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Filing Verdict

Rankings of registered agents, LLC formation and foreign registration services in all 50 states.

Foreign registration verdict · Alabama

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Alabama (2026)

Filing Verdict's 2026 verdict on foreign registration services in Alabama: Mainstay Filing ($199), Alabama Registered Agent.co ($199) and AL Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. Mainstay Filing takes first place: it prepares the Alabama registration for $199 and serves as your registered agent, free in year one, then $149 a year.
The Filing Verdict editorial team
Our top pick
Spot 1

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies working in several states

Service fee $199, state fee extra; agent $149 yearly after year one

9.4Editorial score
out of 10

Mainstay Filing wins here: $199 on top of the state fee, the same in any state, with the first year of registered agent service included.

After the free first year the agent is $149 a year, whichever state you register in.

The three-year bill is $100 higher than Alabama Registered Agent.co's, and the wider coverage is worth that to us.

What you get

  • The registration, prepared and submitted for you
  • Free registered agent service for the first year
  • Papers served on the company scanned and uploaded the same business day, free

What we like

  • One price in all fifty states
  • Registered agent service free in year one
  • Same-business-day scans of served papers, free
  • Service fee of $199, plus the state's fee

Cons

  • After year one its agent runs $149 a year, $50 above Alabama Registered Agent.co
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full Mainstay Filing verdict
Lower renewal than Mainstay
Spot 2

2. Alabama Registered Agent.co: best for companies adding only Alabama

Service fee $199, state fee extra; agent $99 yearly after year one

8.9Editorial score
out of 10

Second place goes to Alabama Registered Agent.co: $199 plus the state fee, with a year of registered agent service included, then $99 a year for the agent.

The plan gives the company an in-state street address as its registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned to your online account.

What you get

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • Year-one registered agent service

What we like

  • Agent at $99 yearly after the first year
  • Registration at $199 before state fees
  • Includes the first year as your registered agent

Cons

  • Covers Alabama only; your home state needs its own agent
  • The EIN application is billed separately ($99)
Visit Alabama Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full Alabama Registered Agent.co verdict
Best value here
Spot 3

3. AL Registered Agent.org: best for Alabama registrations only

$199 service fee, state fee added; $99 a year from year two

8.8Editorial score
out of 10

Third place goes to AL Registered Agent.org: $199 plus the state fee, with a year of registered agent service included, then $99 a year for the agent.

The plan gives the company an in-state street address as its registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned to your online account.

AL Registered Agent.org copies Alabama Registered Agent.co on price and plan features, so the order between them is a close call.

What you get

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • Year-one registered agent service

What we like

  • Year-one registered agent service included
  • $99 a year for the agent from year two
  • Registration at $199 before state fees

Cons

  • Covers Alabama only; your home state needs its own agent
  • The EIN application is billed separately ($99)
Visit AL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full AL Registered Agent.org verdict

The 3 verdicts at a glance

No.ServiceVerdict scoreService feeYear twoBest forVisit
1Mainstay Filing9.4$199$149/yrCompanies registered in several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Alabama Registered Agent.co8.9$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal here Visit Alabama Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3AL Registered Agent.org8.8$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal here Visit AL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Each mark out of 10 is our own judgment from the weighted criteria on How we rank. None of it comes from customer ratings.

Alabama foreign registration service prices for 2026: year one, renewals and three years

ServiceYear 1Year 2Year 3Total, 3 yearsAgent covered in year one
Mainstay Filing$199$149$149$497Free
Alabama Registered Agent.co$199$99$99$397Included
AL Registered Agent.org$199$99$99$397Included
Prices were read from each company's own pages on November 12, 2026. Alabama's $150 registration fee goes on top of every row and is not counted in these totals.

How the order was set

What settled Alabama: paperwork the price handles. The method puts 35% on total over three years, 35% on paperwork the price handles and spreads 30% across renewal behavior, match to the state and up-front pricing.

Registering in a second state involves two states, so one provider with one price in both scored best on coverage, ahead of Alabama Registered Agent.co.

The full list of criteria and weights is on How we rank.

Alabama foreign LLC registration: the fee, the form and the filing office

The company registers with the Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division by filing the Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) Application for Registration. The state fee is $150.

Afterwards the company files the business privilege tax return, due same date as the federal return.

Before you file: a checklist

  • The exact legal name from the home state, and the date the company was formed there.
  • A registered agent with a street address in the state; each service on this page can act in that role.
  • The $150 state fee, paid with the filing.
  • A calendar entry for the business privilege tax return.

What skipping Alabama registration can cost

Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC cannot bring suit in Alabama courts (Ala. Code 10A-1-7.21(a)). Contracts it signs stay valid (Ala. Code 10A-1-7.21(b)).

Alabama foreign registration service: questions answered

Does Alabama require an out-of-state LLC to register?

Yes, once it transacts business there. Until it registers, it cannot bring suit in the state's courts.

What does foreign registration cost in Alabama?

The state fee is $150, and the service fee is $199.

Is a registered agent required once I have registered?

Yes. The company still needs a registered agent here, with a street address in the state.

Which foreign registration services are ranked on this page?

Mainstay Filing ($199), Alabama Registered Agent.co ($199) and AL Registered Agent.org ($199), from first place to last.

What does a foreign LLC file every year?

Each year it files the business privilege tax return.

Which foreign registration service is the best pick in Alabama?

Mainstay Filing, because $199 plus the state's own fee, with the registered agent free for the first year and one price in every state.

See also

Sources and dates

  1. Alabama formation fee: Filing fee, official source, confirmed October 2026
  2. Alabama formation fee: Filing fee, official source, confirmed October 2026
  3. Alabama formation fee: Name reservation, official source, confirmed October 2026
  4. Alabama formation fee: Name reservation, official source, confirmed October 2026
  5. Alabama registered agent statute, confirmed October 2026
  6. Alabama Secretary of State, LLC filings, confirmed October 2026
  7. Foreign LLC Application for Registration, confirmed October 2026
  8. Secretary of State Online Services, confirmed October 2026
  9. Code of Alabama, section 10A-1-7.01, confirmed October 2026
  10. Department of Revenue, business privilege tax notice, confirmed October 2026
  11. Code of Alabama, section 10A-1-7.21, confirmed November 2026
  12. Checked November 12, 2026: Mainstay Filing, Alabama service page
  13. Checked November 12, 2026: Alabama Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages
  14. Checked November 12, 2026: AL Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages