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How to Change Your Registered Agent in Alabama

The form, the fee, and how to file it.

Filing details

Form name
Change of Registered Agent or Registered Office by Entity
Filing fee
$100
Online filing
No (mail or in person)
Processing time
Alabama publishes no processing time for this filing and no expedite for it. File by mail or by email
Filing agency
Alabama SOS ↗
Note: Alabama charges $100 to change the registered agent, the highest fee of any state. Mail two typed copies of the Change of Registered Agent or Registered Office form to Secretary of State, Business Services, P.O. Box 5616, Montgomery AL 36103, or email it to miscellaneous.filings@sos.alabama.gov. Handwritten forms are rejected. The new agent must sign the consent on page two before you file.
Download form (PDF) ↗

How to change your registered agent in Alabama

  1. Choose your new registered agent first. Do not file the change form until you have a new agent lined up. The new agent has to consent to the appointment, and most states will not process the change without that consent in hand. If you let coverage lapse, the Alabama SOS can administratively dissolve your LLC.

    Two ways to go. Name yourself or someone you know. Nothing to pay beyond the state filing fee above, but your address goes in the public record and somebody has to be there during business hours to accept legal mail.
    Or use a service at $125/year. That keeps your address private and prepares the change form for you. If you are here because your current agent resigned, missed a delivery, or raised its price, this is usually the reason. See what Northwest charges, or compare what the major agents cost first.

  2. Get the Change of Registered Agent or Registered Office by Entity. Download the form ↗ Alabama requires a paper filing for this change. Print the form, fill it in, and have the new registered agent sign the consent section. Both the change form and any required consent form must be submitted to the Alabama Secretary of State.
  3. Pay the $100 filing fee. Mail filings accept check or money order. Confirm the exact payee on the form before you send it, because it is not the Secretary of State in every state. Include payment with the form.
  4. Notify your old agent. Once the change is processed, your old agent's responsibility ends. If you are paying them an annual fee, cancel that subscription so it does not auto-renew. Most agents do not refund the unused portion, so time the cancellation against your renewal date.
  5. Verify the change in state records. Search your LLC name on the Alabama SOS business search and confirm the new registered agent is listed. Check back after the processing window shown above.

Important to know about Alabama

  • Alabama charges $100, the highest change-of-agent fee in the country. Ten states charge nothing and most of the rest fall between $5 and $25.
  • Form must be typed, not handwritten. Handwritten forms are rejected without review.
  • Alabama LLCs file no annual report, so there is no yearly filing to bundle this change into. The $100 change form is the only route.
  • Some third-party sources cite $25 for this filing - this is incorrect. The official Alabama SOS Fee Schedule confirms $100.

Have a service handle the change for you

Northwest will prepare and file the Change of Registered Agent or Registered Office by Entity for you when you sign up, and it pays the state filing fee. The change is usually filed the same business day.

Get Northwest Registered Agent ↗
$125/year · All 50 states · Privacy included
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$99 first year, then $159/year · Full-service compliance option
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Registered Agents Inc
$200/year · Report filing included, state fees extra
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Choosing a replacement agent? Our full Northwest Registered Agent review and Harbor Compliance review compare pricing, renewals, and service before you file.

Related guides

Sources 6 pages

The official pages behind the figures on this page, with the date we last read each one. How we check.

Fees and costs

Deadlines and processing

Forms and filing

This page provides general information based on publicly available Alabama Secretary of State requirements. It is not legal advice. Forms, fees, and procedures can change. Verify with the Alabama SOS before filing.