• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Evergreen Small Business

Actionable Insights from Small Business CPAs

  • Home
  • Small Business FAQ
  • Monographs
    • Maximizing PPP Loan Forgiveness
    • Preparing U.S. Tax Returns for International Taxpayers
    • Maximizing Sec. 199A Deductions Monograph
    • Setting Low Salaries for S Corporations
    • Small Business Tax Deduction Secrets
    • Real Estate Tax Loopholes & Secrets
    • Preparing Form 3115 for the Tangible Property Regulations
    • Small Businesses and the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)
    • Five Minute Payroll Monograph (2019 Edition)
    • Download Your Free Copy of the Thirteen Word Retirement Plan
    • Business Planning Workbook
    • Sample Corporate Bylaws
    • LLC Operating Agreement
    • Joining Our Affiliate Program
  • Our Bloggers
  • Free LLC Formation Kits
    • Alabama LLC
    • Alaska LLC
    • Arizona LLC
    • Arkansas LLC
    • California LLC
    • Colorado LLC
    • Connecticut LLC
    • Delaware LLC
    • Florida LLC
    • Georgia LLC
    • Hawaii LLC
    • Idaho LLC
    • Illinois LLC
    • Indiana LLC
    • Iowa LLC
    • Kansas LLC
    • Kentucky LLC
    • Louisiana LLC
    • Maine LLC
    • Maryland LLC
    • Massachusetts LLC
    • Michigan LLC
    • Minnesota LLC
    • Mississippi LLC
    • Missouri LLC
    • Montana LLC
    • Nebraska LLC
    • Nevada LLC
    • New Hampshire LLC
    • New Jersey LLC
    • New Mexico LLC
    • New York LLC
    • North Carolina LLC
    • North Dakota LLC
    • Ohio LLC
    • Oklahoma LLC
    • Oregon LLC
    • Pennsylvania LLC
    • Rhode Island LLC
    • South Carolina LLC
    • South Dakota LLC
    • Tennessee LLC
    • Texas LLC
    • Utah LLC
    • Vermont LLC
    • Virginia LLC
    • Washington LLC
    • West Virginia LLC
    • Wisconsin LLC
    • Wyoming LLC
  • S Corporation Kits
    • Alabama S Corporation
    • Alaska S Corporation
    • Arizona S Corporation
    • Arkansas S Corporation
    • California S Corporation
    • Colorado S Corporation
    • Connecticut S Corporation
    • Delaware S Corporation
    • Florida S Corporation
    • Georgia S Corporation
    • Hawaii S Corporation
    • Idaho S Corporation
    • Illinois S Corporation
    • Indiana S Corporation
    • Iowa S Corporation
    • Kansas S Corporation
    • Kentucky S Corporation
    • Louisiana S Corporation
    • Maine S Corporation
    • Maryland S Corporation
    • Massachusetts S Corporation
    • Michigan S Corporation
    • Minnesota S Corporation
    • Mississippi S Corporation
    • Missouri S Corporation
    • Montana S Corporation
    • Nebraska S Corporation
    • Nevada S Corporation
    • New Hampshire S Corporation
    • New Jersey S Corporation
    • New Mexico S Corporation
    • New York S Corporation
    • North Carolina S Corporation
    • North Dakota S Corporation
    • Ohio S Corporation
    • Oklahoma S Corporation
    • Oregon S Corporation
    • Pennsylvania S Corporation
    • Rhode Island S Corporation
    • South Carolina S Corporation
    • South Dakota S Corporation
    • Tennessee S Corporation
    • Texas S Corporation
    • Utah S Corporation
    • Vermont S Corporation
    • Virginia S Corporation
    • Washington S Corporation
    • West Virgina S Corporation
    • Wisconsin S Corporation
    • Wyoming S Corporation
  • Contact Nelson CPA
You are here: Home / Free LLC Formation Kits for All Fifty States / Forming an Alabama limited liability company

Forming an Alabama limited liability company

Picture of Alabama DIY S corporation kit bundle

The actual steps you take to form an Alabama limited liability company are pretty simple. You can, if you want, follow the instructions below. (These instructions are up-to-date as of July 27, 2020.)

We’ve also got a free, downloadable “do it yourself” kit you can use. In other words, the price you pay to purchase equals “zero.” That kit provides more information about LLCs and includes a couple of free LLC operating agreements. (We used to sell the kit but since the Covid-19 pandemic have simply given the kit away.)

View Cart

1. Check if the name you want for your LLC is available

The name of an LLC in Alabama must be reserved. As a first step, you may want to check if the LLC name you want to use is even available. An easy first step is to search the first link below to see if the name you want is already being used.

http://arc-sos.state.al.us/CGI/CORPNAME.MBR/INPUT

When you find a name that seems available, you can reserve it at:

https://www.alabamainteractive.org/sos/welcome_nameReservation.action

Your corporate name must end with the words Limited Liability Company or an abbreviation of these words (L.L.C. or LLC). For example, all of the following names should be acceptable:

  • Acme Explosives Limited Liability Company
  • Acme Explosives LLC
  • Acme Explosives L.L.C.

Make sure you save a copy of your name reservation certificate; you will need to attach it to your application when you file.

2. Download the certificate of formation form from the Alabama Secretary of State’s web site

The URL, or web page address, for this form is as shown below.

https://www.sos.alabama.gov/sites/default/files/2019-07/sosdf-8.pdf

Or you can file online at:

https://www.alabamainteractive.org/sos/introduction_input.action

3. State the name you want to use for your new LLC

Enter your business or investment name onto the lines provided. (I used the example name, “Acme Explosives LLC.”) This is the name you reserved in step 1. The form then instructs you that you will need to attach your name reservation certificate.

4. State who is preparing the form

Enter the name and address of the person filling out the form.

5. Give the principal office of the limited liability company

Enter the street address of the LLC’s main office.

6. Identify yourself as the registered agent and provide your address

You need to provide your name and address as the registered agent. A P.O. box is not acceptable.

7. Consider the duration of the LLC

If you have a desired date of dissolution, write that down on a separate piece of paper and attach it to the application. (Also see item 11 on page 3 of the Alabama form.) If not, your LLC will have a perpetual duration and you should put “perpetual” in the blank as shown in the example.

8. Check the appropriate box for series or professional LLCs

If you are forming either a series or a professional LLC, check the corresponding box in item 5.

9. Specify the effective date

The certificate of formation will be effective on the date it is filed unless otherwise specified in item 6.

11. Attach elements of your operating agreement

If the terms of your operating agreement call for the right to admit additional members, you must attach the terms and conditions. Likewise, attach any terms of dissolving the LLC due to a member ceasing to participate. Obviously, these are important areas for multiple-member LLCs to agree upon ahead of time.

12. Date and sign

Remember after printing the form, at the bottom of the form, you will need to add your signature and the date.

13. Submit the application

After you complete the certificate of formation, mail the original and two copies of the document along with a check payable to the Secretary of State for $100 (in some jurisdictions you can pay by credit card) to the probate judge in the county where the LLC’s registered office is located. The probate judge will collect the Secretary of State filing fee and forward it, along with the filed copy, to the Secretary of State.

The Corporations Division receives some 500 requests each day for information regarding its 250,000 filings. This means that processing lead times vary, but in general, it takes several weeks to get your LLC certificate back.

Other Resources You Might Find Useful

Steps to apply for an employer identification number

How to complete a 2553 “S Election” form

Primary Sidebar

Welcome

Nelson CPA publishes this blog to help and encourage small business owners. Click here to learn more about our firm.

Need to help clients with their PPP loan forgiveness applications?

Updated for 2019 tax year changes and now available in print from Amazon!!

Maximizing Sec. 199A Deductions

International tax issues?

Preparing US tax returns for international taxpayers

Maximize S corporation tax savings

Setting Low S Corporation Salaries

Free retirement planning help

Picture of Thirteen Word Retirement Plan book

Search

Featured Posts

Fixing 199A Deduction Errors is awkward but a good idea.

199A Deduction Errors Cost Small Businesses Big Refunds

The Section 199A deduction lets business owners avoid federal income taxes on that last twenty percent of their business income. Which sounds … [Read More...] about 199A Deduction Errors Cost Small Businesses Big Refunds

Roth alternatives exist blog post

Ten Best Roth Alternatives

All the talk about tax law changes, including changes to the Roth rules and then the prospect of higher tax rates for some, seems to be jacking … [Read More...] about Ten Best Roth Alternatives

How Pass-through Profit Distributions Get Taxed

Why Profit Distributions Usually Don’t Get Taxed

We encounter a common misconception from flow-through business owner clients  every year and I want to try and clear the air. That misconception? … [Read More...] about Why Profit Distributions Usually Don’t Get Taxed

Recent Comments

  • Stephen Nelson CPA on 16 Ways of Qualifying for Employee Retention Credits
  • Chris on 16 Ways of Qualifying for Employee Retention Credits
  • Jerry Seo on 16 Ways of Qualifying for Employee Retention Credits
  • Stephen Nelson CPA on 16 Ways of Qualifying for Employee Retention Credits
  • Stephen Nelson CPA on 16 Ways of Qualifying for Employee Retention Credits

Archives

Copyright © 2022 Stephen L. Nelson, Inc. · News Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress