How to change your registered agent in Alabama
Type Alabama's entity change form, identify the current agent and office, and enter only the replacement information. A new registered agent signs the consent box on the filing before submission.
Checked against primary sources ·
Alabama- Jurisdiction terminology
- registered agent
- Filing office
- Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services
Choose the right Alabama filing
An Alabama agent replacement is a change to an existing entity record, not a new Certificate of Formation. The entity-level form can change the agent, the registered office street address, the registered office mailing address, or a combination. Its structure matters: Alabama first asks for the information already indexed, then asks what should replace it. This guide follows the Secretary of State's published entity form, including the new agent's consent and the separate company authorization. It does not treat a private appointment agreement as the state filing.
- Procedure scope
- Entity-initiated registered agent or registered office changes for an Alabama domestic LLC; the Secretary of State supplies an entity-level change form.
- Form or online transaction
- Change of Registered Agent or Registered Office by Entity
- Where to file
- Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services
Which route fits your registered agent change?
- The company is appointing a different agent
Use Change of Registered Agent or Registered Office by Entity. Complete the current-record information and the replacement agent field. Because the form says the new agent must sign before filing, arrange that signature while preparing the company's own execution rather than after sending the statement. Source 1.
- The agent stays, but an office address changes
The same entity form allows any one of items 4, 5 and 6 to change. Identify the existing agent and addresses in item 3, then complete the applicable changed street or mailing address. An address-only transaction should not accidentally replace the agent's name. Source 1.
- Several entities share the same agent
Prepare a separate statement for each Alabama Entity ID. The instructions expressly require separate forms; a list of affiliated companies attached to one company's form is not the instructed entity-level route. Match each packet and acknowledgement to its own ID. Source 1.
Prepare for the change in Alabama
- Retrieve the indexed record first
Find the Alabama Entity ID through the Secretary of State's Business Entity and Name Search and verify that the result belongs to your company. Assemble the exact registered name, current agent, current registered-office street address and any different office mailing address. Item 3 is expressly used for verification. Source 1.
- Confirm the actual Alabama service location
Ask the replacement agent for its precise name and Alabama business street address, including the suite where applicable. The entity certifies that its registered-office street address and the agent's business street address are the same and located in Alabama. A PO box cannot replace that location. Source 1.
- Line up two different signing responsibilities
The company needs a person authorized to sign under the provision referenced in the form, with a typed name and title. The replacement agent separately signs consent. If the agent is an entity, prepare the typed name and title of the person signing for that agent as well. Source 1.
- Choose who receives the returned evidence
Prepare the acknowledgement copy, prepaid return envelope or return information requested on the payment/return sheet. The instructions warn that without an acknowledgement copy and the specified return arrangements, no receipt will be supplied. Use a contact that will remain available during the transition. Source 1.
Consent and acceptance
The new agent must sign the consent box before filing; this is consent submitted with the change statement, not merely an agreement kept in the company's records.
Entity-type differences
The form is headed 'by Entity' rather than LLC-only. Corporations and Alabama-registered foreign entities should use the entity's own Alabama ID and authorized signer; do not substitute the separate form for a current agent changing its own name or address.
Complete the Alabama change filing
Look up the entity's Alabama Entity ID and exact registered name; use a separate form for each entity ID.
Type the form. Enter the current registered agent, registered office street address and mailing address so the state can match its existing record.
Enter the new agent and any changed office addresses. The registered office must be an Alabama street address, not a PO box, and must match the agent's business street address.
Have the new agent sign the consent to appointment and have a person authorized for the entity sign the entity certification.
Mail two copies with the required payment and a self-addressed stamped envelope to Business Services at the address in the instructions. Complete the return-information sheet and retain the state's acknowledgement.
Open the official filing instructions or transaction. Read the primary sources below alongside these steps.
Form fields and statement requirements
- Items 1 and 2 identify the entity, not the agent
Enter the Alabama Entity ID in the displayed format and the company's name as registered with the Secretary of State. Do not put the replacement agent's own registration number in the company's ID field. Type the form: the instructions say handwriting results in rejection without review. Source 1.
- Item 3 records the before position
Copy the current registered agent and current registered-office street and mailing addresses from the state record. Do not put the replacement information here simply because it is already being used operationally. Alabama requests this section to match and verify the existing record. Source 1.
- Items 4 through 6 state the changes
Item 4 names the replacement agent, item 5 changes the Alabama street address, and item 6 changes a different mailing address. Complete the changes that actually apply. A mailing address is a separate category and does not relax the no-PO-box rule for the registered office street address. Source 1.
- Item 7 and the consent box complete execution
The entity signer dates the certification, types their name and title, and signs the authorization and address-equivalence statement. In the consent box, identify the represented entity, date the acceptance, type the agent's name and obtain the signature of or for the agent. These are not interchangeable blocks. Source 1.
Submit the change to Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services
- Prepare the instructed mailed packet
Mail two completed copies, the required payment and a self-addressed stamped envelope to Secretary of State, Business Services, P.O. Box 5616, Montgomery, Alabama 36103. Complete the accompanying return/payment sheet. Review the current official payment instructions directly; this guide does not publish state charges or payment-card information. Source 1.
- Do not confuse contact details with a completed filing
The official PDF also describes an email delivery alternative and pickup/return arrangements. Consult the PDF itself for those current details before choosing an alternative to mail. The form warns that a payment that does not authorize prevents indexing, and a dishonored check can cause removal from the index. Source 1.
Before you submit
Alabama says handwritten submissions will be rejected without review. Include acknowledgement and return instructions rather than assuming a receipt will be sent automatically.
Verify the change and finish the transition
- Keep the state's acknowledgement, not only postage proof
The return sheet explains how to obtain a receipt and acknowledgement. Keep the returned state evidence together with the exact signed statement and the Entity ID. Postal delivery shows that a packet arrived; it does not by itself demonstrate that the replacement information was indexed. Source 1.
- Reconcile the intended and recorded addresses
Practical guidance. After receiving the result, compare the agent name, street address and separate mailing address with your approved instructions. Checking all three catches an address-only change entered as a name change, or a mailing address mistakenly used as the physical office. Resolve discrepancies before treating the transition as complete.
- Close the operational handoff separately
Practical guidance. Give the incoming agent a reliable forwarding contact, ask the outgoing agent about documents already received, and save the appointment agreement with the filing. Decide when to end the old arrangement after checking state evidence. Do not assume this office filing updates banks, licenses, tax correspondence or another state's registration.
Avoid these Alabama filing mistakes
- Submitting a handwritten form
Alabama's instruction is unusually direct: the form must be typed or it will be rejected without review. Fill the document electronically or type it before obtaining signatures rather than relying on otherwise legible handwriting. Source 1.
- Putting the new agent in the current-record section
Item 3 is for the agent and location currently on file. Preserve that before information and put replacements in items 4 through 6. This makes the requested transaction distinguishable from a mismatch with the indexed record. Source 1.
- Omitting agent consent or return arrangements
A company signature does not complete the new agent's consent box. Obtain the agent's signature before filing, and separately prepare the acknowledgement and return details. Successful delivery without a return arrangement can leave you without the receipt the form tells you how to request. Source 1.
Questions about changing your registered agent in Alabama
Can this Alabama form change only the registered office?
Yes. The instructions permit a change to the agent name, registered-office street address, mailing address, or any one of those items. Complete the current information for verification and the applicable replacement fields. Source 1.
Does my new agent need to sign the state document?
Yes. For a new appointment the Alabama form requires the new agent to sign the consent box before filing, in addition to the company's authorized execution. Source 1.
Can one statement cover my Alabama portfolio?
No. This form's instructions require a separate statement for each separate Entity ID. Prepare and track each company's packet individually even when all companies appoint the same agent. Source 1.
What should I check before ending the old agent arrangement?
Practical guidance. As a practical transition check, obtain state filing evidence, compare the recorded replacement details, confirm the incoming agent knows where to forward documents, and ask about anything still held by the outgoing agent. Contract cancellation is a separate operational decision.
Which primary sources support this procedure?
Checked . The filing office’s current instructions govern the submission.
Procedural guidance, not legal advice. Confirm the correct filing for your entity and its current record.
Need help with your Alabama change?
Tell us the entity name, its jurisdiction and what needs to change. State fees are confirmed with you before anything is filed.