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Plain English · Alabama

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Alabama (2026), Plainly Answered

We'd pick Mainstay Filing ($199), AL Registered Agent.org ($199) and Alabama Registered Agent.co ($199) in Alabama for 2026, in that order. Every option pays Alabama's $150; three years of service run $397 to $497.

By the Plain Charter editorial team ·

Answer in brief

State fee to register
$150
Certificate required?
Not required
Each year after
No charge, business privilege tax return
Our picks, in order
Mainstay Filing, AL Registered Agent.org then Alabama Registered Agent.co

The Alabama picks

Prices come from each company's own pricing. How we choose.
1First choice

1. Mainstay Filing: best for one price in any state

$199 plus the state fee, then $149 a year

Mainstay Filing leads our list: it costs $199 plus Alabama's fee, with a free first year of registered agent service and $149 a year after.

Yes, AL Registered Agent.org is $100 less across three years. We still put the pick that covers every state first.

Year two on, plan on $149 a year for the registered agent.

The price covers

  • The registration filing
  • Registered agent, included for year one
  • Fifty-state coverage

Upsides

  • One price anywhere
  • $199 over the state fee
  • Registered agent free in year one

What to weigh

  • AL Registered Agent.org renews the agent for $50 less
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Local choice

2. AL Registered Agent.org: best for adding just this state

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

AL Registered Agent.org ranks second, because it charges $199 plus the state fee, agent included for year one, then $99 a year.

The price covers

  • Registration, filed
  • Year-one agent

Upsides

  • Service fee $199
  • $99 a year from year two
  • No agent fee in year one

What to weigh

  • One-state service
Visit AL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Local choice

3. Alabama Registered Agent.co: best for one extra state

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

Alabama Registered Agent.co ranks third, because it charges $199 plus the state fee, agent included for year one, then $99 a year.

Same published prices as AL Registered Agent.org; pick whichever you prefer.

The price covers

  • Registration, filed
  • Year-one agent

Upsides

  • $99 a year from year two
  • Service fee $199
  • No agent fee in year one

What to weigh

  • One-state service
Visit Alabama Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Compare at a glance

#PickYear oneEach year afterThree-year totalCovers
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497the registration filing; registered agent, included for year one; Fifty-state coverageVisit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2AL Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Registration, filed; Year-one agentVisit AL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Alabama Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Registration, filed; Year-one agentVisit Alabama Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Each company's published prices, November 12, 2026. State fees come on top and do not change by pick.

Common questions

Must my LLC register in this state?

Doing business in Alabama with an LLC from elsewhere means registering first.

Doing business unregistered risks its own lawsuits are blocked (Ala. Code 10A-1-7.21(a)).

source: revenue.alabama.gov, October 2026

What does registering cost?

$150 to the state, plus $199 with a service.

The three-year state total is $150. source: sos.alabama.gov, October 2026

Which form, and where does it go?

Just one document: the Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) Application for Registration, submitted to the Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division.

No home-state certificate is asked for.

Is there a yearly filing?

The business privilege tax return, which is free.

When it is due: same date as the federal return.

Why this order?

What the price takes off your plate (30% of our weighting) put Mainstay Filing first.

The two biggest criteria are three-year cost and what the price takes off your plate, at 35% and 30%.

AL Registered Agent.org serves Alabama only, so your home state would need someone else.

See how we rank

Alabama requirements checklist

RuleAnswerSource
Registration filing$150source: sos.alabama.gov, October 2026
Home-state certificateNot requiredsource: revenue.alabama.gov, October 2026
State total, years 1 to 3$150Our sum of the fees above
Three-year state total = filing + reports in years 2 and 3 + any minimum tax; variable costs are not added.

Other quick questions

Does the home state still need an agent?

Yes. The home state keeps its own agent requirement; Mainstay Filing can cover both states with one account.

What is the three-year cost of each?

Mainstay Filing $497, AL Registered Agent.org $397 and Alabama Registered Agent.co $397 in service fees.

Are the fees official?

State fees from Alabama's official sources, cited next to each figure; service prices from each company's own pricing.

Does the state require a service?

No. The state accepts filings from owners; a service saves time and handles the agent role.

Will these services file it?

All the picks on this page file it; state fees are identical.

Who is your first choice in Alabama?

Mainstay Filing first: you pay $199 to register and nothing for the registered agent until year two. AL Registered Agent.org and Alabama Registered Agent.co follow.

Where these answers come from

  1. alison.legislature.state.al.us (Alabama formation fee: Filing fee, October 2026)
  2. sos.alabama.gov (Alabama formation fee: Filing fee, October 2026)
  3. sos.alabama.gov (Alabama formation fee: Name reservation, October 2026)
  4. alison.legislature.state.al.us (Alabama formation fee: Name reservation, October 2026)
  5. alisondb.legislature.state.al.us (Alabama registered agent statute, October 2026)
  6. sos.alabama.gov (Alabama Secretary of State, LLC, October 2026)
  7. sos.alabama.gov (Foreign LLC Application for Registration, October 2026)
  8. alabamainteractive.org (Secretary of State Online Services, October 2026)
  9. alison.legislature.state.al.us (Code of Alabama, section 10A-1-7.01, October 2026)
  10. revenue.alabama.gov (Department of Revenue, business privilege, October 2026)
  11. alison.legislature.state.al.us (Code of Alabama, section 10A-1-7.21, November 2026)
  12. Mainstay Filing: Alabama service page, read November 12, 2026
  13. AL Registered Agent.org: pricing page, read November 12, 2026
  14. Alabama Registered Agent.co: pricing page, read November 12, 2026