yours.
- Deliver the Certificate of Formation. Online or by mail to the Secretary of State, official $200 fee attached.
- Write the operating agreement. Not filed with the state, but it decides ownership, profits, authority, and exits. Skip it and Alabama's default rules decide those things for you.
- Pull the EIN. Free, ten minutes, IRS.gov. Required for banking and payroll. Anyone charging for this is selling you a free form.
- Run the compliance loop. Agent always on file, finances kept separate, taxes filed on time, and Form PPT to the Department of Revenue in any year the Business Privilege Tax computes above $100.
Let it slide and the LLC's standing, and its liability shield, are what pay the price. Or hand us the filing:
Why the Registered Agent Rule Matters
The agent requirement, rooted in Ala. Code § 10A-1-5.31, has no exceptions and no expiration. Your agent:
- Keeps a real Alabama street address (mailbox-only setups do not qualify)
- Stays reachable through the business day for service of process
- Relays lawsuits and state mail fast enough that no response window shrinks
Whatever address occupies the agent line of the certificate is public and searchable from then on. For $99 a year, ours occupies it instead of yours.
Common Questions
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Alabama?
$200 to the state for the Certificate of Formation, and that is the only mandatory state charge. No annual report follows it, and the Business Privilege Tax return only applies when the calculated tax tops $100.
How long does it take to form an LLC in Alabama?
No promised turnaround exists. Online filings tend to clear faster than mailed ones.
Does Alabama require an annual report?
No. Nothing annual goes to the Secretary of State from an LLC. The one conditional filing is Form PPT with the Department of Revenue, owed only when the calculated Business Privilege Tax exceeds $100.
Do I need a registered agent for my Alabama LLC?
Yes, from the moment of formation until dissolution. In-state street address, business-hours availability, no exceptions.
Can I form an LLC in Alabama if I live in another state?
Yes. Residency is irrelevant to ownership. The registered agent is the only piece that must physically sit in Alabama, and that is precisely the service we sell.
Start Your Alabama LLC the Right Way
Self-filing through the Secretary of State's portal is perfectly workable; the $200 goes to the state either way and the agent slot still has to be filled. Bring us in and your filing carries our Alabama address, legal mail is scanned and emailed the day it arrives, and every compliance date comes with an advance warning.
Just need the registered agent by itself? The registered agent product runs $99 yearly.
More questions about forming an LLC in Alabama or how the agent role works? Our FAQ handles most questions; the contact form is open for the rest.
Ready to get started?
$99 buys a full year of coverage — address on file, same-day scans, deadline alerts.