Cost summary
Alabama: $236 to file[2], then no periodic report fee[3]. Averaged out, the ongoing state cost is $0 a year.
Mainstay Filing does the Alabama filing for $199 a year; the state's $236 is added at cost[1].
Alabama LLCs file no annual report with the Secretary of State. The Department of Revenue's business privilege tax return (Form PPT) is required only when the tax, which is based on net worth, comes to more than $100, and it is due with the federal income tax return. Updated October 29, 2026. Fees from official sources; prices from providers' own pages.
Alabama fees at a glance
| Filing | Fee | When | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formation (Domestic Limited Liability Company Certificate of Formation) | $236 Online total: $208 for the Certificate of Formation ($200 by mail) plus the required name reservation, $28 online ($25 by mail). | Once | [2] alabamainteractive.org, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Change of registered agent | $100 | When filed | [4] sos.alabama.gov, updated October 29, 2026 |
Fees paid to Alabama agencies only; card and portal charges and expedite options are not included.
Once formed, an Alabama LLC has no recurring state report fee to pay. Changing the registered agent later costs $100.
What Alabama does not require
Alabama is one of 6 states with no recurring LLC report: Alabama, Arizona, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, and South Carolina[3].
The one recurring duty is keeping the registered agent information accurate. A change costs $100 to file.
Registered Agent and filing service costs
Every Alabama LLC has to keep a registered agent on record. Serving personally is open to any owner who lives in Alabama and has a qualifying address.
Agent-only service from Mainstay Filing costs $149 a year in Alabama[1]. For $199 a year it also forms the company, applies for the EIN and sends deadline reminders. Neither price rises at renewal.
We also read 9 other services' Alabama prices on October 20, 2026. First-year prices ran $0 to $249; renewals ran $125 to $249.
Alabama's small businesses
The Census Bureau counted 465,610 small businesses in Alabama in 2022, the 25th most of any state. 390,228 of them had no employees. These counts cover every legal form, not only LLCs.
How Alabama compares
Alabama comes to $0 a year in ongoing state fees. The 50-state median is $30, and no state charges less (9 others match it). Of its 4 neighbors, none cost less per year and 3 cost more. That comparison counts filing-office fees only; see the separate tax above.
| State | Formation | Report | Per year (avg.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $236 | None | $0 |
| Florida | $125 | $138.75 / yr | $138.75 |
| Georgia | $110 | $60 / yr | $60 |
| Mississippi | $50 | $0 / yr | $0 |
| Tennessee | $300 | $300 / yr | $300 |
"Per year" halves biennial fees; revenue-department taxes are not included. Sources: each state's statute or fee schedule (August 12, 2026).
Questions
How much is the Alabama LLC annual fee?
Alabama has no recurring LLC report fee[3].
What happens if an Alabama LLC misses the deadline?
There is no periodic report deadline in Alabama. Keeping the registered agent information current is still required, and a change costs $100.
Is there a service that keeps an Alabama LLC filed?
Yes. For $199 a year, Mainstay Filing files the formation with the Alabama Secretary of State, serves as registered agent and applies for the EIN[1]. Alabama has no recurring report, so the rest is deadline reminders.
Is Alabama an expensive state for an LLC?
On the $236 it charges to form an LLC, 44 states charge less and 5 charge more. After formation it averages $0 a year; no state charges less (9 others match it). Alabama LLCs file no annual report with the Secretary of State. The Department of Revenue's business privilege tax return (Form PPT) is required only when the tax, which is based on net worth, comes to more than $100, and it is due with the federal income tax return.
Sources
- Mainstay Filing pricing, registered agent and FAQ pages. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Alabama Secretary of State online filing fees (formation $208 online, name reservation $28 online). www.alabamainteractive.org/sos/introduction_input.action. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Alabama Department of Revenue, 2024 business privilege tax filing changes. www.revenue.alabama.gov/notice-important-changes-to-the-2024-business-privilege-tax-filing. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Change of Registered Agent or Registered Office by Entity fee. www.sos.alabama.gov/sites/default/files/form-files/FeeSchedule.pdf. Updated October 29, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Statistics of U.S. Businesses 2022 and Nonemployer Statistics 2022. www.census.gov/programs-surveys/susb.html. Updated October 29, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics, Establishment Age and Survival, Table 7 (data through March 2025). www.bls.gov/bdm/bdmage.htm. Updated October 29, 2026.