Forming an LLC in Alabama (2026): 7 Procedures and the 3 Best LLC Services
Alabama Registered Agent.co ($199), AL Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199) measured best, in that order, for forming an LLC in Alabama in 2026. Recorded figures: 7 procedures, $236 to file.
What Alabama charges to form an LLC and who takes delivery of the filing
What the registered agent rule requires
How to remain in good standing
The services we recommend
Best reading
If you want someone else to file
Measured on the method page: three-year cost (36%), procedures performed (28%), renewal, fit with Alabama's protocol and price legibility.
Best reading
1. Alabama Registered Agent.co: best for an economical Alabama start
$199 plus state fee, then $99/yr
Alabama Registered Agent.co gives the best reading in Alabama: the Alabama formation measures $199 with the agent covered in year one, and the agent renewal reads $99.
A lower three-year total than Mainstay Filing gives it first place; cost counts 36%.
2. AL Registered Agent.org: best for a low agent renewal
$199 plus state fee, then $99/yr
AL Registered Agent.org is an acceptable second choice: the Alabama formation measures $199 with the agent covered in year one, and the agent renewal reads $99.
Alabama Registered Agent.co and this service charge alike.
Company prices as posted on November 13, 2026. Each row also requires the $236 state fee.
How a Alabama LLC is formed
Procedure1
Procedure 1: Confirm no other company holds the name
Run the name search at the Alabama Secretary of State before anything else.
TipA runner-up name avoids a repeat search.
Procedure2
Procedure 2: Name the registered agent
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. 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.
The address has to be a street address in Alabama where papers can be handed to the agent. P.O. boxes are not accepted, and an agent cannot work only through a virtual office or a mail-forwarding service.
TipAll of the ranked services provide a registered agent.
The owner can file for $236 or add $199 for a service. The ranked services appear above.
Procedure4
Procedure 4: Send the Domestic Limited Liability Company Certificate of Formation
The Domestic Limited Liability Company Certificate of Formation is the formation instrument. It goes to the Alabama Secretary of State, and the fee measures $236.
The IRS issues EINs, not Alabama. Apply after approval and pass the number to the bank. Mainstay Filing performs the EIN application as part of its package.
Procedure6
Procedure 6: Set the ownership rules in writing
An operating agreement is the owners' rulebook. The company retains it; the state does not collect it.
Procedure7
Procedure 7: Log the recurring deadlines
No yearly filing is recorded for Alabama, so the single continuing duty is a current registered agent.
Costs, procedure by procedure
Cost item
Payee
Total
Filing the LLC
The state
$236
Filing service (optional)
Service
$199 for year one
Three-year state total
The state
$236
Filing fee plus two later reports plus any minimum tax gives the state's three-year total. The specimens below name the page behind each amount.
Why this order
Measured cost over three years decided first place in Alabama. It carries 36% of the reading, and the remainder comes from procedures the price performs, reading at year two, fit with the state protocol and price legibility.
Three years with Alabama Registered Agent.co total $397, which is $200 below Mainstay Filing.
Common questions
What does Alabama charge to set up an LLC?
$236 goes to the state. The ranked services charge $199 on top.
Which form creates the LLC?
Formation is complete when the Alabama Secretary of State accepts the Domestic Limited Liability Company Certificate of Formation.
Is a registered agent required?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
What does Alabama require each year?
The state requires no recurring report.
Can I form the LLC without a service?
Yes. The state takes $236 at filing, and the LLC must still name a registered agent.
Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?
Select Alabama Registered Agent.co: a formation fee of $199 and an agent renewal of $99 a year. Then AL Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing.