Rank1
Top pick on this page
1. Alabama Registered Agent.co: best for the smallest yearly fee on this list
$99 yearly, unchanged
Editor score9.2out of 10
Alabama Registered Agent.co takes the top spot because the plan is $99 a year, flat, and papers served on the company reach you as online scans.
Alabama Registered Agent.co stands in as the company's registered office, so there is a real in-state street address, and each legal paper served is scanned and sent to you.
It costs less than Mainstay Filing over three years, and cost is one of our two heaviest criteria.
In the price
- A state street address on file as the registered office
- Papers served on the company are scanned into your online account
Good
- Undercuts Mainstay Filing by the year
- $99 yearly with no change at renewal
- Formation comes with a free first agent year
Watch for
- Made for Alabama; another state needs a different agent
Rank2
One agent, every state
2. Mainstay Filing: best for all fifty states
$149 yearly, unchanged
Editor score8.8out of 10
Mainstay Filing makes the list at number two because a single plan at $149 a year that travels with the company to any state and renews at $149.
Alabama Registered Agent.co undercuts it by $150 across three years, which leaves Mainstay Filing second on cost.
In the price
- A registered office street address in whichever state you need
- Legal papers served on the company scanned and uploaded the same business day at no charge
- Three government letters a year scanned free
- Compliance reminders
Good
- Papers served on the company are scanned the same business day at no charge
- Free scans of three government letters each year
- $149 a year, and it holds at renewal
- Takes LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits
Watch for
- The agent alone is $50 a year more than Alabama Registered Agent.co
- Annual report filing sits with the formation package, not the agent plan
Rank3
Alabama only
3. AL Registered Agent.org: best for Alabama specialists
$99 yearly, unchanged
Editor score8.6out of 10
AL Registered Agent.org makes the list at number three because the plan is $99 a year, flat, and papers served on the company reach you as online scans.
AL Registered Agent.org gives the company a street address in the state and scans whatever is served there into your account.
Alabama Registered Agent.co and AL Registered Agent.org list the same price and the same features, so either one is a reasonable choice.
In the price
- A registered office with a street address in the state
- You read served legal papers online as scans
Good
- $99 a year, and it stays put at renewal
- Yearly cost below Mainstay Filing
- Can form the LLC and cover year one as agent
Watch for
- Made for Alabama; another state needs a different agent
The 3 picks side by side
Scores out of 10 are editorial marks from Filing Shortlist, based on the criteria on How we rank. Customers do not rate anything on this site.
Alabama registered agent pricing in 2026: first year, renewals, three-year total
Every price comes from the company's own pages as of November 12, 2026. Alabama's own fees stay the same whichever agent you pick.
Why these made the shortlist
Two criteria count most here, three-year price and what the price covers, at 28% each, while renewal terms, fit for the state and price clarity divide 44%. What tipped Alabama was three-year price.
Alabama Registered Agent.co adds up to $297 over three years, which is $150 below Mainstay Filing. A company with a Alabama agent need gains little from fifty-state reach, so the smaller yearly price settled it.
Every criterion and weight is set out on How we rank.
Alabama registered agent rules from Alabama Secretary of State
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a street address in Alabama where papers can be handed to the agent. P.O. boxes are not accepted, and an agent cannot work only through a virtual office or a mail-forwarding service. Statute: Ala. Code § 10A-1-5.31.
What Alabama expects after you appoint an agent
Alabama does not ask for a yearly LLC report. What remains is keeping a registered agent on record, since the state sends its notices there.
Common questions about Alabama registered agents
Does the company need to name a registered agent in Alabama?
It does. Alabama wants each LLC to name a registered agent with a street address inside the state, and that name stays on the public record.
How much do agents in Alabama charge per year?
Yearly prices span $99 to $149, and each company holds its price at renewal.
Can the owner be the registered agent?
Yes, if you meet the state's conditions. An Alabama resident, or a business entity formed in Alabama or registered to do business there. The agent keeps a business office at the registered office address.
Which registered agents made this shortlist?
Alabama Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and AL Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), listed from the top pick down.
What does a registered agent actually do?
The registered agent is the company's official contact for lawsuits, subpoenas and state notices. It accepts them and forwards them, and each plan here scans them into your online account.
Which Alabama registered agent makes the shortlist first?
Alabama Registered Agent.co, because it charges $99 a year, the same at renewal, the smallest yearly price on this list.
Where the figures come from
- Alabama formation fee: Filing fee, official source (checked again October 2026)
- Alabama formation fee: Filing fee, official source (checked again October 2026)
- Alabama formation fee: Name reservation, official source (checked again October 2026)
- Alabama formation fee: Name reservation, official source (checked again October 2026)
- Alabama registered agent statute (checked again October 2026)
- Pulled from Alabama Registered Agent.co: pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Pulled from Mainstay Filing: Alabama service page, November 12, 2026
- Pulled from AL Registered Agent.org: pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026