Form an Alabama LLC by reserving its name, then filing a Certificate of Formation with the Secretary of State.
This guide covers forming a new Alabama LLC. If your LLC already exists in another state or country, use the foreign-registration process instead.
Alabama LLC at a glance
- Official filing website
- Alabama Secretary of State
- Business name check
- Search business namesA name search does not reserve or approve the name.
- Formation document
- Certificate of Formation
- State filing fee
- $200Formation filing only; other required costs and optional services are separate.
- Processing time
- OnlineImmediate in the cited guidePaper1-2 business days; add mail transitPublished guide estimate. Published guide estimate for a complete filing; not a state guarantee. Check the filing office before setting a deadline.
- Ongoing report or tax
- Business Privilege Tax review
- Report / renewal charge
- Variable; calculate using the linked ruleFor tax years after December 31, 2023, taxpayers with calculated Business Privilege Tax of $100 or less are exempt and do not have to file the BPT return. Do not budget the old flat $50 minimum as a current universal LLC charge.
- Frequency / due date
- Annual, if tax is due
- Sales tax base rate
- 4%Local rates may apply. July 1, 2026 snapshot; not an address-specific rate. General rate for ordinary taxable sales; exemptions, special products and local rules can change the result.Official tax agency ↗
- Names in formation records
- No management roster requiredThe certificate lists the entity and registered-agent information; it does not require a member/manager roster. Organizer and signer information is separate. Other filings and private bank/tax records may identify owners.
Before you file in Alabama
Before filing, have the name reservation ready. Gather the registered agent’s Alabama street address and county, the organizer’s name and a working contact email.
File the Certificate of Formation
Alabama LLC filing instructions ↗
- Open the state’s domestic LLC filing service. Enter your reservation ID, or complete the name-reservation step offered there.
- Use the reserved name exactly. Add the registered agent and organizer, sign the certificate and pay the formation charge. Reservation charges are separate.
- Download the approved certificate and save the Alabama entity number.
What to enter in the form
- Reserved name
- The certificate and reservation must use the same name and LLC ending.
- Agent’s county
- Enter the county of the registered office, not the county where the organizer lives.
- Organizer
- The organizer signs the certificate. Signing does not make that person an owner.
- Contact email
- Use an inbox the business will keep after formation. The approval and later questions may go there.
After approval in Alabama
- Write the operating agreement and apply for the EIN using the approved name.
- Check city/county business-license requirements for the place where you will work.
Business Privilege Tax review
Business Privilege Tax instructions ↗
- Use the Alabama Department of Revenue’s Business Privilege Tax instructions for your tax year.
- For tax years after December 31, 2023, a calculated Business Privilege Tax of $100 or less is exempt: no BPT return or payment is required. If the calculation exceeds $100, file the required return and payment.
- Use a registered-agent change filing when that appointment changes; the tax return does not update it.
Compare the filing cycles in our annual report and recurring-fee table.
Next steps: operating agreement · get an EIN · starting checklist.
Sources and filing links
Sources checked . Confirm the state’s current fees and instructions before filing.
Research and walkthrough references
These references provide background and filing walkthroughs. Follow current state instructions if an older walkthrough differs.
See our editorial policy for the research process and contact page for correction information.