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Founder Mentor Guide

Mentor notes 1 · Alabama

Alabama LLC Formation Walkthrough (2026): 7 Stages and the 3 Best LLC Services

Here is the short answer for forming an LLC in Alabama in 2026: AL Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Alabama Registered Agent.co ($199), ranked from first to last. Alabama charges $236 to form an LLC; you can finish in 7 stages.

Advice from the Founder Mentor Guide mentors

Walkthrough snapshot

Cost to form
$236
alison.legislature.state.al.us, seen in October 2026
Report every year
None
Nothing recurring
State fees over three years
$236
Formation, reports and any minimum tax
Stage count
7
Each one explained

Walkthrough goals

  • The Alabama fee for a new LLC and the office that receives the filing
  • The registered agent requirement
  • What comes back around every year
  • Our recommendations, with reasons

Alabama: our recommended services

Cost over three years leads, then work taken off your desk, year-two price, Alabama fit and honest pricing (scoring page).

Our call

1. AL Registered Agent.org: best for a no-frills formation

Number one pick$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

In Alabama, AL Registered Agent.org leads the list: you form the Alabama LLC for $199 with year-one agent service included; the agent then renews at $99.

Because Mainstay Filing costs more over three years, this service takes the top spot.

What you get

  • Filing made with the state
  • A year of agent service comes with the price

What works

  • $199 to form
  • $99 a year after that
  • No agent fee in year one

What to watch

  • It bills $99 for the EIN stage
Visit AL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

2. Mainstay Filing: best for first-time owners

Works in every state$199 a year, renewing at $199

Second place goes to Mainstay Filing, since you get formation plus a registered agent for $199, and the same bill returns at renewal (EIN application included).

Three years here run $200 above AL Registered Agent.org, and cost is 32% of our ranking.

What you get

  • Formation paperwork handled
  • Registered agent all year long
  • The EIN application comes with it
  • State fee passed through at cost

What works

  • The renewal stays at $199
  • It prepares your EIN application as well
  • A flat $199 every year

What to watch

  • $100 a year more than AL Registered Agent.org at renewal
  • No report means the bundle does less for you
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

3. Alabama Registered Agent.co: best for another Alabama option

Alabama specialist$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

Alabama Registered Agent.co comes in third: you form the Alabama LLC for $199 with year-one agent service included; the agent then renews at $99.

It charges exactly what AL Registered Agent.org charges.

What you get

  • Filing made with the state
  • A year of agent service comes with the price

What works

  • $199 to form
  • No agent fee in year one
  • $99 a year after that

What to watch

  • It bills $99 for the EIN stage
Visit Alabama Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3 services, compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1AL Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit AL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Alabama Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Alabama Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
What each company posted on November 13, 2026. No row folds in the $236 state fee.

Starting a Alabama LLC, stage by stage

  1. Stage 1

    Settle on the company name

    Do your name search at the Alabama Secretary of State. Finding a clash now beats a rejected Alabama filing later.

    Have a backup name written down.

  2. Stage 2

    Choose 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.

    Any of the services we phone can be your registered agent.

    Check it yourself: alisondb.legislature.state.al.us, seen in October 2026

  3. Stage 3

    Who does the paperwork?

    Either way you pay Alabama $236. The services we recommend charge $199 more to do the work.

  4. Stage 4

    Get ready the Domestic Limited Liability Company Certificate of Formation

    Once the Alabama Secretary of State accepts the Domestic Limited Liability Company Certificate of Formation and $236, the LLC exists.

    Check it yourself: alison.legislature.state.al.us, seen in October 2026

  5. Stage 5

    Order a federal tax ID for the LLC

    State approval first, IRS number second. Mainstay Filing handles the EIN application at no added charge.

  6. Stage 6

    Document how the company runs

    It spells out shares, voting and what happens if someone leaves. It stays private.

  7. Stage 7

    Stay in good standing in Alabama

    The state wants no yearly filing, but you still need a registered agent on file.

What each stage costs in Alabama

StagePaid toCost
Forming the LLCState agency$236
Service fees (optional)The service company$199 for year one
Three years of state feesState agency$236
Here is how the three-year state row is built: filing fee, then the report in each of years two and three, then any yearly minimum tax. Service fees get their own rows.

The thinking behind the order

On three-year bill (32% of the score) finished first, with right behind.

AL Registered Agent.org wins the cost score at $397 over three years, against $200 more at Mainstay Filing.

Common questions

How much will Alabama charge me to start an LLC?

Budget $236 to file. The services we recommend bill $199 on top.

Which form creates the LLC?

Once the Alabama Secretary of State accepts the Domestic Limited Liability Company Certificate of Formation, your LLC is real.

Is a registered agent required?

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

What does Alabama require each year?

Only the agent repeats.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

The state takes filings straight from owners, so no service is needed. Expect $236 plus a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

AL Registered Agent.org, Mainstay Filing and Alabama Registered Agent.co, from the top score to the lowest.

Where we got the facts

  1. For Alabama formation fee: Filing fee, official source, open alison.legislature.state.al.us (we last saw it October 2026).
  2. For Alabama formation fee: Filing fee, official source, open sos.alabama.gov (we last saw it October 2026).
  3. For Alabama formation fee: Name reservation, official source, open sos.alabama.gov (we last saw it October 2026).
  4. For Alabama formation fee: Name reservation, official source, open alison.legislature.state.al.us (we last saw it October 2026).
  5. For Alabama registered agent statute, open alisondb.legislature.state.al.us (we last saw it October 2026).
  6. AL Registered Agent.org: pricing page, opened November 13, 2026
  7. Mainstay Filing: Alabama service page, opened November 13, 2026
  8. Alabama Registered Agent.co: pricing page, opened November 13, 2026