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Formation Scorecard

Foreign registration scorecard · Alabama

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Alabama (2026)

On the Formation Scorecard 2026 scorecard for foreign registration services in Alabama the order reads Mainstay Filing ($199), AL Registered Agent.org ($199) and Alabama Registered Agent.co ($199). Mainstay Filing posts the top score: $199 plus state fees in any state, year-one registered agent service included.
Researched and written by the Formation Scorecard editorial team
Rank #1 Top pick on this page

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies spread across states

9.4 Editor score out of 10
$199 service fee plus the state fee; agent $149 yearly from year two

Mainstay Filing leads the card: $199 on top of the state's fee, with a free first year as your registered agent and the same price in every state.

The agent is free in year one and $149 a year after that, wherever the company registers.

Mainstay's three-year total sits $100 above AL Registered Agent.org's, which the extra coverage earns back in our scoring.

What you get

  • Registration prepared and submitted
  • The first registered agent year at no charge
  • Served papers scanned and uploaded the day they arrive, free

Strengths

  • Registered agent free for year one
  • Same price across all fifty states
  • Served papers scanned on the day they arrive, free
  • $199 service fee, with the state fee on top

Watch for

  • Agent renewal of $149 is $50 more than AL Registered Agent.org charges
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing: the full write-up
Rank #2 Low renewal

2. AL Registered Agent.org: best for companies that add just Alabama

8.9 Editor score out of 10
Service fee $199 with the state fee added; agent renewing at $99

AL Registered Agent.org takes second spot: the Alabama registration at $199, first agent year included, then $99 a year.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

What you get

  • Alabama registration filed for you
  • Year-one registered agent service included

Strengths

  • Files the registration for $199 plus the state fee
  • Agent at $99 a year from year two
  • First-year registered agent service included

Watch for

  • Limited to Alabama; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit AL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. AL Registered Agent.org: the full write-up
Rank #3 Best local option

3. Alabama Registered Agent.co: best for registrations in Alabama only

8.8 Editor score out of 10
$199 service fee plus the state fee; agent $99 yearly from year two

Alabama Registered Agent.co takes third spot: the Alabama registration at $199, first agent year included, then $99 a year.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

Price for price and feature for feature, AL Registered Agent.org and Alabama Registered Agent.co match, which leaves the order between them a narrow call.

What you get

  • Alabama registration filed for you
  • First-year registered agent service

Strengths

  • Files the registration for $199 plus the state fee
  • Registered agent service for year one is in the price
  • $99 yearly for the agent after year one

Watch for

  • Limited to Alabama; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit Alabama Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Alabama Registered Agent.co: the full write-up

The 3 entries on one card

Place Service Card score Service fee Year two Best for Go
1 Mainstay Filing 9.4 $199 $149/yr Companies spread over several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 AL Registered Agent.org 8.9 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here 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 we rank here Visit Alabama Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Every number out of 10 is an editorial mark from Formation Scorecard, produced with the criteria on How we rank, not a customer rating.

Alabama foreign registration service cost in 2026: first year, renewal and the three-year tally

Service First year Second year Third year Three-year tally Agent paid 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 price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. Add Alabama's $150 registration fee to each row; the tally above leaves it out.

What broke the tie

Formation Scorecard scores cost across three years and coverage of the price at 25% each. Renewal terms, state-by-state fit and pricing clarity account for the other 50%. In Alabama the tie was broken by coverage of the price.

A foreign registration touches two states, so a single provider at one price in both earned the most coverage points, ahead of AL Registered Agent.org.

Every criterion and weight appears on How we rank.

Foreign LLC registration in Alabama: fee, form and filing office

An outside company registers by sending the Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) Application for Registration to the Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division, with a $150 state fee.

Once registered, the company files the business privilege tax return, due same date as the federal return.

Gather these before filing

  • The company name exactly as the home state has it, plus the date it was formed.
  • An in-state registered agent; any service on this card can fill that role.
  • The state fee of $150, sent in with the filing.
  • A calendar date for the business privilege tax return.

The price of ignoring Alabama registration

An unregistered outside LLC cannot sue in Alabama courts until it registers (Ala. Code 10A-1-7.21(a)). Its contracts remain valid (Ala. Code 10A-1-7.21(b)).

Alabama foreign registration service: quick questions

Does Alabama make an outside LLC register before operating?

Yes, when the company does business there. Until it registers, the state's courts are closed to its lawsuits.

What will foreign registration run in Alabama?

Expect $150 for the state plus $199 for the service.

Does a registered company still need a registered agent?

Yes, a registered agent with an in-state street address has to stay on file.

Which foreign registration services sit on this card?

Mainstay Filing ($199), AL Registered Agent.org ($199) and Alabama Registered Agent.co ($199), top to bottom.

Is there a recurring filing for a registered foreign LLC?

Yes, the business privilege tax return.

Which foreign registration service leads the card for Alabama?

Mainstay Filing, since it files the Alabama registration for $199 and acts as your registered agent, free for year one and $149 a year after.

Keep reading

Where the figures come from

  1. Alabama formation fee: Filing fee, official source, as of October 2026
  2. Alabama formation fee: Filing fee, official source, as of October 2026
  3. Alabama formation fee: Name reservation, official source, as of October 2026
  4. Alabama formation fee: Name reservation, official source, as of October 2026
  5. Alabama registered agent statute, as of October 2026
  6. Alabama Secretary of State, LLC filings, as of October 2026
  7. Foreign LLC Application for Registration, as of October 2026
  8. Secretary of State Online Services, as of October 2026
  9. Code of Alabama, section 10A-1-7.01, as of October 2026
  10. Department of Revenue, business privilege tax notice, as of October 2026
  11. Code of Alabama, section 10A-1-7.21, as of November 2026
  12. Read on November 12, 2026: Alabama service page for Mainstay Filing
  13. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for AL Registered Agent.org
  14. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for Alabama Registered Agent.co