Registered agent required
Yes
According to alisondb.legislature.state.al.us, as of October 2026
Registered agent guide · Alabama
Alabama Registered Agents (2026): State Rules, Fees and the 3 Best Agents
Alabama, 2026: AL Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), Alabama Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) come out on top for a registered agent, in that sequence. A registered agent is required for every Alabama LLC, but the state itself collects no yearly report fee.
Alabama: the figures
1st
place among 50 on the yearly state bill
First place is the smallest bill (equal totals). Every state compared
State charges, per year
$0
The state side of a single year
Our Alabama recommendations
Most of the weight goes to three-year charges and coverage. Read the methodology for all five criteria.
1. AL Registered Agent.org: best for a small flat agent fee
$99 annually, no change at renewal
We put AL Registered Agent.org first: $99 per year for an agent whose office address is inside the state.
The three-year service bill is smaller than Mainstay Filing's, which is our heaviest criterion.
What the price buys
- An office address supplied for the registered agent role
- Process served on the company is scanned and uploaded
In its favor
- Price $99, renewal $99
- Beats Mainstay Filing on what you pay per year
Against it
- Single-state service
2. Alabama Registered Agent.co: best for an office address inside the state
$99 annually, no change at renewal
Our second pick, Alabama Registered Agent.co, earns its place since $99 per year for an agent whose office address is inside the state.
AL Registered Agent.org charges the same.
What the price buys
- An office address supplied for the registered agent role
- Process served on the company is scanned and uploaded
In its favor
- Price $99, renewal $99
- Beats Mainstay Filing on what you pay per year
Against it
- Single-state service
3. Mainstay Filing: best for an agent wherever you register
$149 annually, no change at renewal
Mainstay Filing follows: $149 a year with no increase at renewal, valid in every state.
AL Registered Agent.org costs $150 less in three-year service fees.
What the price buys
- Registered office address in Alabama
- Anything served on the company is scanned and sent to you that business day, free of charge
- The first three letters from government agencies each year are scanned at no charge
- Also open to nonprofits, partnerships and corporations, not only LLCs
In its favor
- One price in all fifty states
- Price $149, renewal $149
Against it
- A yearly premium of $50 over AL Registered Agent.org
- It covers the agent role alone, so you send in the reports
The 3 picks at a glance
| No. | Service | Yearly price | Renews at | Service charges, three years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AL Registered Agent.org | $99 | $99/yr | $297 | Visit AL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | Alabama Registered Agent.co | $99 | $99/yr | $297 | Visit Alabama Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | Mainstay Filing | $149 | $149/yr | $447 | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
Prices come from each company's own pages and were copied on November 12, 2026. Alabama's own charges do not depend on which agent you name.
Agent and state charges, by year
Each agent's price is combined with the state charges that repeat. Formation fees are not in the total.
Alabama next to the states ranked around it
| Place | State | Yearly state fees |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Alabama | $0 |
| 1st | Arizona | $0 |
| 1st | Idaho | $0 |
| 1st | Minnesota | $0 |
| 1st | Mississippi | $0 |
Registered agent rules by state lists every state, least expensive first.
What Alabama law requires of a registered agent
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street 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.
Who counts as an agent: 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. Legal basis: Ala. Code § 10A-1-5.31.
Keeping a Alabama LLC in 2026
Beyond keeping a current registered agent, Alabama wants nothing each year.
Why the list reads this way
In Alabama the deciding criterion was three-year service charge, at 34% of the total.
AL Registered Agent.org charges $297 over three years in service fees, $150 under Mainstay Filing.
Questions and answers
Does every Alabama LLC need a registered agent?
Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Who may act as the registered agent for Alabama LLCs?
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.
What is the yearly price of registered agent service for Alabama?
Among our picks the price is $99 to $149 a year.
What does the state itself charge an LLC each year?
Nothing. Alabama has no yearly report fee, so no state charge repeats.
Which registered agents are recommended on this page?
AL Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), Alabama Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), beginning with our first choice.
Which registered agent is the best choice?
AL Registered Agent.org, Alabama Registered Agent.co and Mainstay Filing, in that sequence.
Sources for this chapter
- For Alabama formation fee: Filing fee, official source, see alison.legislature.state.al.us (opened October 2026)
- For Alabama formation fee: Filing fee, official source, see sos.alabama.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Alabama formation fee: Name reservation, official source, see sos.alabama.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Alabama formation fee: Name reservation, official source, see alison.legislature.state.al.us (opened October 2026)
- For Alabama registered agent statute, see alisondb.legislature.state.al.us (opened October 2026)
- For Alabama Department of Revenue, 2024 business privilege tax, see revenue.alabama.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Arizona Corporation Commission, see azcc.gov (opened August 2026)
- For Arizona Corporation Commission, see azcc.gov (opened August 2026)
- For Idaho yearly filing: Annual report: due date, official, see legislature.idaho.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Minnesota yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source, see revisor.mn.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Minnesota yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source, see revisor.mn.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services Division, see sos.ms.gov (opened August 2026)
- For Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services Division, see sos.ms.gov (opened August 2026)
- For Mississippi yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source, see sos.ms.gov (opened October 2026)
- AL Registered Agent.org, pricing page: copied from the company site November 12, 2026
- Alabama Registered Agent.co, pricing page: copied from the company site November 12, 2026
- Mainstay Filing, Alabama service page: copied from the company site November 12, 2026