Alabama Business Entity Search
By Edmond Hui · Last updated October 5, 2026
The short answer. The Alabama Secretary of State (Business Entities Division) keeps Alabama's register of business entities. The official search is the state's “Business Entity Search By Entity Name” page, on arc-sos.state.al.us. We have not confirmed whether the state charges to search, so check the search page itself. The state requires a name reservation before you file to form an LLC.
Alabama Business Entity Search at a Glance
| Register kept by | The Alabama Secretary of State (Business Entities Division) |
| Official search | Business Entity Search By Entity Name |
| Cost to search | Not confirmed |
| Search by | Entity name |
| Filed documents online | Yes, for a fee |
| Copy fee | $2.00 per page (see Documents) |
| Certifying a copy | Adds $10.00 (see Documents) |
| Name reservation | Required before you file |
| Name reservation fee | $25.00 |
Read from the government sources listed at the foot of this page, last checked October 5, 2026. See the sources.
How to Search Alabama's Register
The official search is the state's “Business Entity Search By Entity Name” page, on arc-sos.state.al.us. We have not confirmed whether the state charges to search, so check the search page itself. Open the official search.
On the main search page you can search by:
- Entity name
The state also runs separate search pages:
- Business Entity Search by Entity ID, to search by entity or filing number.
- Business Entity Search by Officer, Agent or Incorporator, to search by registered agent or registered office, or by officer or principal.
What a Search Result Shows
An Alabama result includes the items below, according to the state's own pages or a result page we read. It may show more.
- Entity type
- Principal office address
- Mailing address
- Status
- Formation or registration date
- Registered agent or registered office
- Filing history
What Each Alabama Status Means
The status is the label the register puts on each entity. Where the state defines a label, the meaning below restates that definition, with a link to the state page it comes from. Where it does not, we do not guess from the word, because the same word can mean different things in different states.
| Status label | What it means | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Exists In the search tool | The state does not define this label on the page we reviewed. Check the search page for what it means. | All entities |
| Cancelled In the search tool | The state does not define this label on the page we reviewed. Check the search page for what it means. | All entities |
| Consolidated In the search tool | The state does not define this label on the page we reviewed. Check the search page for what it means. | All entities |
| Dissolved In the search tool | The state does not define this label on the page we reviewed. Check the search page for what it means. | All entities |
| Merged In the search tool | The state does not define this label on the page we reviewed. Check the search page for what it means. | All entities |
| Revoked In the search tool | The state does not define this label on the page we reviewed. Check the search page for what it means. | All entities |
| Withdrawn In the search tool | The state does not define this label on the page we reviewed. Check the search page for what it means. | All entities |
| Registered Name In the search tool | The state does not define this label on the page we reviewed. Check the search page for what it means. | All entities |
| Name Reservation In the search tool | The state does not define this label on the page we reviewed. Check the search page for what it means. | All entities |
| Previous Name In the search tool | The state does not define this label on the page we reviewed. Check the search page for what it means. | All entities |
These are all the labels in the search tool's own status filter.
If the search shows that your own LLC was dissolved, see how to reinstate an LLC in Alabama.
A search result is not a certificate of good standing. If a bank or another state asks for one, see how to get an Alabama certificate of good standing.
Viewing and Ordering Documents
Filed documents can be viewed online. The state charges for them.
Copies cost $2.00 per page, and certifying a document adds $10.00.
Is the Name Available?
The state tells you to use this same search to check whether a name is already in use.
The state's naming standard, in its own words: “distinguishable excluding entity designations on the index from existing names.”
The state requires you to reserve the name before you file your formation documents, so a search alone is not enough. A name reservation costs $25.00.
Our free LLC name checker looks up domain and social media handle availability for a name. It does not search Alabama's register, so check the state's search as well.
Ready to form? See what goes on the Alabama articles of organization.
Frequently Asked Questions
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It reports what each state's business entity filing office publishes about searching its register, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you whether a particular business is active, authorized or reliable: read the state's own record for that, and search tools, status labels and fees change between our reviews. Confirm anything you rely on with the filing office named on this page before you act on it.
Sources
Each entry below is a document recorded in our verified Alabama sources, and each entry says what the document is. Some statutory text is read from an accurate mirror rather than from the state's own host, and those say so. Where we hold the citation but no stable public link, the citation is printed on its own rather than pointed at a guessed address.
- sos.alabama.gov/government-records/business-entity-recordsBusiness Entity Records
- arc-sos.state.al.us/CGI/CORPNAME.MBR/INPUTBusiness Entity Search By Entity Name
- arc-sos.state.al.us/cgi/corpdetail.mbr/detail?corp=000962821&page=name&file=&type=DLL&status=ALL&place=ALL&city=Business Entity Records: entity detail (domestic LLC)
- arc-sos.state.al.us/cgi/corpdetail.mbr/detail?corp=000168548&page=name&file=&type=ALL&status=ALL&place=ALL&city=Business Entity Records: entity detail (domestic corporation)
- sos.alabama.gov/sites/default/files/form-files/FeeSchedule.pdfAlabama Secretary of State Fee Schedule (revised August 23, 2023)
- sos.alabama.gov/business-entities/llcsLLCs
- sos.alabama.gov/sites/default/files/form-files/domesticEntityNameReservation.pdfName Reservation Request Form for Domestic Entities (6/2016)
- sos.alabama.gov/business-entitiesBusiness Entities
- Name standard: Ala. Code 10A-1-5.03
Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC
Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.