No.1
Best here
1. Mainstay Filing: best for businesses active in several states
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $149 yearly after year one
Score9.5out of 10
First place: Mainstay Filing. Its fee is $199 beyond the state's, year-one registered agent service costs nothing, and the charge is the same in every state.
The first agent year costs nothing; later years are $149 each, in this state or any other.
Its three-year total exceeds AL Registered Agent.org's by $100; the broader coverage outweighs that difference in our scoring.
In the price
- The registration prepared and lodged on your behalf
- Year one as your registered agent, at no charge
- Service of process scanned and uploaded within the same business day, at no charge
Why pick it
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
- One price in each of the fifty states
- Year-one registered agent service costs nothing
- A $199 service charge, with the state's fee added
Weak spots
- The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 more than AL Registered Agent.org
No.2
Best value here
2. AL Registered Agent.org: best for companies that only add Alabama
$199 for the service, state fee on top; from year two the agent bills $99 annually
Score9.0out of 10
Second place: AL Registered Agent.org. $199 over the state fee registers the company in Alabama, and the agent renews at $99.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
In the price
- Foreign registration done for you
- One year of registered agent service at the start
Why pick it
- Agent charge of $99 a year after the first
- Year-one registered agent service is included
- A $199 service charge plus the registration fee
Weak spots
- Serves Alabama only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
No.3
Lower renewal than Mainstay
3. Alabama Registered Agent.co: best for Alabama registrations only
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $99 yearly after year one
Score8.8out of 10
Third place: Alabama Registered Agent.co. $199 over the state fee registers the company in Alabama, and the agent renews at $99.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The published prices and features of AL Registered Agent.org and Alabama Registered Agent.co are identical, which makes the order between them close.
In the price
- Foreign registration done for you
- A first year as your registered agent
Why pick it
- A $199 service charge plus the registration fee
- Includes your registered agent for the first year
- $99 a year for the agent from the second year
Weak spots
- Serves Alabama only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
The 3 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Service charge | Year two | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | 9.5 | $199 | $149/yr | Businesses spread over several states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 2 | AL Registered Agent.org | 9.0 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit AL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 3 | Alabama Registered Agent.co | 8.8 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit Alabama Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
The Startup Judge assigns each score out of 10 itself, applying the criteria on
How we rank; no customer ratings are used.
Alabama foreign registration service charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Agent covered in year one |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149 | $149 | $497 | Free |
|---|
| AL Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
| Alabama Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Alabama's $150 registration fee is payable in addition to every row below and is not in the totals.
What decided the order
The Startup Judge weighs charge over three years at 31% and work taken off the founder at 31%; renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight divide the remaining 38%. In Alabama, work taken off the founder was the criterion that tipped it.
A second-state registration involves two jurisdictions. One provider at one price in both earned the higher coverage score, ahead of AL Registered Agent.org.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
Foreign LLC registration in Alabama: the form, the office and the fee
Registration is lodged with the Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division using the Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) Application for Registration. The state fee is $150.
Once registered, the company's recurring filing is the business privilege tax return, with a due date of same date as the federal return.
Items to gather before filing
- The exact legal name registered in the home state, along with the date it was formed.
- A registered agent whose street address is in the state. Any provider on this page can fill the role.
- The $150 state fee, remitted with the application.
- A date in your calendar for the business privilege tax return.
Consequences of operating in Alabama unregistered
Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC may not sue in Alabama courts (Ala. Code 10A-1-7.21(a)). The contracts it makes stay enforceable (Ala. Code 10A-1-7.21(b)).
Questions on Alabama foreign registration services
Is an out-of-state LLC required to register in Alabama?
Yes, as soon as it conducts business there. Until it registers, it has no standing to sue in that state's courts.
What will foreign registration in Alabama run in total?
The state fee is $150; service charges run $199.
Is a registered agent still needed after the company is registered?
Yes. A registered agent with a street address in the state stays on file for as long as the registration lasts.
Which foreign registration services were heard in this ranking?
Mainstay Filing ($199), AL Registered Agent.org ($199) and Alabama Registered Agent.co ($199), ruled upon in that order.
What recurring filing does a foreign LLC owe?
The business privilege tax return, each year.
Which foreign registration service does the record favor in Alabama?
Mainstay Filing, since $199 covers the Alabama registration and the registered agent role is free the first year, then $149 annually.
The record
- Alabama formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Alabama formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Alabama formation fee: Name reservation, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Alabama formation fee: Name reservation, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Alabama registered agent statute, on the record as of October 2026
- Alabama Secretary of State, LLC filings, on the record as of October 2026
- Foreign LLC Application for Registration, on the record as of October 2026
- Secretary of State Online Services, on the record as of October 2026
- Code of Alabama, section 10A-1-7.01, on the record as of October 2026
- Department of Revenue, business privilege tax notice, on the record as of October 2026
- Code of Alabama, section 10A-1-7.21, on the record as of November 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Alabama service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: AL Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Alabama Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026