Alabama Registered Agents: How, Why, and When to Get One

What is a registered agent, and what do they do?

Businesses in Alabama receive important government mail and perhaps even legal notices throughout the year—and they need someone designated to receive these documents. That’s where a registered agent comes into the picture, serving as the agent of the company to receive official state mail and accept service of legal papers (like lawsuits). This person or entity provides a physical address for businesses as well as someone on-site during normal business hours to accept documents and certified mail.

Designating a registered agent and a registered office address is required by Alabama law on all business filings submitted to the Alabama Secretary of State. 

Extra services offered by professional registered agents

Registered agent services might offer add-on business services to help clients, such as:

• Mail forwarding to ensure that you get all certified and legal mail in a timely manner
• Document scanning and digital storage to keep your documents organized and easily accessible via an online account
• Time-sensitive mail alerts for Business Privilege Tax Return deadlines, business license renewals, and other important due dates
• Virtual mail service for receiving all your mail at a physical address in Alabama—not just legal and government documents
• Junk mail filtering so you only see the important documents

What are the legal requirements for an Alabama registered agent?

Alabama registered agent requirements are explicitly laid out in the Alabama Code, Section 10A-1-5.31, and are similar to the requirements in other states. A registered agent in Alabama must:

• Be either a person who is a resident of the state or a domestic or foreign entity that is registered to transact business in this state.
• Maintain a registered office at a physical street address (not a P.O. Box) in the state.
• Be on-site at the registered office to receive mail or accept service in person.

Regarding who can be a registered agent, Alabama doesn’t have any restrictions aside from those listed above. Businesses can designate the business owner, someone internally (like a member of the C-suite), or an outside service as the registered agent.  

Why should you hire an Alabama registered agent?

While you can certainly be your own registered agent in Alabama, hiring a registered agent service brings with it several benefits. 

Legal compliance

Designating a registered agent, whether yourself or an outside service, ensures that your business stays compliant with Alabama law. Every domestic filing entity (formed in Alabama) and foreign filing entity (formed in another state and filing in Alabama to conduct business in the state) is required to list a registered agent and registered office on their filing paperwork. This includes corporations, nonprofit organizations, LLCs, and partnerships, but not sole proprietorships, which do not need to register with the Secretary of State.

So, what happens if your company doesn’t provide registered agent details on its filing documents? The Secretary of State will likely reject the filing, meaning that you won’t be able to conduct business in Alabama.

But there may be other penalties for not having a registered agent, whether you fail to hire a new one after your current agent resigns or if your agent is not available at the registered office. In these cases, the Secretary of State may take legal action.

Privacy

Privacy is another important factor to keep in mind when considering being your own Alabama registered agent or hiring an outside service. Let’s say that you keep the registered agent role in-house. If a lawsuit is ever filed against your business, legal papers will be served at the registered office address, which is at your place of business. This means that clients or employees may witness this type of event. 

With a registered agent service, legal documents will be served at an office separate from your business, protecting it from embarrassment and helping to preserve your business’s credibility.

Separation between your business and personal life

For business owners running companies from their homes, hiring an Alabama registered agent service is hugely beneficial for keeping personal and business details separate. With an outside registered agent, all state mail and legal documents will be sent to their registered office instead of your home, keeping your home address private. 

Registered agent information is public record in Alabama, meaning that anyone can find it in an Alabama business search. Having a registered agent service means that your personal details, like your name and home address, will stay confidential. 

Added services and benefits

There are some additional benefits of using an Alabama registered agent service: 

• Changing registered agent information is easier. Designating yourself as a registered agent means that your registered office address is your business (or home) address. If your business address changes, you must submit a Change of Registered Agent or Registered Office by Entity form to the Secretary of State, giving you one extra task to add to your to-do list. A registered agent service, on the other hand, will submit this document on your behalf.
• You may get access to additional services. Many Alabama registered agent services offer add-ons, like mail forwarding, virtual mailboxes, and business license renewal calendars—all of which can help to keep your business running smoothly.
• You’ll have peace of mind. Don’t worry about missing important mail or documents when you go on vacation or have business meetings outside of the office. A hired Alabama registered agent will always be on-site at the registered office to receive this type of paperwork.

Who should hire a professional Alabama registered agent?

Hiring a professional registered agent in Alabama is beneficial for business owners who value convenience, privacy, and professionalism, but it can also be an extra help for specific types of businesses, like those in regulated industries that might receive higher volumes of legal documents as well as companies that don’t operate only during normal business hours (like restaurants or spas).

Foreign entities doing business in the state are required to hire an Alabama registered agent service because the registered office address must be in the state of Alabama.

How to hire an Alabama registered agent

When you’re ready to start your business, don’t spend your precious time conducting an Alabama registered agent search. Instead, trust LegalZoom to make hiring an Alabama registered agent as easy as pecan pie. Our registered agent services give you peace of mind by ensuring that your business is compliant with state law and won’t miss an important document or notice. Enjoy timely alerts when items are received, digital scanning, unlimited cloud storage, and notifications for compliance deadlines—all to help your business stay organized.

Alabama registered agent FAQs

Can you change registered agents?

Of course! You can change registered agents in Alabama by filling out and submitting a Change of Registered Agent or Registered Office by Entity form to the Alabama Secretary of State. You’ll need to provide the new registered agent’s name and address and get their signature on the form before submitting. The filing fee for this form is $100.

Can I be my own registered agent in Alabama?

Yes, you can be your own registered agent in Alabama as long as you are a resident of the state, have a physical address to serve as the registered office address, and are on-site during normal business hours to receive legal paperwork and certified mail.

Even if you can fulfill all of these requirements, it may still be a good idea to hire an Alabama registered agent service to boost your business’s professional reputation, maintain your privacy, and have peace of mind that no documents will be overlooked.

Should you hire a registered agent before forming your LLC?

For an Alabama registered agent, LLCs should hire one before forming their business. That’s because you’re required to fill in the details about your registered agent on your Alabama LLC’s certificate of formation—the document that’s filed with the Secretary of State to register your business.

Is it worth paying for a registered agent?

It depends on what your needs are. Paying for a registered agent service can be immensely helpful for busy business owners, those who work from home and want to protect their personal information, and those who don’t work normal business hours (like 9 to 5). Plus, these services, like registered agent services offered by LegalZoom, often provide add-ons such as document scanning and digital cloud storage, time-sensitive deadline notifications, and mail alerts.