Alabama Code Title 5. Banks and Financial Institutions § 5-5A-1

(a) The proposed incorporators of a bank shall execute and acknowledge an application for a permit in writing in the form prescribed by the superintendent and shall file the same in the office of the State Banking Department, which application shall be signed by all of the incorporators requesting a certificate authorizing the proposed bank to transact business at the place, time and under the name stated in said application.

(b) At the time of filing said application, the applicant shall pay to the superintendent a filing fee.

(c) The application shall name at a minimum five directors, and a majority of all directors shall be outside directors unless a written waiver is obtained from the superintendent. A director shall be deemed to be an outside director if the director will not serve as an officer, other than the chair, or an employee of the bank.

(d) The application shall name a chair, chief executive officer, a chief financial/operations officer, and a chief lending officer of the bank. The chair must be an outside director. The superintendent may exercise discretion and waive any of the above requirements by written notice.

(e) The superintendent shall designate the newspaper in which notice of intention to organize shall be published as required by Section 5-5A-2.