Short answer
File one document, the Domestic Limited Liability Company Certificate of Formation, with the Alabama Secretary of State. The fee is $236[2]. The filing has to name a registered agent in Alabama.
Mainstay Filing does the Alabama filing for $199 a year; the state's $236 is added at cost[1].
- State filing fee
- $236 (Online total: $208 for the Certificate of Formation ($200 by mail) plus the required name reservation, $28 online ($25 by mail).)
- Form
- Articles of Organization
- Filed with
- Alabama Secretary of State
- Registered Agent required
- Yes
- Periodic report
- None required
- Other states’ fees
- 44 lower, 5 higher
Updated October 29, 2026. State fees from official sources.
How the filing works in Alabama
Alabama asks for one formation filing. Everything else on this list is either done before that filing or follows from it.
- Search the register. Before filing, look the name up on the Alabama Secretary of State site[3]. A name too close to an existing Alabama entity will be rejected.
- Name a registered agent. Under Ala. Code § 10A-1-5.31, the registered agent can be an Alabama resident, or a business entity formed in Alabama or registered to do business there. The agent keeps a business office at the registered office address.[4] Serving personally is open to any owner who lives in Alabama and has a qualifying address.
- Submit Articles of Organization and pay $236. The Alabama Secretary of State reviews the filing; the LLC exists once it is accepted[2].
- Write an operating agreement. It sets out ownership and how decisions are made. It stays with the company's records and is not part of the state filing.
- Request an EIN. This federal tax number comes from the IRS, not from Alabama, and most banks ask for it before opening an account.
- No periodic report to calendar. Alabama does not require LLCs to file an annual or biennial report[5]; keep the registered agent information current instead.
What it costs to form an LLC in Alabama
At $236, Alabama's fee is above the 50-state median of $100. Among the other states, 44 states charge less and 5 charge more.
| Item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State filing fee | $236 Online total: $208 for the Certificate of Formation ($200 by mail) plus the required name reservation, $28 online ($25 by mail). | [2] alabamainteractive.org, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Periodic report | Not required | [5] revenue.alabama.gov, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Filing service, Mainstay Filing | $199 a year plus state fees | [1] Mainstay Filing, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Registered agent service (if hired) | $149 a year at Mainstay Filing; $0 to $249 first year elsewhere | 9 other services' published prices, updated October 29, 2026 |
Only the state fee is required. Naming yourself or another qualified person as registered agent costs nothing in state fees.
| State | LLC filing fee | Periodic report |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | $125 | $138.75 yearly |
| Georgia | $110 | $60 yearly |
| Mississippi | $50 | $0 yearly |
| Tennessee | $300 | $300 yearly |
Same source set as above, one statute or fee schedule per state, verified August 12, 2026.
The Articles of Organization filing
The formation document in Alabama is the Domestic Limited Liability Company Certificate of Formation. It is filed with the Alabama Secretary of State[6].
The statute that governs it reads, in part:
In order to form a limited liability company, one or more organizers must execute a certificate of formation and deliver it for filing to the filing officer... A certificate of formation shall be delivered for filing to the Secretary of State.
Ala. Code § 10A-5A-2.01 (Formation)[6].
Once the Alabama Secretary of State accepts the filing, the LLC exists and its record, including the registered agent details, appears in the state's public business search.
New business filings in Alabama
Alabama logged 70,466 business applications in 2025 by the Census Bureau's count, 13.57 for every 1,000 residents. From January through Sep 2026 there were 60,621, against 51,530 in the same months of 2025.
These are IRS employer-ID applications, so they include sole proprietors and corporations as well as LLCs. Alabama does not publish a comparable monthly LLC count.
Who can submit the filing
With Mainstay Filing, the Alabama filing is prepared and submitted for you. Its price is $199 a year plus the state's $236[1], and that yearly price also covers the registered agent, the EIN application and reminders.
Doing it yourself means filing the Articles of Organization with the Alabama Secretary of State and paying $236, plus any card or portal charge the agency adds.
Questions
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Alabama?
The state fee is $236 for the Domestic Limited Liability Company Certificate of Formation[2]. Alabama has no recurring LLC report fee.
Do I need a registered agent to form an LLC in Alabama?
Yes. The formation filing names one. Serving personally is open to any owner who lives in Alabama and has a qualifying address.
Can a service file the Alabama LLC for me?
Yes. Mainstay Filing prepares and files Alabama LLCs for $199 a year plus the $236 state fee[1]. That also covers its registered agent service, the EIN application and reminders, at the same price each year.
Who files the formation document in Alabama?
The Alabama Secretary of State. Its website: www.sos.alabama.gov/.
Sources
- Mainstay Filing pricing, registered agent and FAQ pages. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Alabama Secretary of State online filing fees (formation $208 online, name reservation $28 online). www.alabamainteractive.org/sos/introduction_input.action. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Alabama Secretary of State. www.sos.alabama.gov/. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Ala. Code § 10A-1-5.31 (Designation and maintenance of registered agent and registered office). alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/alison/CodeOfAlabama/1975/10A-1-5.31.htm. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Alabama Department of Revenue, 2024 business privilege tax filing changes. www.revenue.alabama.gov/notice-important-changes-to-the-2024-business-privilege-tax-filing. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Ala. Code § 10A-5A-2.01 (Formation); filing fee $200 set under Ala. Code § 10A-1-4.31. www.sos.alabama.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/DomesticLLCFormation.pdf. Updated October 29, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (state annual and monthly series). www.census.gov/econ/bfs/index.html. Updated October 29, 2026.