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Every state's LLC costs, set down with their sources.

Foreign LLC guide · Alabama

Registering an Out-of-State LLC in Alabama (2026): Fees and the 3 Best Services

For registering a foreign LLC in Alabama in 2026, we recommend AL Registered Agent.org ($199), Alabama Registered Agent.co ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), in that order. Alabama charges $150 for an out-of-state LLC to register. That is number 13th of 50.

Compiled by the LLC Factbook editors

Alabama state charges at a glance

13th out of 50 states, measured on foreign LLC charges
First place is the smallest bill (joint rank). The whole table

Report, per cycle

None
Business privilege tax return

State charges, years one to three

$150
Only the state's charges across three years

The Alabama picks

How the order came about: three-year service charges first, then coverage, renewal, Alabama fit and fee labeling (methodology).
Our first choice

1. AL Registered Agent.org: best for one extra state

$199 plus fees; $99 yearly later

Why AL Registered Agent.org leads: a $199 service fee and a $99 agent renewal in Alabama.

The three-year service bill is smaller than Mainstay Filing's, which is our heaviest criterion.

What the price buys

  • The Alabama registration prepared and filed
  • A year of agent service

In its favor

  • The agent renews at $99
  • Nothing extra for the agent in the first year
  • $199 and the state's fee

Against it

  • A different agent has to cover the home state
State-based option

2. Alabama Registered Agent.co: best for Alabama registrations

$199 plus fees; $99 yearly later

Alabama Registered Agent.co follows: a $199 service fee and a $99 agent renewal in Alabama.

Price for price, it equals AL Registered Agent.org.

What the price buys

  • The Alabama registration prepared and filed
  • A year of agent service

In its favor

  • The agent renews at $99
  • Nothing extra for the agent in the first year
  • $199 and the state's fee

Against it

  • A different agent has to cover the home state
All fifty states

3. Mainstay Filing: best for a third or fourth state later

$199 plus fees; $149 yearly later

In third place we have Mainstay Filing, because a $199 service fee in whichever state you choose, plus a free first year of agent service.

The three-year bill is $100 larger than AL Registered Agent.org's, and cost is the heaviest of our criteria.

Year two brings the agent charge, $149 a year, wherever the company registers.

What the price buys

  • Your registration is prepared and filed
  • No charge for the registered agent in the first year
  • Fees do not vary by state

In its favor

  • Works for your next state too
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • The registered agent is free for year one

Against it

  • A bigger agent renewal ($149)

The 3 picks at a glance

No.ServiceFirst-year feeFrom year twoService charges, three years
1 AL Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397 Visit AL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Alabama Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397 Visit Alabama Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Mainstay Filing $199$149/yr$497 Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices as published on November 12, 2026. Alabama charges $150 to register, over and above every service.

Registration and upkeep, by year

The registration fee is $150; the service's prices are added to it.
3 years with AL Registered Agent.org: $150 for the state and $397 for the service, $547 together.

Alabama next to the states ranked around it

PlaceStateThree-year foreign LLC fees
11thIowa$130
12thIndiana$137
13thAlabama$150
13thArizona$150
13thColorado$150
Foreign LLC fees by state lists every state, least expensive first.

Alabama foreign LLC registration fee and form (official)

Foreign LLCs register on the Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) Application for Registration, which is submitted to the Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division with $150.

It keeps filing the business privilege tax return, same date as the federal return.

Checklist

  • Name and formation date exactly as the home state records them.
  • A registered agent in Alabama, which every pick below supplies.
  • Payment of the $150 state fee.

Operating unregistered: the risks

A suit filed before registration is barred until the registration is on file (Ala. Code 10A-1-7.21(a)). Whatever it signed remains in force (Ala. Code 10A-1-7.21(b)).

How we ordered the Alabama picks

AL Registered Agent.org won by scoring higher on three-year service charge, worth 34%, with Alabama Registered Agent.co close behind.

Choosing AL Registered Agent.org costs $397 in service fees across three years ($100 below Mainstay Filing).

Alabama foreign registration service questions answered

What fee does a foreign LLC pay to register with Alabama?

$150 to the state. The services here charge $199 extra.

Which form does Alabama use to register a foreign LLC?

Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) Application for Registration, submitted to the Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division.

Does a foreign LLC owe anything every year?

Yes, the business privilege tax return.

What are the consequences of operating there without registering?

A suit filed before registration is barred until the registration is on file (Ala. Code 10A-1-7.21(a)). Whatever it signed remains in force (Ala. Code 10A-1-7.21(b)).

Does Alabama require a registered agent of a foreign LLC?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Who should register my foreign LLC?

AL Registered Agent.org first, then Alabama Registered Agent.co and Mainstay Filing. What separates AL Registered Agent.org is three-year service charge.

Other chapters

Sources for this chapter

  1. alison.legislature.state.al.us supplies Alabama formation fee: Filing fee, official source, last opened October 2026
  2. sos.alabama.gov supplies Alabama formation fee: Filing fee, official source, last opened October 2026
  3. sos.alabama.gov supplies Alabama formation fee: Name reservation, official source, last opened October 2026
  4. alison.legislature.state.al.us supplies Alabama formation fee: Name reservation, official source, last opened October 2026
  5. alisondb.legislature.state.al.us supplies Alabama registered agent statute, last opened October 2026
  6. sos.alabama.gov supplies Alabama Secretary of State, LLC filings, last opened October 2026
  7. sos.alabama.gov supplies Foreign LLC Application for Registration, last opened October 2026
  8. alabamainteractive.org supplies Secretary of State Online Services, last opened October 2026
  9. alison.legislature.state.al.us supplies Code of Alabama, section 10A-1-7.01, last opened October 2026
  10. revenue.alabama.gov supplies Department of Revenue, business privilege tax notice, last opened October 2026
  11. alison.legislature.state.al.us supplies Code of Alabama, section 10A-1-7.21, last opened November 2026
  12. sos.iowa.gov supplies Iowa Secretary of State, business entity forms and, last opened October 2026
  13. sos.iowa.gov supplies LLC Foreign Registration Statement, Form 635_0010, last opened October 2026
  14. legis.iowa.gov supplies Iowa Code 489.902, registration requirement, last opened October 2026
  15. legis.iowa.gov supplies Iowa Code 489.905, activities that do not count, last opened October 2026
  16. legis.iowa.gov supplies Iowa Code 489.212, biennial report, last opened October 2026
  17. sos.iowa.gov supplies Iowa Secretary of State, certificate of existence, last opened October 2026
  18. in.gov supplies Indiana Secretary of State business forms, last opened October 2026
  19. iga.in.gov supplies Indiana Code 23-0.5-5, registration of foreign entities, last opened October 2026
  20. iga.in.gov supplies Indiana Code 23-0.5-9, fees, last opened October 2026
  21. iga.in.gov supplies Indiana Code 23-0.5-4, registered agents, last opened October 2026
  22. inbiz.in.gov supplies INBiz Business Entity Report, last opened October 2026
  23. azcc.gov supplies Arizona Corporation Commission, LLC forms, last opened October 2026
  24. azcc.gov supplies Form L025 instructions, last opened October 2026
  25. azcc.gov supplies Commission LLC fee schedule, last opened October 2026
  26. azleg.gov supplies A.R.S. 29-3903, registration of foreign LLC, last opened October 2026
  27. azleg.gov supplies A.R.S. 29-3905, activities that are not doing business, last opened October 2026
  28. azcc.gov supplies Arizona Corporation Commission FAQs, last opened October 2026
  29. coloradosos.gov supplies Colorado Secretary of State, foreign entity FAQ, last opened October 2026
  30. coloradosos.gov supplies Sample Statement of Foreign Entity Authority, last opened October 2026
  31. coloradosos.gov supplies Secretary of State business fee schedule, last opened October 2026
  32. content.leg.colorado.gov supplies Colorado Revised Statutes 2024, Title 7, last opened October 2026
  33. coloradosos.gov supplies Registered agent requirements effective July 1, 2025, last opened October 2026
  34. coloradosos.gov supplies Periodic report FAQ, last opened October 2026
  35. AL Registered Agent.org lists its pricing page; we copied it November 12, 2026
  36. Alabama Registered Agent.co lists its pricing page; we copied it November 12, 2026
  37. Mainstay Filing lists its Alabama service page; we copied it November 12, 2026