Alabama Business Entity Search
A live search of the Alabama Secretary of State, with the official Alabama search one click away.
Alabama at a glance
Alabama business records
Alabama requires a name reservation before an LLC or corporation can be formed, and of the $200 formation fee the Secretary of State passes $100 to the county where the registered agent is located. The Certificate of Existence comes from the Secretary of State, while a Certificate of Compliance (tax good standing) comes from the Department of Revenue; the online portal adds a small service fee (formation totals $208, name reservation $28).
Filings in Alabama go to the Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services (Business Entities Division), which keeps the official record. The search on this page asks the Alabama Secretary of State each time you run it.
Coverage: Alabama business entities.
Statuses you may see in Alabama
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Exists | The entity is on record and has not been dissolved, cancelled, merged or withdrawn. |
| Dissolved | The entity has ended its existence. |
| Cancelled | The entity's record has been cancelled and it no longer exists. |
| Merged | The entity merged into another entity and no longer exists separately. |
| Consolidated | The entity combined with others into a new entity and no longer exists separately. |
| Revoked | The state revoked the entity's registration. |
| Withdrawn | A foreign entity has withdrawn its registration to do business in Alabama. |
Source, checked 2026-10-26. Words other states use are in the business entity status guide.
Questions
Is this the official Alabama business search?
No. This is an independent website, not run by or affiliated with any government agency. Results come from the Alabama Secretary of State, and the official search (Business Entity Records) is linked beside them.
How current are the results?
As current as the Alabama Secretary of State: each search is sent when you run it, and an answer is kept for at most 24 hours before it is asked again.
How do I check if a business name is available in Alabama?
Search the Secretary of State's Business Entity Records by name. Alabama requires a Certificate of Name Reservation before formation documents can be filed, so the name is reserved first.
Does Alabama charge a franchise tax or a similar yearly tax?
Corporations and LLCs file a Business Privilege Tax return with the Alabama Department of Revenue; for tax years beginning after December 31, 2023, a business whose tax comes to $100 or less is fully exempt and does not file.
More about an Alabama business
- How to find a business's EIN
- Check if an LLC name is available
- What each entity status means
- What a registered agent is
- Business lookup in other states
Every fee and rule above links to the official page it came from. How we check our facts · Report an error