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Biz Formation Academy

A plain textbook on LLC paperwork, one state per chapter.

Unit 1 · Alabama

Alabama LLC Formation Chapter (2026): 7 Sections and the 3 Best LLC Services

For forming an LLC in Alabama in 2026, this chapter recommends AL Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Alabama Registered Agent.co ($199), ranked from first to last. Formation in Alabama comes to 7 sections and a $236 state fee.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

Essential facts

Fee to form $236 alison.legislature.state.al.us, as published October 2026
Yearly report None None to file
State fees across three years $236 Filing plus the recurring state fees
Number of sections 7 Outlined below

After this chapter you will understand

  • What Alabama charges to form an LLC and where the filing goes
  • How to satisfy the registered agent rule
  • The state filing that repeats
  • Which services are recommended and why

Who we recommend in Alabama

Three-year cost and paperwork completed carry the most weight; how we grade lists all five.

1. AL Registered Agent.org: best for a small first payment

Read this one first
$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

First place goes to AL Registered Agent.org; forming a Alabama LLC costs $199 and the agent for year one is part of that price; the agent renews at $99.

Cost breaks the tie: three years here total less than at Mainstay Filing.

Price covers

  • Filing delivered to the state
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • $199 and the state fee
  • $99 a year after that
  • No agent fee in year one

Limitations

  • Help with the EIN is $99 more
Visit AL Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. Mainstay Filing: best for a complete package

Serves all states
$199 per year; checkout collects $435, which includes the state fee

Second place is held by Mainstay Filing, since one annual payment of $199 completes the filing and provides a registered agent, plus the EIN application.

Total three years and it comes to $200 more than AL Registered Agent.org.

Price covers

  • Formation filing
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • No markup on the state fee

Advantages

  • The renewal stays at $199
  • $199 a year covers filing, agent
  • The EIN application is prepared as well

Limitations

  • A yearly premium of $100 compared with AL Registered Agent.org
  • With no report, the bundle offers less
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. Alabama Registered Agent.co: best for owners who prepare their own reports

Single-state plan
$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

The third recommendation, Alabama Registered Agent.co: forming a Alabama LLC costs $199 and the agent for year one is part of that price; the agent renews at $99.

It publishes the same prices as AL Registered Agent.org.

Price covers

  • Filing delivered to the state
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • $99 a year after that
  • $199 and the state fee
  • No agent fee in year one

Limitations

  • Help with the EIN is $99 more
Visit Alabama Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The Alabama rankings compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1 AL Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397 Visit AL Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing $199$199/yr$597 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Alabama Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397 Visit Alabama Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Listed prices, consulted November 13, 2026. Each row still owes Alabama's $236 fee.

Formation in sequence

  1. Section 1

    Select and check the company name

    The records at the Alabama Secretary of State show every name in use. Look yours up before preparing any forms, because Alabama can refuse a duplicate.

    A spare name saves a second search later.

  2. Section 2

    Appoint a 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.

    Providing the registered agent is part of what each recommended service sells.

    Reference: alisondb.legislature.state.al.us, as published October 2026

  3. Section 3

    Self-filing compared with hiring help

    Both routes pay $236 to the state. The services in the ranking charge $199 more and do the forms.

  4. Section 4

    The filing to prepare is the Domestic Limited Liability Company Certificate of Formation

    This section is the legal act that creates the company: the Domestic Limited Liability Company Certificate of Formation goes to the Alabama Secretary of State, accompanied by $236.

    Reference: alison.legislature.state.al.us, as published October 2026

  5. Section 5

    Apply for a federal tax identification number

    After formation, an EIN identifies the LLC to the IRS and lets it open accounts in its own name. This section is inside the Mainstay Filing package.

  6. Section 6

    Record how the company will be run

    An operating agreement is the document in which the owners of a Alabama LLC record who owns what and how decisions are made. It stays with the company and is never filed with the state.

  7. Section 7

    Prepare for the second year

    Alabama does not call for an annual report. Keep the registered agent current.

The price list

ItemGoes toAmount
Forming the LLC Paid to the state$236
Paid assistance Your chosen service$199 for year one
State fees across years one to three Paid to the state$236

Anything paid to Alabama is an official fee that can be verified in the bibliography. The three-year row combines the filing, two later reports and a minimum tax where one exists; service prices are not part of it.

Why AL Registered Agent.org is first

Tuition over three years accounts for 34% of the ranking, and led on it in Alabama.

Add up years one to three with AL Registered Agent.org and the sum is $397; the same period at Mainstay Filing runs $200 higher.

Common questions

What does Alabama charge to form an LLC?

Alabama charges $236. On top of the state fee, the ranked services bill $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

When the Alabama Secretary of State accepts the Domestic Limited Liability Company Certificate of Formation, the LLC exists.

Is a registered agent required?

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

What does Alabama require each year?

No yearly report is due.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

A service is optional. Owners may file by paying $236 as long as they appoint a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

The ranking is AL Registered Agent.org, Mainstay Filing and Alabama Registered Agent.co, and AL Registered Agent.org is first since the filing price is $199, and later years of agent service are $99 each.

Related chapters

Bibliography and primary texts

  1. Bibliography entry for the Alabama formation fee: Filing fee, official source chapter: alison.legislature.state.al.us, consulted October 2026.
  2. Bibliography entry for the Alabama formation fee: Filing fee, official source chapter: sos.alabama.gov, consulted October 2026.
  3. Bibliography entry for the Alabama formation fee: Name reservation, official source chapter: sos.alabama.gov, consulted October 2026.
  4. Bibliography entry for the Alabama formation fee: Name reservation, official source chapter: alison.legislature.state.al.us, consulted October 2026.
  5. Bibliography entry for the Alabama registered agent statute chapter: alisondb.legislature.state.al.us, consulted October 2026.
  6. Price reference: AL Registered Agent.org, pricing page, November 13, 2026
  7. Price reference: Mainstay Filing, Alabama service page, November 13, 2026
  8. Price reference: Alabama Registered Agent.co, pricing page, November 13, 2026