⬤ Alabama · Incorporation
How to Incorporate in Alabama?
Incorporate in Alabama with confidence CountSure manages the mandatory name reservation, the county Probate Judge filing, and your Business Privilege Tax setup. Including the county routing most out-of-state founders miss.
Requirements, costs & steps to incorporate in Alabama
Incorporating in Alabama creates a formal, perpetual entity with directors, officers, and stock – the structure investors and lenders expect. Alabama adds two wrinkles most states don’t: a mandatory name reservation, and a filing routed through your county’s Office of the Judge of Probate before it reaches the Secretary of State. This guide walks through the cost (state plus county), the steps, and ongoing obligations. To compare structures first, see our LLC vs. corporation guide, or let our Alabama incorporation service file it all for you.
⬤ Key takeaways
What you need to know?
- State filing fee: $200 to the Secretary of State, plus a county Probate Judge fee.
- Filed through the county: Alabama routes incorporation through the Office of the Judge of Probate in your registered office’s county, which forwards it to the SOS.
- Name reservation: Mandatory before filing - ~$28 online.
- Directors: Minimum of one, and must be at least 19 years old director names/addresses appear in the formation document.
- No SOS annual report: Eliminated Oct 1, 2024. Recurring filing is the Business Privilege Tax (Form CPT/PPT).
Alabama corporation at a glance
The essentials for incorporating and maintaining an Alabama corporation.
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Requirement
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Detail (2026)
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|---|---|
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Formation document
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Certificate of Formation (Articles of Incorporation)
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Filing agency
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County Probate Judge → Secretary of State
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State filing fee
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$200 (+ county Probate fee, ~$50+)
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Name reservation
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Mandatory; ~$28 online
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Corporate name ending
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Must include Corporation/Incorporated/Corp./Inc.
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Directors
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Min. 1; must be 19+; listed in formation doc
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Registered agent
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Required; physical Alabama address
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SOS annual report
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None (eliminated Oct 1, 2024)
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Business Privilege Tax
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Form CPT (C-corp) / PPT; $50 min, with Schedule AL-CAR
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S-corp election
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Recognized (federal election honored)
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⬤ Step by step
How to form an Alabama LLC, step by step
Seven steps from name reservation to your first Business Privilege Tax filing.
Reserve your corporate name
Required before filing. The name must include “Corporation,” “Incorporated,” “Corp.,” or “Inc.,” and be distinguishable from existing entities. Reserve online for ~$28.
Appoint a registered agent
An individual Alabama resident or registered agent service with a physical in-state address. CountSure can serve as your registered agent.
Prepare your Certificate of Formation (Articles of Incorporation)
Include the corporate name, registered agent, incorporators, initial directors, and your authorized stock and par value.
File through the county Probate Judge
Submit the original plus a copy and your name reservation to the Office of the Judge of Probate in your registered office’s county. Pay the $200 state fee and the county Probate fee; the Probate office forwards filings to the Secretary of State.
Adopt bylaws and hold an organizational meeting
Bylaws aren’t filed but are essential: appoint directors/officers, adopt bylaws, and authorize share issuance.
Issue stock and get an EIN
Document share issuance, obtain a free EIN, and – if you want S-corp treatment – file IRS Form 2553.
File the initial Business Privilege Tax return
Form BPT-IN within 2.5 months corporations also file Schedule AL-CAR with the annual return.
Director & formation requirements
Alabama lists your directors in the public formation document and sets a minimum director age – details worth getting right before you file.
- Minimum number: One or more directors.
- Mandatory reservation: You must hold a Certificate of Name Reservation before filing - an Alabama-specific rule.
- Residency: No Alabama residency requirement for directors or incorporators.
- Listed in formation doc: Director names and addresses are required in the Certificate of Formation.
- Stock: Authorized shares and classes must be stated; increasing shares or par value doesn’t change the initial filing fee.
Ongoing Alabama corporation compliance & taxes
Corporate records
Keep bylaws, plus minutes of annual director and shareholder meetings, at your principal or registered office. Maintaining these formalities protects your limited-liability status.
Business Privilege Tax
Corporations file the Business Privilege Tax with the Department of Revenue C-corporations use Form CPT, pass-through entities use Form PPT with a $50 minimum based on Alabama net worth, plus Schedule AL-CAR (the corporate annual report data that now travels with the tax return). An initial return (BPT-IN) is due within 2.5 months of incorporating.
No separate SOS annual report
Like LLCs, corporations no longer file a Secretary of State annual report (eliminated Oct 1, 2024). The annual report content is captured via Schedule AL-CAR with the privilege tax return.
S corporation election
Alabama recognizes the federal S-corporation election; you don’t file a separate state S-corp election. S-corp income generally passes through to shareholders.
EIN and state tax ID
An EIN is required to hire and bank. Alabama does not issue a separate state corporate tax identification number for the privilege tax.
Alabama incorporation cost breakdown
State plus county – the full picture before optional services.
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Requirement
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Cost (2026) · paid to
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|---|---|
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Articles of Incorporation
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$250 · Division of Corporations (one-time)
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State business license
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$200 · Secretary of State (via county Probate)
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County Probate filing fee
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$200 · Secretary of State (via county Probate)
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Expedited state processing (optional)
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~$100 (3-day) · Secretary of State
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Initial Business Privilege Tax
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$50 min · Dept. of Revenue, within 2.5 mo.
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Annual Business Privilege Tax
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$50 min · Dept. of Revenue, yearly + AL-CAR
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Registered agent (optional)
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Varies · CountSure / third party
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EIN
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$0 · IRS (free)
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Insight from our team
Our guidance reflects hands-on filing experience across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, reviewed against current Secretary of State and Department of Revenue requirements.
“The thing that surprises out-of-state founders incorporating in Alabama is the county Probate Judge step your paperwork and a separate county fee go through your local Probate office, not straight to the Secretary of State. It’s not hard, but if you file the wrong way you lose days. We map the county fee and routing up front so the filing clears the first time, and we set the S-corp election in the same pass when it makes tax sense.”
Parth Shah
CountSure
⬤ Keep exploring
Related guides & services
- All state formation guides
Frequently asked questions
Budget the $200 Secretary of State fee plus a county Probate Judge fee (commonly $50 or more) and the mandatory ~$28 name reservation so often $278+ before optional services.
Alabama routes corporate formations through the Office of the Judge of Probate in the county of your registered office, which then forwards the documents to the Secretary of State.
At least one, and each director must be at least 19 years old. Director names and addresses are listed in the formation document.
Not as a Secretary of State filing it was eliminated in October 2024. The annual report data is now filed via Schedule AL-CAR with the Business Privilege Tax return.
Yes. Alabama honors the federal S-corp election with no separate state election required.
Get Started
Incorporate in Alabama with CountSure
From the mandatory name reservation to the county Probate filing, bylaws, stock, EIN, and Business Privilege Tax setup, CountSure handles Alabama incorporation start to finish.
- Free 30-minute consultation with a CPA
- Fixed-fee, fully transparent pricing
- 100% remote - no travel or visa required
