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Every formal business in Alabama is required by law to have an Alabama registered agent. A registered agent receives any official documents from the State of Alabama, as well as any service of process that a firm may be served in a lawsuit.

Registered Agent In Alabama

In this Alabama Registered Agent tutorial, we’ll go over what a registered agent is, what they perform, and how to choose one.

What Is A Registered Agent In Alabama?

An Alabama registered agent is a person or corporate organisation that serves as the point of contact for your company for:

All correspondence with the State of Alabama, such as the Alabama Annual Report and certificate of good standing

In every litigation, the company receives full service of process.

In Alabama, any formal business, such as an LLC or corporation, is required by law to have a registered agent.

In Alabama, may I act as my own registered agent?

Yes, any owner or employee of a company may serve as its registered agent in Alabama if they are above the age of 18 and have a street address in Alabama.

You might also designate a member of your LLC or a friend you trust, as long as they match these standards as well.

Many firms, however, choose to hire a professional registered agent service.

Why Do Companies Use Alabama Registered Agent Services?

Many firms opt to employ a registered agent service when forming an LLC for the following reasons:

Compliance

A registered agent service keeps a compliance calendar and will notify you when yearly reports or other files are due, as well as assist you in submitting them.

This helps you avoid penalties and maintains your firm in good standing, both of which are necessary to preserve your limited liability protection.

If you do not reply immediately to serving of process, legal complexities, costs, or other concerns may develop. A registered agent will scan your papers, upload them to the internet, and tell you when they are ready.

Privacy

If you operate from home or a private office and serve as your own registered agent, your address will be made public on the Alabama Business Entity Search.

If your privacy is important to you, a registered agent service will use their own address instead of yours.

Discretion

Receiving service of process for a lawsuit at your place of business may be a delicate circumstance to have in front of your staff and customers.

To circumvent this problem, a registered agent will accept service of process and other papers at their office and quietly deliver them to you online.

Flexibility

If you are your own registered agent, you must be accessible at all regular business hours, every working day of the year.

Registered agent services have real offices and people to cover certain hours, allowing them to be accessible during those times.

Hiring a registered agent service enables you to be more flexible in the hours and places you work. Take a vacation, work from home or the office, or travel the globe knowing they’ll be there to collect your documents.

Online Data Storage

A competent registered agent service will scan your papers as soon as they arrive, maintaining a digital record of all your company documents and any service of process on a user-friendly dashboard.

Typically, if you’ve employed an LLC creation service, you will also use them as a registered agent. This implies a copy of your formation paperwork will be accessible online as well.

Having all of this information, accessible as PDFs, is very useful when doing things for your company, such as establishing a business bank account, applying for a business credit card, applying for small business loans, and many other activities that need a copy of your paperwork.

National Reach

If you want to grow your company into other states, such as by employing an out-of-state employee or establishing a new sales office, you must have a registered agent for your foreign LLC or other corporation.

Most registered agent services operate in all 50 states and Washington D.C. Simply pay a little fee for the new state in which you operate, and they will transmit all of your paperwork to the same web dashboard.

What Is the Cost of a Registered Agent?

A registered agent service normally costs between $50 and $300 each year. This is a minor fee when you consider how much time it will save you – it’s definitely worth the money

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How Do I Elect a Registered Agent in Alabama?

When you finish your LLC’s Certificate of Formation in Alabama, you must choose your registered agent. The Certificate of Creation is the fundamental LLC formation document in Alabama.

Electing a Registered Agent Online

You may create an LLC online through the Alabama Secretary of State’s website (a $100 filing fee is necessary). The name and contact details of your registered agent will be sought on the Certificate of Formation under the registered agent section.

Electing a Registered Agent via Mail

You may create your LLC via the mail. Fill out your registered agent’s details under line 3 on page 2 after downloading the Certificate of Formation ($100 filing fee necessary), and send a physical copy to the Office of the Judge of Probate in your county.

In Alabama, how can I change my registered agent?

Simply fill out the Change of Registered Agent or Registered Office by Entity form and send it in triplicate to the Alabama Secretary of State, along with a $25 filing fee, to change This cost may be paid by cheque, money order, or credit card.

This may be accomplished by mail or email (if paying with a credit card).

Mail:

State Department

Division of Business Services

Postal Code: 5616

36103-5616 Montgomery, AL

Email:

[email protected]

See our comprehensive guide on changing registered agents in Alabama.

Appointment Consent

Your new registered agent will also need to assent to their appointment. This is accomplished via the use of the change form. There is a part that the new registered agent must sign.