How to find out who owns a company in Alabama
Alabama formation filings have gone directly to the state since January 1, 2021; county probate records may supplement older filings.
Short answer: Search the Secretary of State’s business entity record and formation documents. Current filings go directly to the state. For entities formed under the pre-2021 process, the county probate office may also hold historical documents.
Two records, not one
Before January 1, 2021, Alabama formation filings passed through county probate offices. Current filings go directly to the Secretary of State. Use county records as a historical source, rather than assuming a new filing creates a parallel county record.
A county shown in a filing does not establish where the founder physically filed or where the business operates. Read the source field and verify the principal business address separately.
How to search
- Open the Secretary of State business entity search.
- Search by entity name or entity ID.
- Open the record for organizers, registered agent and county.
- For older entities formed under the pre-2021 process, county probate records may supplement the state filing history.
Three economies, not one state
Birmingham, Huntsville and Mobile have almost nothing in common commercially — finance and healthcare, aerospace and defence, and port logistics respectively. County of formation splits them cleanly, which is a better territory key than most states offer.
If you need this at scale
For available collected records, with coverage and fields confirmed before activation, see Alabama formation data.
Filing requirements checked October 3, 2026. Official AL guidance. Registry roles and reporting requirements vary by entity type and do not establish beneficial ownership.
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