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Alabama state guide · Formation

How to form a
Alabama LLC

Forming an Alabama LLC is a filing, not a ceremony. Here is the actual process — what gets submitted to the Alabama Secretary of State, how long approval takes, and what arrives in your inbox when it's done.

Filing agencyAlabama Secretary of State
State filing fee$236
Typical approval5–10 business days
Privilege tax$50 min · due Apr 15

The filing, in plain English

A Alabama LLC is created when the Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division accepts your Articles of Organization and issues a certificate. Everything else — the EIN, the operating agreement, the bank account — happens around that central act. Our $299 flat service walks through all of it; you pay the Alabama filing fee of $236 separately, directly to the state.

Most founders forming a single-member Alabama LLC are done in 5–10 business days of standard processing time. Multi-member filings take about the same; the additional complexity lives in the operating agreement, not at the state.

Alabama note

Alabama requires a Business Privilege Tax return every year, due April 15, with a minimum tax of $50. The entity annual report is filed together with the privilege tax return rather than separately through the Secretary of State. Miss the April 15 deadline and the state imposes penalties plus interest on the unpaid tax.

The six steps we take

  1. I.

    Confirm your name is available

    We check your chosen LLC name against the Alabama Secretary of State database before anything is submitted. If the first choice is taken, we call before filing — we do not submit a filing you did not authorize.

  2. II.

    Draft the Articles of Organization

    A formation specialist prepares the Articles to Alabama's exact format, with your members, registered agent, principal office address, and effective date.

  3. III.

    Submit electronically

    Filed through the Alabama Secretary of State's online system. Your Alabama registered agent of record is our Montgomery office for the first year.

  4. IV.

    Alabama approves the LLC

    Approval typically arrives in 5–10 business days. We watch the queue daily and forward the stamped certificate the moment it clears.

  5. V.

    We obtain the EIN

    Once the LLC is approved, we file SS-4 with the IRS to get your Employer Identification Number — the federal tax ID you need to open a business bank account.

  6. VI.

    We deliver the bank-ready packet

    Stamped certificate, EIN letter, custom operating agreement drafted to your ownership structure, and your registered agent confirmation. You sign the operating agreement and open the account.

What you need to have ready

Before we file, we need a handful of decisions from you. None of them are heavy, but we have to confirm each one on the reservation call:

  • A Alabama LLC name — ending in "LLC," "L.L.C.," or "Limited Liability Company," distinguishable from other Alabama entities.
  • A principal office address — home, commercial, or mail-forwarding. Becomes part of the public record.
  • Members — the individuals or entities that own the LLC. Alabama allows single-member LLCs.
  • Management structure — member-managed (most common) or manager-managed. We draft the operating agreement to match.
  • An effective date — either immediately on approval, or a future date if you want a January 1 start for tax reasons.

What's included in the $299 flat fee

State filingArticles of Organization, by a formation specialist
EIN includedFederal tax ID, issued by the IRS after approval
Operating agreementDrafted to your ownership structure — not a template
Registered agentOne year included in Alabama, Montgomery on file

The $299 is a flat service fee for everything on our side. Alabama's state filing fee of $236 is paid directly to the Alabama Secretary of State and is the same whether you file with us or on your own. There are no upsells — no basic, plus, or premium tiers. One price, four things.

Ready to form in Alabama?

$299 flat, plus Alabama's $236 state fee.

Reservation takes three minutes. A formation specialist in Montgomery handles the rest.

Start your Alabama filing