The official search
The registry is run by the Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services Division (Business Entities Division).
- Search page: https://www.sos.alabama.gov/government-records/business-entity-records
- Cost: Free
- Login: None required
The search is part of the Secretary of State's Government Records Inquiry System. It offers four ways in, and each one opens in a new browser window: Entity Name, Entity Number, Officer | Agent | Incorporator, and Reservation | Registration by ID. For a name check, use Entity Name.
The database covers the filing entities registered with the Secretary of State — corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, LLPs, and similar entities. It does not cover the business (privilege) licenses issued by county probate offices, so a local business can exist without appearing here.
One Alabama difference matters: the search never gives a final verdict, and in Alabama the real availability decision happens one step later, when the Secretary of State reviews your name reservation request. The search is how you scout; the Certificate of Name Reservation is how the state confirms — and it is a required step, not an optional extra (see below).
A record shows the entity name, Entity ID number (now in a 9-digit format), entity type, status (such as "Exists"), principal and mailing addresses, place of formation, formation date, the registered agent's name and office address, and a filing history with the option to purchase document copies. An LLC's record does not publish its members or managers — the formation filing does not name them.
Step by step
- Open Business Entity Records on sos.alabama.gov and choose Entity Name. It opens in a new window — don't close the hub page.
- Follow the Secretary of State's own search technique: type your name without the entity ending (leave off "LLC") and without punctuation, and leave the other boxes empty. The system then shows all entities using the name and, in many cases, similar names.
- Read every result, not just LLCs. Alabama judges your name against all filing entities and reserved names, and the entity ending doesn't count (see the rules below) — so an existing "… Inc." or "… LP" can block your "… LLC."
- Try shorter and reordered versions of the name to catch near-misses the first pass missed.
- If nothing conflicting appears, apply for the name reservation. That application — $25 by mail or $28 online — is where the state formally decides the name is available and issues your Certificate of Name Reservation.
- File your Certificate of Formation within one year of the reservation, with the certificate attached. Let the year lapse and the name is released; you would have to reserve (and pay) again.
Alabama's name rules
The rules are in Title 10A, Chapter 1, Article 5 of the Alabama Code.
Designator. The name must contain "Limited Liability Company" or the abbreviation "L.L.C." or "LLC" (§10A-1-5.06). The name on your reservation request must include the ending — the state requires it there, even though you leave it off when searching.
Distinguishable. Under §10A-1-5.03, your name may not be the same as, or not distinguishable on the Secretary of State's records from:
- The name of another existing filing entity
- The name of a foreign filing entity registered in Alabama
- A name that is currently reserved
There is a narrow exception: the other entity (or reservation holder) can consent in writing and agree to change its own name.
Differences that do not count. Entity designations are ignored when distinguishability is judged (§10A-1-5.03(c)). "Corporation," "Inc.," "limited liability company," "LLC," "Ltd.," and the rest are simply not taken into account — which is why changing only the ending never makes a taken name available.
No misleading purpose. A name may not indicate or imply that the business is organized for a purpose it is not authorized to pursue (§10A-1-5.02) — for example, wording that suggests banking, insurance, or trust activity without the authority to do it.
Reserving a name — required here. Alabama requires you to obtain a Certificate of Name Reservation before filing your formation documents (§10A-1-4.02(f)). It costs $25 by paper form or $28 online, lasts one year, and can be renewed once for another year if you apply during the final 90 days before it expires (renewal $25). This is a genuine reservation — during that year the name is held for you — but it does not by itself create an LLC.
What the search can't tell you
- County business licenses. Alabama businesses also need a county-issued business privilege license, and those local records are not in this database.
- A final verdict. The search shows what is on file; the binding availability decision is made when your name reservation is reviewed.
- Trademarks and domains. The search says nothing about federal trademark rights or .com availability.
- Who owns a company. The record shows the registered agent and organizer, not the LLC's members or managers.
If the name looks available
Step 1: Reserve the name. Apply for the Certificate of Name Reservation online through the Secretary of State's Business Services links ($28 for non-subscribers, certificate printed immediately) or by mail on the Name Reservation Request Form ($25).
Step 2: File the Certificate of Formation with the Secretary of State — original and one copy by mail, or online. Note the document's name: Alabama does not use "Articles of Organization."
- Cost: $200, plus the $25–$28 reservation you already paid — so budget $225 minimum in state fees to form. Online filing may add a small convenience charge; check the total before you submit.
- Your filing must include the Certificate of Name Reservation. Without it, the formation cannot proceed.
Ongoing: no annual report — and usually no tax filing either.
- Alabama LLCs file no annual report with the Secretary of State (the SOS annual report applies to corporations, not LLCs), so there is no yearly SOS fee or deadline to track.
- The recurring item used to be the Business Privilege Tax, filed with the Alabama Department of Revenue. That changed: for tax years beginning after December 31, 2023, a calculated tax of $100 or less is fully exempt and no return is required — which covers most small LLCs, so most now file nothing each year.
- If your calculated tax ever exceeds $100, you file Form PPT with the Department of Revenue by the corresponding federal return due date (March 15 for a calendar-year pass-through LLC). Older guides still quoting a mandatory $50 minimum privilege-tax return every year are out of date.
FAQ
Is the Alabama LLC name search free? Yes. The Business Entity Records search is free and requires no login. The paid step is the mandatory name reservation that follows: $25 by mail or $28 online.
Do I really have to reserve my name before forming an Alabama LLC? Yes. The Secretary of State requires a Certificate of Name Reservation before you file your formation documents, and the certificate must accompany the Certificate of Formation. It is not the optional extra it is in most states.
How long does an Alabama name reservation last? One year. If you need more time, you can renew for another year by applying during the 90 days before it expires, for another $25.
How much does it cost to form an Alabama LLC? $200 for the Certificate of Formation, plus the required name reservation ($25 by mail or $28 online) — $225 to $228 in state fees total.
Does an Alabama LLC file an annual report? No. There is no Secretary of State annual report for LLCs. The Business Privilege Tax return with the Department of Revenue is also not required when your calculated tax is $100 or less, which is the case for most small LLCs.
Sources
- Alabama Secretary of State — Business Entity Records: https://www.sos.alabama.gov/government-records/business-entity-records
- Alabama Secretary of State — LLCs (name reservation requirement, designator, $200 fee): https://www.sos.alabama.gov/business-entities/llcs
- Alabama Secretary of State — Name Reservation Request Form for Domestic Entities: https://www.sos.alabama.gov/sites/default/files/2022-01/domesticEntityNameReservation.pdf
- Alabama Secretary of State — Name Reservation Renewal form (one-year term, 90-day renewal window): https://www.sos.alabama.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/nameReservationRenewal.pdf
- Alabama Code §10A-1-5.03 (names prohibited / distinguishability): https://law.justia.com/codes/alabama/2023/title-10a/chapter-1/article-5/division-a/section-10a-1-5-03/
- Alabama Department of Revenue — 2024 Business Privilege Tax filing changes ($100-or-less exemption): https://www.revenue.alabama.gov/notice-important-changes-to-the-2024-business-privilege-tax-filing-requirements/