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No jargon · Alabama

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Alabama (2026), Simply Ranked

For foreign registration services in Alabama, here is our 2026 ranking: Mainstay Filing ($199), AL Registered Agent.org ($199) and Alabama Registered Agent.co ($199). You'll pay the state $150 to register whoever files, plus $397 to $497 in service fees across three years.
From the LLC Plainly editorial team

The short version

Fee to register
$150
Attach a certificate?
Not required
After that
Free, business privilege tax return
Our ranking
Mainstay Filing, AL Registered Agent.org then Alabama Registered Agent.co

Who we like in Alabama

The scoring is spelled out on this page.
Our favorite

1. Mainstay Filing: best for adding several states

$199 to register and $149 for the agent each year after that

Number one is Mainstay Filing, since $199 over the state fee gets you registered, with the registered agent free in year one and $149 a year after.

Is it the smaller bill? No. AL Registered Agent.org costs $100 less over three years, but it only works in Alabama.

You skip the registered agent charge in year one and pay $149 a year after.

Your money buys

  • Your registration, filed
  • Registered agent, no charge the first year
  • No change in price by state

The good

  • A free first year of agent service
  • Set for the next state you add
  • Pay $199 above the state fee

Trade-offs

  • The renewal lands $50 over AL Registered Agent.org
A Alabama favorite

2. AL Registered Agent.org: best for a lean registration

$199 to register and $99 for the agent each year after that

Second place goes to AL Registered Agent.org, where registering costs $199 above the state fee and the agent is covered in year one, then $99 a year.

Your money buys

  • Your Alabama registration, filed
  • Year-one registered agent

The good

  • $99 a year from year two
  • Starts at $199 plus the state fee
  • Agent covered in year one

Trade-offs

  • Nothing outside this state
A Alabama favorite

3. Alabama Registered Agent.co: best for a one-state add-on

$199 to register and $99 for the agent each year after that

Third place goes to Alabama Registered Agent.co, where registering costs $199 above the state fee and the agent is covered in year one, then $99 a year.

It charges what AL Registered Agent.org charges, so the order between them is close.

Your money buys

  • Your Alabama registration, filed
  • Year-one registered agent

The good

  • Agent covered in year one
  • $99 a year from year two
  • Starts at $199 plus the state fee

Trade-offs

  • Nothing outside this state

At a glance

#CompanyYear oneAfter year oneOver three yearsWhat you get
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497your registration, filed; registered agent, no charge the first year; no change in price by stateCheck out Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2AL Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Your Alabama registration, filed; Year-one registered agentCheck out AL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Alabama Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Your Alabama registration, filed; Year-one registered agentCheck out Alabama Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
We read these prices on November 13, 2026. Three years means year one plus two renewals.

Your questions, answered

At what point do I register?

An out-of-state LLC signs up with the Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division first and does business in Alabama afterward.

An unregistered LLC can run into it can't go to court to enforce its own rights (Ala. Code 10A-1-7.21(a)).

revenue.alabama.gov, last seen October 2026

What's the price of foreign registration?

$150 goes to the state, and a service costs $199 on top.

By the end of year three you'll have paid the state $150. sos.alabama.gov, last seen October 2026

Which form do I file, and where?

You file the Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) Application for Registration with the Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division. That's the whole filing.

No certificate from the home state is requested.

Any ongoing fees?

After registering, count on the business privilege tax return: no fee.

The schedule says same date as the federal return.

Why did the first pick win?

Mainstay Filing is strongest on work taken off your hands, which counts for 31% of our score.

33% of the score is cost across three years, 31% is work taken off your hands, and three smaller checks split ties.

Your home state wants an agent too, and one account for both states is easier.

See how we score

Alabama checklist

WhatDetailsOfficial source
State filing fee$150sos.alabama.gov, last seen October 2026
Proof of existenceNot requiredrevenue.alabama.gov, last seen October 2026
State fees, years one to three$150The rows above, added up
The bottom row isn't a state figure. It's our total of the filing fee, the next two reports and the minimum tax, if the state has one.

More questions

Do I still need an agent where I formed the LLC?

Yes. The state where you formed the LLC keeps its own agent rule, and Mainstay Filing can handle both states on one account.

What does each one cost over three years?

Mainstay Filing $497; AL Registered Agent.org $397; Alabama Registered Agent.co $397, not counting state fees.

What do the numbers rest on?

What the state charges comes from official Alabama publications; what services charge comes from what they publish.

Can I just do this myself?

You can skip it. The state's fee is the same whichever way you file.

Is filing included in what they sell?

Each company on this page files for you, at the same state fee.

Who tops the list in Alabama?

Mainstay Filing is on top because its $199 fee is the same in every state, and the first registered agent year comes with it; AL Registered Agent.org and Alabama Registered Agent.co follow.

What we used for this page

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