The fee, the form, what triggers registration in Alabama, and how to file.
State filing fee$150one-time
Registered agent$125/yearbased on Northwest RA
Estimated total$525
Alabama data last reviewed Oct 9, 2026 · sos.alabama.govTotals include the $150 filing fee once, Northwest RA at $125/year, and Alabama recurring state costs over the selected period.
Foreign Qualification
Filing fee
$150
Form
Foreign Limited Liability Company Application for Registration
Annual obligation
No annual report required
Processing time
Alabama publishes no processing time for this filing. More
The current Foreign Limited Liability Company Registration form, revised 10/2022, states none, and the superseded 8/2013 form it replaced said only that there is "no guaranteed processing timeframe - dependent on volume". Alabama sells no expedited service on business entity filings, so there is no purchased turnaround either.
Estimated year 1 cost
$150
Note: Alabama requires a Certificate of Name Reservation before the foreign registration can be filed: $25 by mail or $27.75 online. Budget about $175 by mail or $184 online for both, not the $150 registration fee alone. Paying by card online adds 3 per cent plus $2. Paper filings can be expedited for $250 in total; online filings carry no expedite fee.
Alabama LLCs do not file an annual report with the Secretary of State, although many guides still list one. Corporations no longer file one either. What an LLC may still owe is the Business Privilege Tax return with the Department of Revenue, and it only has to file if its tax would be more than $100.
A Certificate of Name Reservation is required before the foreign registration can be filed, $28 online or $25 by mail. It sits outside the headline filing fee.
What does NOT require registration in Alabama
Alabama publishes no statutory list of activities that are exempt from foreign registration. Why
Title 10A, Chapter 1, Article 7 contains no carve-out provision, and Ala. Code Section 10A-1-7.01(b) defines transacting business broadly: "the terms transact business and transacting business shall include conducting a business, activity, not for profit activity, and any other activity, whether or not for profit." Most states publish a list of eleven or so exempt activities. Alabama does not, so the safe harbours other states provide cannot be relied on here.
Forming a new LLC in Alabama instead?$200 to form
Formation fee
$200
Annual cost
No annual report
State income tax
Income tax up to 5%, top bracket starting at $3,000 of taxable income (2026 tax year)
Privacy
High
Sources15 pages
The official pages behind the figures on this page, with the date we last read each one. How we check.
This page provides general information based on publicly available state requirements. It is not legal advice. Verify with the Alabama SOS before filing.