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Forming an LLC in Georgia comes down to one filing: the Articles of Organization, sent to the Corporations Division of the Secretary of State. The filing fee is $110. You can file online, by mail or in person, and you can pay for a faster review. The state's register an LLC page walks through the steps. Our Georgia guide covers the search, and the Georgia LLC cost page holds the full fee table.
What do the Articles of Organization need?
The state's checklist before you start asks for:
- The LLC name, or a valid name reservation number.
- The name and address of the person filing.
- A valid email address.
- The mailing address of the principal office.
- The name and address of the registered agent.
- The name and address of each organizer.
- Any optional provisions you want in the articles.
Notice what is missing. Georgia asks for no list of members or managers. The Division's FAQ says LLC filings require only the registered agent, so owners are not listed and there is nothing to change when they do. That keeps owner names off the Division's record.
How long will filing take?
Per the Division's FAQ, online filings are generally processed in 7 to 10 business days of receipt. Paper filings, whether mailed, hand delivered or uploaded as paper, take about 15 business days. Expect longer around late December and January, and at quarter ends.
An expedite shortens that:
- Two business days: $120 extra.
- Same day: $275 extra.
- One hour: $1,200 extra.
These add to the $110.
What name can you choose?
The name must end in limited liability company, limited company, LLC, L.L.C., LC or L.C. It cannot be longer than 80 characters. It cannot include words that mark another entity type, such as corporation or incorporated, or limited partnership. Under the state's rule, plurals, articles and punctuation do not make a name distinguishable. So "Peach Tree Cafe" and "The Peach Tree Cafe" are likely to clash.
Search first, but know the Division says its search is not a name availability check. Use our Georgia guide and the name availability guide. A reservation holds a name for 30 days for $35 and cannot be renewed. Names of entities dissolved in the last five years cannot be reserved. A name issued is also not exclusive use, so consider a trademark search before you print signs.
Who can be your registered agent?
A person or entity located in Georgia. For an LLC that means a Georgia resident, or a Georgia or authorized foreign corporation or LLC, at a Georgia street address with no mail drop. The company cannot be its own agent. Our Georgia registered agent page covers change fees and what happens if the agent goes missing. See being your own registered agent for the general rule.
What should you do after approval?
Write an operating agreement, since the Georgia filing does not ask for one. Apply for an EIN with our EIN guide, then open a business bank account. Georgia trade names, if you use one, are filed with the clerk of superior court in the county, not with the Secretary of State.
What does Georgia require every year?
File the annual registration between January 1 and April 1. It costs $60. The first one falls in the year after you form. A $25 late penalty applies, and an LLC that stays out of compliance can be administratively dissolved. A notice gives 60 days to respond, and reinstatement within five years costs $260. Check the annual report deadlines guide for other states.
Compare neighbours too: Florida LLC, Alabama LLC and Tennessee LLC.
Ready to file? Use the start an LLC form.
After approval, check the rules in our Georgia business license guide.