Find and Verify an Alabama Business Record
Search an Alabama corporation, LLC, nonprofit or partnership by entity name, nine-digit entity ID, officer, registered agent, incorporator or reservation ID, then verify the complete record before you sign, pay or file.
This guide also explains status wording, old corporation records, name reservations, document copies, Certificates of Existence, Alabama tax compliance and why an SOS search does not replace licence or fraud checks.
What Are You Trying to Find?
Choose the task that matches your situation. The helper gives you the shortest useful route before you leave this page for the official system.
Find a company
- Search the distinctive part of the legal or advertised name.
- Compare entity ID, entity type, status and formation date.
- Open the correct entity record.
- Review addresses, agent, officers and scanned documents.
Choose the Right Alabama Business Search Field
The official records hub provides four separate search routes. Choose the route that matches the information already in your hand instead of entering every detail at once.
Entity Name
Best for a legal name, former name or the distinctive words shown on an invoice, proposal or website.
Entity Number
Best for one precise record. Alabama now displays a nine-digit format; older six-digit IDs may appear with three leading zeroes.
Officer, Agent or Incorporator
Useful when a person or registered-agent company is known but the entity name is uncertain.
Reservation or Registration ID
Useful for tracing a name-reservation or registration transaction by its identification number.
How to Complete the Official AL SOS Business Search
Use this sequence to avoid selecting the wrong entity or relying only on a similar name.
Open the Alabama Business Entity Records hub
Use the Secretary of State records page rather than a paid formation or document-reseller website. The hub opens each search option in a separate browser window.
Select Entity Name, Entity Number or person search
Use name for discovery, Entity Number for one exact record, or Officer/Agent/Incorporator when the person is your strongest clue.
Enter only the useful part of the name
Begin with distinctive words. If the full name fails, remove punctuation and endings such as LLC, L.L.C., Inc., Corp., Corporation, LP, LLP or LLLP.
Compare every plausible match
Check entity ID, entity type, status, formation date and address. A brand-name match alone is not enough.
Open the Entity ID or entity name
Confirm that the details page matches the company on the contract, invoice, licence or official communication.
Read the agent, principal address and officers separately
These fields serve different purposes. A registered-agent address can differ from the company’s operating location.
Open scanned documents before relying on the summary
Formation, amendment, merger, dissolution, agent-change and other filings can explain older or conflicting information.
After choosing the correct route and search wording, use the official records hub.
What the Alabama Entity Database Includes—and What It Does Not
The Business Entity Division is a filing depository for domestic entities and foreign entities registered to transact business in Alabama. It is not a complete background-check, tax, licence or ownership database.
Usually found in the SOS records
- For-profit corporations
- Nonprofit corporations
- Limited liability companies
- Limited partnerships
- Registered limited liability partnerships
- Limited liability limited partnerships
- Foreign entities registered in Alabama
- Formation, amendment and termination documents held by the division
Not established by the entity record alone
- Federal EIN
- Complete beneficial ownership
- Tax compliance or Business Privilege Tax balance
- Professional or occupational licence
- Local business privilege licence
- Insurance coverage
- All lawsuits, judgments or complaints
- Authority of the individual asking for payment
How to Read an Alabama Entity Record
Read the record in this order: legal name, Entity ID, type, status, formation details, principal address, registered agent, people listed and scanned documents.
| Record field | What it means | Common mistake | Useful next check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entity name | The legal name recorded with the Alabama Secretary of State. | Assuming a storefront or invoice name is the legal entity. | Compare formation documents, amendments and local trade-name records. |
| Entity ID | The Alabama SOS identifier, now shown in a nine-digit format. | Entering an EIN or tax number into the entity-number search. | Use the ID for exact searches, document orders and support requests. |
| Entity type | Corporation, nonprofit, LLC, LP, LLP, LLLP or another filed structure. | Assuming every business name ending in “company” is a corporation. | Use the correct filing and tax rules for that structure. |
| Place of formation | Alabama for a domestic entity or another jurisdiction for a foreign entity. | Thinking “foreign” necessarily means outside the United States. | Verify the home-jurisdiction record when the entity was formed elsewhere. |
| Formation or registration date | When the domestic entity was formed or the foreign entity was registered in Alabama. | Assuming continuous operation since that date. | Review dissolution, merger, conversion or reinstatement documents. |
| Status | The current outcome reflected by accepted SOS filings. | Treating “Exists” as a tax-clearance or licence certificate. | Open scanned documents and use ALDOR or licensing records separately. |
| Principal address | The address reported as the entity’s principal office or mailing location. | Assuming customers can visit that address. | Compare contracts, website information and newer filings. |
| Registered agent | The person or entity designated to receive service of process and official notices. | Assuming the agent is the owner. | Review officers, incorporators and underlying documents. |
| Registered office | The Alabama street address where process can be served on the registered agent. | Using it as the company’s operating or banking address. | Confirm the principal address separately. |
| Officer, agent or incorporator | A person reported in a specific filing or legal role. | Treating every listed person as a current owner or authorised signer. | Check the role, filing date and later amendments. |
| Nature of business | A description reported in a filing when available. | Treating a broad description as proof of licensing. | Use the responsible state board, agency, county or municipality. |
| Scanned documents | The filings held for the entity, such as formation, amendment, merger or dissolution records. | Relying on the summary without checking the document that caused a change. | Order a copy or certified copy only when the available record is insufficient. |
Understand Common Alabama Entity Status Outcomes
Alabama’s official formation brochure says a successfully processed domestic formation is assigned an Entity ID and its status changes to Exists. Other outcomes can reflect accepted dissolution, withdrawal, merger, conversion or revocation-related filings.
| Status or outcome | Plain-English meaning | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| Exists | The entity has an active legal record in the Alabama SOS database. | Still verify tax compliance, licences, identity and recent documents for the transaction. |
| Dissolved or terminated | A domestic entity filed or completed a process ending normal legal existence. | Open the dissolution or termination document and check for a later reinstatement. |
| Withdrawn | A foreign entity ended its Alabama registration or authority. | Check the effective date, home-state record and any later Alabama registration. |
| Merged | The entity became part of a merger and may not be the surviving entity. | Read the merger filing to identify the surviving or resulting business. |
| Converted | The business changed legal form, such as converting from one entity type to another. | Follow the conversion filing to the resulting entity and Entity ID. |
| Revoked or not currently authorised | A foreign entity may no longer hold current Alabama authority under the older record. | Check later registration filings and request current evidence when authority matters. |
No Alabama Business Found? Use This Recovery Order
A missing result can come from narrow search wording, an older ID, a local trade name, a recently submitted filing or a business structure that never created an SOS entity.
Find Older Alabama Corporation Records
The SOS records page specifically directs users searching certain corporation records from 1949 through 2010 to the Alabama Department of Archives and History.
Use current SOS records when
- The entity appears in the modern database.
- You need its current Entity ID, agent or recent filings.
- You need a Certificate of Existence or current document order.
Use Archives research when
- The corporation existed in the 1949–2010 period but is absent or incomplete online.
- You need older charter or corporation-file material.
- The SOS records hub directs the specific record to Archives.
Check and Reserve an Alabama Business Name
Alabama’s domestic corporation and LLC formation materials require a Certificate of Name Reservation to accompany formation documents. A search result is preliminary; the reservation certificate is the formal pre-formation step.
Submit the applicable domestic or foreign name-reservation request form.
The official online price includes the portal charge and can provide an immediate printable certificate.
The current domestic corporation and official formation brochure list a $200 SOS filing fee.
Search these variations before reserving
- Complete proposed legal name.
- Distinctive wording without LLC, Inc. or Corp.
- Singular, plural and common spelling variations.
- Names with and without punctuation or spacing.
- Similar entities and existing name reservations.
- Federal and state trademark records when marketplace rights matter.
Reservation is not formation
The reservation holds an accepted name for the reservation period and produces a certificate used with formation documents. It does not create the corporation or LLC, issue an EIN, open a tax account or grant trademark rights.
After searching similar names and confirming any restricted-word requirements, use the official name-reservation menu.
Order the Correct Alabama Business Document
Decide whether you need to read a filing, prove the content of a filing, show SOS existence or prove Alabama tax compliance. These are different documents from different systems.
| Your need | Correct document or service | Key detail |
|---|---|---|
| Read a filed document | Non-certified business entity record copy | Useful for research when official certification is not required. |
| Prove a filed document is official | Certified business entity record copy | Adds certification to the selected document. |
| Show the entity exists in SOS records | Alabama SOS Certificate of Existence | This is not the Department of Revenue Certificate of Compliance. |
| Show state-tax compliance | ALDOR Certificate of Compliance | Issued by the Alabama Department of Revenue after required return and payment checks. |
| Research an older corporation file | Archives research or copy request | Certain 1949–2010 corporation records may be held through Alabama Archives. |
Business entity record-copy fees
| Order type | Subscriber total | Non-subscriber total | Download rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certified copy | $10 per document plus $3 per page | $10 per document plus $3.50 per page | Available online for 15 days. |
| Non-certified copy | $3 per page | $3.50 per page | Available online for 15 days. |
Certificate of Existence options
Standard processing is stated as 24–48 hours after receipt, excluding delivery time.
Immediate printable certificate; available for download for 15 days.
Paid through the Alabama Interactive subscriber arrangement.
Alabama Annual Report and Tax Duties: Do Not Mix the Agencies
Corporations authorised to transact business in Alabama are no longer required by law to file an annual report with the Secretary of State. That does not automatically remove Alabama Department of Revenue filing or Business Privilege Tax responsibilities.
Secretary of State
- Entity formation and foreign registration
- Name reservation
- Amendments, mergers, conversions and dissolution filings
- Registered-agent or office changes
- Entity record copies and Certificates of Existence
- No current general corporation annual-report requirement
Alabama Department of Revenue
- Business Privilege Tax forms and payments
- Form PPT for many pass-through and limited-liability entities
- Form CPT for C corporations and specified taxpayers
- My Alabama Taxes account services
- Certificate of Compliance
- Tax-return and tax-payment questions
2026 Business Privilege Tax reminders
- Current ALDOR materials list Form PPT for S corporations, limited-liability entities and disregarded entities.
- Form CPT applies to C corporations, limited-liability entities taxed as corporations and certain other taxpayers.
- Newly organised or newly qualified taxpayers may have an initial-return duty within two and one-half months when calculated privilege tax exceeds $100.
- For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2023, taxpayers whose calculated Business Privilege Tax is $100 or less are generally exempt from the tax and are not required to file the BPT return under the current ALDOR notice.
- Due dates generally correspond to the applicable federal return, but entity and fiscal-year differences matter.
Certificate of Compliance
ALDOR currently lists a $14 online total—a $10 certificate fee plus a $4 processing charge. For a foreign-entity withdrawal, ALDOR guidance says the certificate generally cannot be more than six months old when submitted to the Secretary of State.
Registered Agent, Officer, Incorporator or Owner?
Person searches are useful, but each role answers a different question. Match the role and filing date before treating a person as connected to current ownership or management.
Registered agent
Receives service of process and official notices at the registered office. A professional agent may represent many unrelated entities.
Officer
Holds a reported corporate role. An officer is not automatically a shareholder or ultimate owner.
Incorporator or organizer
Signs or submits a formation document. The person may be an attorney or filing service rather than an owner.
LLC member
May hold an ownership interest, but public SOS records may not provide a complete or current ownership schedule.
LLC manager
Manages a manager-managed LLC and may or may not be a member.
Authorised signer
Can sign a specific filing or transaction document without necessarily owning the business.
Registered-office requirements
Alabama law requires covered filing entities to maintain a registered agent and registered office in the state. The registered office must be a street address where process can be personally served; it is not required to be the entity’s place of business and cannot be only a mailbox or telephone-answering service.
Use the official change form when changing the agent, the registered-office address or both.
Verify an Alabama Business Before You Pay
Use the entity record to identify the legal party behind a quote, contract, investment pitch, donation request or invoice. Then use separate sources for the risks the SOS database does not answer.
Match these details
- Legal entity name
- Nine-digit Entity ID
- Entity type and formation jurisdiction
- Current status or outcome
- Principal address
- Registered agent and registered office
- Latest relevant filing
- Payee name or documented trade-name relationship
Verify separately
- Professional or contractor licence
- Local privilege licence
- Tax compliance
- Insurance coverage
- Investment or securities registration
- UCC financing statements
- Litigation and judgments
- Authority of the person requesting money
Use the Correct Alabama Government Tool
The entity search answers legal-registration questions. Switch tools when your question concerns taxes, local licences, financing statements, professional licences or older files.
Contact Alabama Business Services With a Useful Question
Collect the entity and transaction details first. This helps staff distinguish a search problem from a filing, document-order or technical problem.
Prepare before calling or emailing
- Exact legal or advertised name
- Nine-digit Entity ID, if available
- Entity type and status shown
- Search field and name variations already tried
- Reservation, order or registration ID
- Filing or payment date
- Error message or screenshot with payment data removed
- The exact document or outcome needed
Final Alabama Entity Verification Checklist
Complete this final pass before signing, paying, ordering documents or representing that a business has been verified.
AL SOS Business Search FAQs
Is the Alabama business entity search free?
Yes. The public Government Records Inquiry System provides free entity searches by name, entity number, officer, agent, incorporator and reservation or registration ID. Copies, certified copies, filings and certificates can require fees.
Why does my Alabama Entity ID now have nine digits?
The Alabama Secretary of State changed from a six-digit to a nine-digit Entity ID format. Older numbers may display with three leading zeroes, and the state says no action is required because of that formatting change.
What does “Exists” mean in an Alabama entity record?
“Exists” indicates that the formation or registration has been processed into the Alabama SOS entity database. It does not by itself prove tax compliance, professional licensing, insurance, good reputation or authority of a person asking for payment.
Why can’t I find an Alabama business by name?
The name may use different punctuation, an entity suffix, a former name or a local trade name. Try distinctive words, the Entity ID, officer/agent/incorporator search and reservation ID. Certain corporation records from 1949–2010 may require Alabama Archives research.
Does Alabama require an annual report with the Secretary of State?
No general corporation annual report is currently required by law with the Alabama Secretary of State. Separate Alabama Department of Revenue Business Privilege Tax returns, annual-report information or other tax duties may still apply.
What is the difference between a Certificate of Existence and Certificate of Compliance?
An SOS Certificate of Existence relates to the entity record maintained by the Secretary of State. An ALDOR Certificate of Compliance addresses required Alabama tax returns and payments. They are issued by different agencies and are not interchangeable.
How much is an Alabama Certificate of Existence?
The statutory certificate fee is $25. The current online Alabama.gov totals shown are $28 for a non-subscriber and $27 for a subscriber. Confirm the current order screen before paying.
Is an Alabama registered agent the business owner?
Not necessarily. The registered agent receives service of process and official notices. The agent may be an owner, lawyer or professional agent company representing many unrelated entities.
How much is an Alabama name reservation?
The official materials currently show $25 for a paper reservation and $28 for the online service. A reservation certificate is a pre-formation step and does not create the corporation or LLC.
Can the Alabama SOS investigate a fraudulent business?
The Secretary of State warns that its office is not authorised to investigate business fraud or provide private legal advice. Use the SOS record for identification, then contact the appropriate law-enforcement, securities, consumer-protection, licensing or legal resource for the suspected conduct.
Source and freshness note: search interfaces, portal charges, forms, laws and tax duties can change. This guide was checked against Alabama Secretary of State, Alabama Legislature and Alabama Department of Revenue sources on July 24, 2026. Confirm the final screen, fee and instruction on the linked official service before filing or paying.