Alabama Articles of Organization: What to File (2026)
Alabama does not use “Articles of Organization.” To create an Alabama LLC you file a Certificate of Formation with the Alabama Secretary of State for a $200 fee, after first obtaining a required name reservation ($28 online). If a form or bank asks an Alabama LLC for its “articles of organization,” what they need is your filed Certificate of Formation.
Quick Answer
- Alabama term
- Certificate of Formation - not “Articles of Organization”
- Agency
- Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities
- Filing fee
- $200 (2026), Certificate of Formation
- Name reservation
- Required before filing - $28 online
- Governing law
- Alabama Limited Liability Company Law of 2014 (Title 10A, Ch. 5A)
- Where “Articles of Organization” applies
- California, New York, Illinois, Arizona, and others
Alabama Does Not Use “Articles of Organization”
If you searched for Alabama Articles of Organization, the short answer is that Alabama does not have one. “Articles of Organization” is the name that many states - including California, New York, Illinois, and Arizona - give to the document that creates a limited liability company. Alabama uses a different label for the same legal act. This is a common source of confusion because LLC-formation terminology is not uniform across the 50 states, and templates and articles written for one state often borrow another state's vocabulary.
In Alabama, the document that legally creates a limited liability company is the Certificate of Formation, filed with the Alabama Secretary of State. So when a lender, investor, or out-of-state form asks an Alabama LLC for its “articles of organization,” the correct document to provide is the stamped Certificate of Formation (or, for proof of current status, a certificate of existence). For the full step by step, see our dedicated Alabama Certificate of Formation guide and how to form an LLC in Alabama.
What Creates an Alabama LLC: the Certificate of Formation
An Alabama LLC comes into existence when the Alabama Secretary of State accepts a Certificate of Formation for a domestic limited liability company. The document and the filing requirement come from the Alabama Limited Liability Company Law of 2014, codified in Title 10A, Chapter 5A of the Code of Alabama; Section 10A-5A-2.01 is the formation provision. Filing this certificate - and the Secretary of State's acceptance of it - is the single legal act that brings the LLC into being, exactly as Articles of Organization do in other states. The Certificate of Formation is a public record; the LLC's internal operating agreement is not filed and stays private.
Alabama's Name Reservation Requirement
Alabama adds a step most states do not: you must reserve your LLC name before you file the Certificate of Formation. You obtain a Certificate of Name Reservation from the Secretary of State, which confirms the name is distinguishable from existing entity names, and then file it together with - or ahead of - the Certificate of Formation. The online name reservation fee is $28; confirm the mail fee on the Secretary of State fee schedule. This is why an Alabama formation is effectively a two-filing process: reserve the name, then file the Certificate of Formation. Plan the name carefully and confirm it does not infringe a federal trademark before you reserve it.
What the Certificate of Formation Contains
The Alabama Certificate of Formation asks for the same core information that Articles of Organization request in other states:
- The LLC's name, including a required designator such as “LLC,” “L.L.C.,” or “Limited Liability Company”;
- The name and address of the registered agent and the registered office in Alabama;
- The name(s) of the organizer(s);
- Whether the LLC is member-managed or manager-managed;
- Any additional provisions the organizers choose to include, such as a professional-LLC designation or a delayed effective date.
Because the name reservation must accompany the filing, keep the reservation certificate with your Certificate of Formation packet. Once accepted, the Secretary of State returns a stamped copy that serves as your proof of formation for banks and lenders.
Terminology by State: What Maps to What
The table maps the “Articles of Organization” concept to the correct Alabama document and shows how a few other states name it. The function is identical; only the label changes.
| State | LLC creating document | Filed with |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Certificate of Formation | Secretary of State |
| California | Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) | Secretary of State |
| Texas | Certificate of Formation (Form 205) | Secretary of State |
| New York / Illinois | Articles of Organization | State filing office |
| Delaware / Washington | Certificate of Formation | Division of Corporations / Secretary of State |
The takeaway is to match the document to the action you need rather than the label you searched. Creating a new Alabama LLC means filing the Certificate of Formation. For a national view of the formation document generally, see articles of organization and how to form an LLC.
Alabama Formation Fees (2026)
The fees below are set by the Alabama Secretary of State and Alabama Department of Revenue, and apply whichever term you started your search with. Confirm current amounts on the Secretary of State fee schedule before filing.
| Item | What it is | Fee (2026) | Agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Name Reservation | Required before formation | $28 online | Secretary of State |
| Certificate of Formation | Creates the LLC | $200 | Secretary of State |
| Business Privilege Tax | Annual entity tax | Minimum reduced/eliminated for small entities - confirm | Department of Revenue |
| Federal EIN | Tax ID number | $0 (free) | IRS |
For a full breakdown of start-up and recurring costs, see Alabama LLC cost and compare states with how much does an LLC cost.
After You File: EIN, Business Privilege Tax, License
Once the Secretary of State accepts your Certificate of Formation, a few obligations follow. Apply for a free federal EIN from the IRS to open a bank account, hire, and file taxes; by default a single-member Alabama LLC is a disregarded entity and a multi-member LLC a partnership, and either can elect S-corporation treatment. Register with the Alabama Department of Revenue for the Business Privilege Tax and any sales or withholding accounts, and obtain the county business privilege license through the Probate Office where you operate; see business licenses in Alabama. Keep your registered agent current to stay in good standing, and when you eventually wind down, follow how to dissolve an LLC in Alabama.
Common Points of Confusion
Because the vocabulary differs from state to state, a few misunderstandings come up repeatedly for Alabama businesses. First, people search for an “Alabama Articles of Organization form” and cannot find one on the Secretary of State's site - because the form is titled Certificate of Formation. Use that title when you look for the document. Second, out-of-state lenders, landlords, and franchisors sometimes demand “your articles of organization.” In Alabama, hand them the stamped Certificate of Formation; it is the same thing, and any sophisticated party will accept it. Third, some owners assume “Articles of Organization” and “Articles of Incorporation” are interchangeable. They are not: Articles of Incorporation create a corporation, while the Certificate of Formation (Alabama's Articles of Organization equivalent) creates an LLC. Choosing between the two entity types affects taxes and governance - compare them at LLC vs corporation and S-corp vs LLC.
A fourth point trips up businesses expanding into Alabama from another state. A foreign LLC - one already formed elsewhere - does not file a Certificate of Formation in Alabama. Instead, it registers to transact business as a foreign entity, which is a separate application from the domestic Certificate of Formation covered here. And a fifth: the Certificate of Formation is a public document, but your operating agreement is not filed and stays private, so do not attach the operating agreement to the certificate. Getting these distinctions right up front avoids rejected filings and delays. When you are ready to file the actual document, the step-by-step process - including the required name reservation and the $200 fee - is covered in our Alabama Certificate of Formation guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Alabama use Articles of Organization?
No. Alabama creates an LLC with a Certificate of Formation filed with the Secretary of State. “Articles of Organization” is the term used in California, New York, Illinois, and other states.
What is the Alabama equivalent of Articles of Organization?
The Certificate of Formation for a domestic LLC, under the Alabama Limited Liability Company Law of 2014. See Alabama Certificate of Formation.
How much does it cost to form an Alabama LLC?
The Certificate of Formation fee is $200, plus a required name reservation that costs $28 online. See Alabama LLC cost.
Do I have to reserve my LLC name in Alabama?
Yes. Alabama requires a Certificate of Name Reservation before you file the Certificate of Formation, confirming the name is available and distinguishable.
Where do I file to create an Alabama LLC?
With the Alabama Secretary of State online. Domestic LLCs now file the Certificate of Formation directly with the Secretary of State rather than through the probate court.
Related
- How to form an LLC (cluster hub)
- Alabama Certificate of Formation
- How to form an LLC in Alabama
- Alabama registered agent
- How much does an Alabama LLC cost?
- Alabama annual report & Business Privilege Tax
- Business licenses in Alabama
- Articles of Organization (national)
- California Articles of Organization (sibling)
- How to get an EIN
- How to dissolve an LLC in Alabama
Sources
- Alabama Secretary of State - LLCs (Certificate of Formation; name reservation; $200 filing fee).
- Alabama Secretary of State - Business forms and fee schedule (name reservation and Certificate of Formation forms).
- Alabama Secretary of State - Business entity records search (name distinguishability).
- Justia - Ala. Code § 10A-5A-2.01, Formation of limited liability company; certificate of formation.
- Justia - Ala. Code § 10A-5A-2.08, Registered agent and registered office.
- Justia - Ala. Code Title 10A, Chapter 5A (Alabama Limited Liability Company Law of 2014).
- Alabama Department of Revenue - Business Privilege Tax.
- Alabama Department of Revenue - Business License (county business privilege license).
- Texas Secretary of State - Business Organizations Code Forms (Texas also uses Certificate of Formation, Form 205).
- California Secretary of State - Business Entities Forms (California uses Articles of Organization, Form LLC-1).
- IRS - Limited Liability Company (LLC) (federal default classification).
- IRS - Get an Employer Identification Number (free EIN).
- Cornell Legal Information Institute - Limited liability company (Wex).
LegalGlass provides general information for educational purposes and is not a law firm or a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney or tax professional. Laws, fees, and thresholds change; verify current requirements with the Alabama Secretary of State and Alabama Department of Revenue before acting.