‹ Alabama Filing Guide · All Good-Standing Guides

How to Get a Certificate of Good Standing in Alabama

Alabama calls it the Certificate of Existence and charges $28. Here is how to order it and what must be current first.

At a glance

Document name
Certificate of Existence
State fee
$28Checked Oct 7, 2026 · sos.alabama.gov
Online ordering
Yes
Typical turnaround
Immediate online ($28)
Issuing office
Alabama SOS ↗

How to order it

  1. Clear any past-due filings first. Check your entity status with the Alabama SOS and resolve the requirements below. Tax clearance may be a separate document.
  2. Order it online. Search your LLC in the Alabama portal, request the certificate, and download it. Link in the table above.
  3. Pay the $28 fee. Confirm payment methods and the total in the official portal; extra fees may apply.
  4. Use it inside the recipient's window. The certificate has no state expiration, but banks and other states usually want one dated within the last 30 to 90 days. Order it close to when you need it.

Would rather not deal with the agency yourself?

CorpNet orders the certificate for you
$69 service fee, plus the Alabama state fee shown above · A filing service, not a registered agent. Ordering it yourself is cheaper and the steps above are the whole process.
Visit site ↗
Full ordering details for Alabama

Alabama has two distinct documents often both referred to as "good standing." The Secretary of State issues a Certificate of Existence ($25 mail / $28 online) confirming the entity exists and has not been dissolved. The Alabama Department of Revenue (ALDOR) separately issues a Certificate of Compliance ($13.30) confirming state tax compliance - this is technically the "good standing" document. Most out-of-state foreign qualifications accept the SOS Certificate of Existence. Order the SOS certificate at sos.alabama.gov or by mail. ALDOR Certificate of Compliance is ordered at alabamainteractive.org/ador_tax_compliance.

Processing and expedited tiers: 24-48 hours mail ($25)

Important to know about Alabama

  • Alabama has TWO separate documents that might both be called "good standing": the Certificate of Existence ($28 online, $25 by mail) from the Secretary of State and the Certificate of Compliance ($13.30) from the Alabama Department of Revenue. Ask the receiving party which they require.
  • LLCs do not file annual reports with the Secretary of State, and corporations no longer do either. What is left at state level is the Business Privilege Tax return with the Alabama Department of Revenue, and most small LLCs are exempt from it (see below).
  • Alabama Business Privilege Tax minimum was reduced to $0 for entities owing $100 or less under Act 2022-252. For tax years beginning after December 31, 2023, a taxpayer whose calculated BPT is $100 or less owes nothing and is not required to file the BPT return at all. Only LLCs whose calculated tax exceeds $100 file Form PPT and pay.
  • Ordering the Certificate of Existence online costs $28 (the $25 fee plus $3 to Alabama.gov). By mail it is $25 but takes 24 to 48 hours plus mail time.
  • Alabama requires a Certificate of Name Reservation BEFORE forming an LLC, $28 online or $25 by mail. This is a two-step formation process that catches out-of-state filers off guard. Not directly related to good standing but worth knowing.

Ordering this to register in another state?

A certificate of good standing from Alabama is what the new state asks for when your Alabama LLC registers to do business there. Pick the state you are expanding into to see its exact filing, fee, and process.

Find your state-to-state guide · Registering an out-of-state LLC into Alabama instead?

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

Forms and filing

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