What to know about Alabama
1st
among 50 states for yearly state fees
Registered agent required
Yes
What the state collects in 1 year
$0
One year of the report, plus any minimum tax
Services ranked for Alabama
We ordered the list with five criteria, and three-year fees and coverage count most (the
method page covers the rest).
Best overall
1. Alabama Registered Agent.co: best for staying in one state with one agent
$99 for the first year, and the same after that
Why Alabama Registered Agent.co is first: a flat $99 each year, and scans of papers served on you are passed along.
Mainstay Filing costs more over three years, and that criterion is worth 33% of the score.
What your money gets you
- A registered office address in the state
- Papers served on the company are scanned into your account
What works
- A flat $99 a year
- A lower yearly price than Mainstay Filing
What to weigh
- Alabama only; another state needs its own agent
Nationwide
2. Mainstay Filing: best for an agent you can keep in any state
$149 for the first year, and the same after that
Why Mainstay Filing is second: you pay $149 a year in every state, and the price stays the same at renewal.
Alabama Registered Agent.co costs $150 less over three years, and that explains the order.
What your money gets you
- A street address for your registered office
- Scans anything served on the company the same business day and does not charge for it
- Scans your first three government letters each year at no cost
- Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs
What works
- Works in every state
- $149 annually
What to weigh
- Costs you $50 more each year than Alabama Registered Agent.co
- On this plan you file the reports yourself
Local option
3. AL Registered Agent.org: best for another option in Alabama
$99 for the first year, and the same after that
Why AL Registered Agent.org is third: a flat $99 each year, and scans of papers served on you are passed along.
On price it is exactly level with Alabama Registered Agent.co.
What your money gets you
- A registered office address in the state
- Papers served on the company are scanned into your account
What works
- A flat $99 a year
- A lower yearly price than Mainstay Filing
What to weigh
- Alabama only; another state needs its own agent
The ranking in numbers
All prices come from the companies' own pages, as they stood on November 13, 2026. Alabama's own fees stay the same whoever acts as your agent.
Upkeep calculator
This adds agent fees to the state's recurring charges. Formation fees are not included.
How Alabama compares with the states near it in the ranking
The rules for a registered agent in Alabama, straight from the statute
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street 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.
Who can act as your agent: 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. That comes from Ala. Code § 10A-1-5.31.
The state fees that come back
Alabama skips the yearly report, though your registered agent must stay current.
What decided the order
What settled Alabama was price over three years, at 33%.
The three-year fees at Alabama Registered Agent.co total $297, $150 beneath Mainstay Filing.
Alabama FAQ
Do I have to name a registered agent for my Alabama LLC?
Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Who is allowed to be a registered agent for my Alabama LLC?
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.
What will registered agent service cost me each year in Alabama?
Agents ranked here bill $99 to $149 annually.
Which state fees will I pay every year?
Nothing. Alabama has no yearly report fee, so no state fee comes back.
Which registered agents does this page rank?
Alabama Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and AL Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), from strongest to weakest.
Which registered agent should I choose?
Alabama Registered Agent.co comes first and Mainstay Filing and AL Registered Agent.org follow. What separates them is price over three years.
Where this briefing comes from
- Behind the Alabama formation fee: Filing fee, official source section is alison.legislature.state.al.us, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Alabama formation fee: Filing fee, official source section is sos.alabama.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Alabama formation fee: Name reservation, official source section is sos.alabama.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Alabama formation fee: Name reservation, official source section is alison.legislature.state.al.us, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Alabama registered agent statute section is alisondb.legislature.state.al.us, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Alabama Department of Revenue, 2024 business privilege tax section is revenue.alabama.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Arizona Corporation Commission section is azcc.gov, a page we reread in August 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Arizona Corporation Commission section is azcc.gov, a page we reread in August 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Idaho yearly filing: Annual report: due date, official section is legislature.idaho.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Minnesota yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source section is revisor.mn.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Minnesota yearly filing: Recurring filing, official source section is revisor.mn.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services Division section is sos.ms.gov, a page we reread in August 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services Division section is sos.ms.gov, a page we reread in August 2026 before publishing.
- Behind the Mississippi yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source section is sos.ms.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
- Pricing page for Alabama Registered Agent.co was confirmed on the company site on November 13, 2026
- Alabama service page for Mainstay Filing was confirmed on the company site on November 13, 2026
- Pricing page for AL Registered Agent.org was confirmed on the company site on November 13, 2026