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Alabama business name search

Check name availability against the Alabama Secretary of State database

74,049
Business applications, last 12 months
Census BFS via FRED, trailing 12 months
19,677
Filed Q2 2026
Census BFS via FRED, Q2 2026
+21.1%
Year-over-year growth
FRED, trailing 12 months vs prior 12
294
Filings per business day
Derived from TTM applications, FRED
Alabama seal
Websitewww.sos.alabama.gov
Phone(334) 242-5324
Address770 Washington Ave, Suite 580, Montgomery, AL 36104
Hours8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Mon-Fri

Alabama business formation by the numbers

State-level data from official sources on business formation activity in Alabama.

#27
Alabama ranks 27th in U.S. business formations
Ranking is based on total business applications filed in the trailing twelve months across all 50 states and D.C.
Census BFS via FRED, TTM rank
+78.4%
Formation activity since 2019
Comparison of trailing-twelve-month business applications to the 2019 calendar year total. Captures the post-pandemic formation surge.
FRED / BABATOTALNSAAL
+0.3%
Quarter-over-quarter change
Current quarter applications compared to the prior quarter. A useful read on whether momentum is building or fading.
FRED, latest 3 months vs prior 3
$200
LLC filing fee and processing time
Standard processing: 3-5 business days.
Alabama Secretary of State, verified Mar 2026
2,377
Federal trademark applications from Alabama businesses
Filed with the USPTO in 2023 by applicants with a Alabama address. Trademarks are federal, so this is separate from registering a business name with the Alabama Secretary of State.
USPTO Trademark Case Files, 2023 vintage
+26%
Trademark filing change since 2015
Alabama filings went from 1,883 in 2015 to 2,377 in 2023, up 26%.
USPTO Trademark Case Files, 2023 vintage

What the filing data shows about Alabama

Applicants with an Alabama address filed 2,377 federal trademark applications in 2023. What stands out is the mix rather than the total: the leading category is clothing, footwear and headwear, which is unusual. Most states are led by business services or entertainment.

Adjusted for population that is about 46 filings per 100,000 residents, the 43rd highest rate in the country.

A trademark and an Alabama registration are different things

Registering an entity with the Alabama Secretary of State establishes that name for that entity within Alabama. A federal trademark is granted by the USPTO, applies nationally, and covers only the goods or services it is registered under.

The two records are separate, which is why a name can clear an Alabama entity search and still overlap an existing federal mark, and why a federal mark can exist for a name no Alabama entity has registered.

Trademark figures on this page come from the USPTO Trademark Case Files dataset, which covers applications through March 2024. Counts are applications filed by applicants with an Alabama mailing address, and reflect filings rather than registrations granted.