Top 7 Best Alabama Registered Agents 2023: Detailed Reviews And Guides
Reviewed by Randolph Vialva, MBA
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If you run a limited liability corporation (LLC) in Alabama, then you need a registered agent. You can either act as one yourself or hire an Alabama registered agent service.
This article will outline top Alabama registered agent services in the state. It’ll also help you explore what matters in a registered agent and why hiring a registered agent service could be the right move for your company.
Let’s get into it.
Read more: Best LLC services
What Is A Registered Agent?
A registered agent is a person who acts as a legal point of contact for your business. They have to accept documents, service of process, annual report reminders, and more.
The Alabama Secretary of State has dictated that an Alabama LLC must have a registered agent with a physical address in Alabama to accept these kinds of documents.
Registered agent services will handle everything for you so that your business entity can meet its legal obligations during normal business hours. The rest of the article will help you explore the top registered agent services to help you find an Alabama registered agent service that meets your goals.
How To Start A Business In Alabama?
If you want to start a business in Alabama, then one of the first things you need to do is figure out the kind of business entity that you want to be. If you’re a business owner who wants to limit your liability, then forming an LLC (Limited Liability Corporation) could be the right entity for you.
An Alabama LLC will limit your personal liability in the event that something goes wrong with your accounting firm or other business.
You can use many of the registered agent services on our list to form your LLC. After you pay the filing fee and complete the agent form that the Secretary of State requires, it’ll be time to find the right registered agent.
Your registered agent receives all of the different kinds of legal documents that your LLC gets throughout the course of its business. You need a registered agent that you can rely on to do this for you. If you can’t trust the registered agent that you hire, then you may fall out of compliance unexpectedly.
Top 7 Best Registered Agents in Alabama in 2023
- Zenbusiness: Best Overall
- Northwest Registered Agent: Most Affordable
- IncFile: Best Online Tools
- LegalZoom: Best Reputation
- Harbor Compliance: Best Turnaround Time
- Rocket Lawyer: Best Ongoing Legal Services
- MyCompanyWorks: Best for Same-Day LLC Filing
Read more: Best LLC Formation Services In Alabama (AL) 2023
Top 7 Best Registered Agents In Alabama 2023
Zenbusiness
If you’re looking for an Alabama-registered agent that can just get the job done for you at an affordable price, then ZenBusiness may be your solution. It’s an all-around winner that you can’t go wrong with and ranks as our best-registered agent service in the state.
- Starts at $0 plus state fees
- Premium registered agent and compliances services
- Affordable EIN and expedited filing options
- Less brand recognition than competitors
ZenBusiness is a registered agent service that can help your Alabama business meet all of the obligations that it has so that it remains in good standing. From company formation to registered agent services, they’ve got you covered. And, with their worry-free compliance services, you can gain peace of mind while focusing on what you do best: running your business.
The company is affordable, offers great customer support, and even provides a fast turnaround for things like online filings, your entity form, and your compliance calendar. It offers:
- Quick business formation services
- Free accounting consultation services
- Help with compliance
- And more
ZenBusiness will supply all the formation necessities with its $0 plus state fees and make sure you have everything you need to start your business. Besides, the company will process important legal documents, receive service of process, and act as your physical street address to accept mail and mail forwarding.
Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest is a good option if you want an Alabama-registered agent at an affordable price. The company offers great plans, free online tools, and other valuable services through your online account.
- Helpful and free online tools
- Affordable pricing
- Free registered agent service (if you sign up for LLC formation package)
- LLC formation service is pricey
Hiring a Northwest registered agent is another great option for your limited liability company. They can act as a personal address and even offer premium service if you need it. The bottom line is that your small business will get all of the basic services it expects from a Alabama registered agent and more when you go with a Northwest registered agent.
The company’s registered agent service costs $125 per year, which includes instant online service and same-day local scans. But if you also need to form your LLC, you can do that through Northwest and get the registered agent service for free.
IncFile
IncFile is a good option if you want an Alabama registered agent and still need to form your LLC. The company offers a free registered agent service to any business entity that forms its LLC through IncFile.
- Focuses on online security
- Great customer service and reviews
- Free Alabama registered agent service available
- Doesn’t offer volume discounts
Even if you don’t need to form an LLC still, IncFile can be a good option for your registered agent service. It can act as a business address, accept documents during business hours, and be your statutory agent for official mail and things of that nature.
IncFile also places an emphasis on online security and regularly scores well in customer service rankings on online review sites. It’s definitely an option to consider if you don’t want to be your own Alabama registered agent.
LegalZoom
LegalZoom has an impeccable reputation and is a good registered agent’s name to have connected to your company. It also offers a useful money-back guarantee.
- Industry-leading reputation
- Offers a money-back guarantee
- Easy to use platform for Alabama registered agents
- Can be expensive
LegalZoom is the Alabama registered agent service with the best brand recognition anywhere. But it’s not just a name. The company will do everything you expect from your registered agent, including providing a registered office address, acting as a resident agent, and accepting important legal notices such as state fees.
LegalZoom’s registered agent package starts at $299 per year. This is more expensive than other providers, but it comes with identity theft protection and credit monitoring plus unlimited cloud storage for your business docs.
Harbor Compliance
Harbor Compliance is another choice worth looking into if you want affordable pricing and a fast turnaround time on registered agent services.
- Affordable pricing
- Nationwide presence
- Good turnaround time on most new registered agent services
- Doesn’t offer premium services
Harbor Compliance is a budget-friendly option that can support your Alabama office and any local office you may have with a mailbox service and more during regular business hours. The company will also serve as an acceptable service across multiple states and help you out with managing filing fees.
If you’re tired of forwarded mail and want a simple online filing partner to work with, then Harbor Compliance could be your solution. It’s also one of the most affordable options out there.
Habor Compliance plans start at just $89.99. For that price, you get instant access to online registered agent services and same-day electronic delivery of documents.
Rocket Lawyer
Rocket Lawyer has a strong industry reputation and can provide help with many ongoing legal services in addition to acting as an Alabama registered agent.
- Great customer support
- Offers subscription-based pricing
- Can help with ongoing legal issues
- Requires a credit card for your free trial
The main point of differentiation for Rocket Lawyer is the company’s offering of ongoing legal services. If you’re looking for more than just a phone service or a process server, then Rocket Lawyer may be your best bet.
Rocket Lawyer’s registered agent service costs $149.99 annually for non-members, but members get 25% off. It costs $39.99 per month to become a premium member, which also gives you access to attorney services and help with legal documents.
The company also offers excellent customer support and has subscription-based pricing. This could make it easier to hire the company without breaking your budget.
MyCompanyWorks, Inc
If you just want a registered agent service that is easy to use, then MyCompanyWorks may be your best bet. Its website is very straightforward and it offers good value across multiple services.
- Easy-to-use website
- Strong customer support and reviews
- Good value
- Paid registered agent service only
MyCompanyWorks is a registered agent service that you should definitely consider alongside your other options. It’s a really easy service to use and the company regularly receives high ratings for its customer support and the value that it provides as a registered agent.
The service starts at just $99 per year, which makes it one of the best-priced options out there. For that price, you get help with faster filing and immediate notifications when you receive important documents.
What Does Alabama Registered Agent Do?
An Alabama registered agent is responsible for processing all of the forms and legal documents that your business receives. You can think of them as a point of contact for official matters with the courts and the state.
For example, if you have to pay a fee to keep your LLC in good standing, the letter requesting that fee will be sent to your Alabama registered agent. Alabama registered agent services take these responsibilities off of your plate so that you don’t have to worry about them or be your own registered agent.
Most Alabama registered agent services operate during normal business hours. They can also provide a physical address as a verified commercial registered agent.
Benefits Of Using A Registered Agent In Alabama
There are quite a few benefits to using Alabama registered agents instead of being your own registered agent. The main one is that registered agents will take over many of the responsibilities that you have, including
- Providing a physical business address for service of process
- Accept legal documents
- Complete mail forwarding when necessary
- Stay in compliance with each filing fee you have to submit
- Remember to pay all state fees
- And other kinds of support for your Alabama business
Final Thoughts
Each of the companies we listed in this review offers a solid registered agent service that can help your business. But if you’re looking for the best Alabama registered agents out there, then we recommend ZenBusiness.
ZenBusiness can provide a registered agent in Alabama that takes over all of your responsibilities as laid out by the Alabama Secretary of State. They’re affordable, easy to use, and even offer value-adding features like after-hours customer support.
That being said, options like IncFile and Northwest can also be great choices for your Alabama business if you’re looking for an affordable registered agent in your area. These companies are especially good choices if you still need to form your LLC since they offer a free registered agent service to business owners that form LLCs through them.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, you must have a registered agent associated with your business. This is a legal requirement in the state of Alabama and in most other states in the USA.
If you don’t have a registered agent in Alabama and you attempt to do business, you could end up facing hefty fines. That’s why it’s better to hire a registered agent in Alabama now so that you don’t have to worry about that moving forward.
When you’re hiring a registered agent, lots of different factors can play a role in your decision.
For example, you might want a registered agent who you can talk to after normal business hours. Or maybe you’re just looking for the most affordable registered agent service possible. It’s important to think about what matters to you when hiring a registered agent before making a final decision.
No, the good news is that if you operate in multiple states you only need a registered agent in the one where you’re headquartered. This is just so that someone is available to pay state fees, provide a street address, and accept everything else that a registered agent receives.
Yes, a registered agent is also sometimes called a statutory agent and a resident agent. If you want to hire a new registered agent, then you might see these terms thrown around as well.
You can certainly can do this job on your own. But a registered agent’s responsibilities are numerous, given what the Secretary of State mandates from them.
Instead of having to worry about everything from providing a street address to maintaining a registered office address, it’s typically easier to just hire another company to help.
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Registered Agents. Accessed September 6, 2022. https://www.sos.alabama.gov/sites/default/files/2022-06/Registered-Agent-List.pdf
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Business Entity Records | Alabama Secretary of State. www.sos.alabama.gov. Accessed September 6, 2022. https://www.sos.alabama.gov/government-records/business-entity-records
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SOS Online Services. www.alabamainteractive.org. Accessed September 6, 2022. https://www.alabamainteractive.org/sos/introduction_input.action
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Alabama Registered Agent | For LLCs & Corporations. Northwest Registered Agent. Accessed September 6, 2022. https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/registered-agent/alabama
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Get an Alabama Registered Agent Today. ZenBusiness Inc. Accessed September 6, 2022. https://www.zenbusiness.com/alabama-registered-agent/
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Alabama Registered Agents for LLCs. www.incfile.com. Accessed September 6, 2022. https://www.incfile.com/alabama-llc/registered-agents-alabama-llc