Last updated
The Georgia Secretary of State's Corporations Division calls the registered agent the company's "mailbox". It is the person or entity in Georgia that the company names to receive service of process and other official mail. The rules come from the Georgia Code, and the Division's business FAQ lists the sections by entity type. For the business search, fees and annual registration, see our Georgia business guide.
The statute behind each entity type
Georgia sets the agent rule in a different section for each kind of entity. The Division cites:
| Entity | O.C.G.A. section |
|---|---|
| Domestic LLC | § 14-11-209 |
| Foreign LLC | § 14-11-703 |
| Domestic profit corporation | § 14-2-501 |
| Foreign profit corporation | § 14-2-1507 |
| Nonprofit corporation | §§ 14-3-501 and 14-3-1507 |
| Limited partnership | §§ 14-9-104 and 14-9-902.1 |
For a Georgia LLC under § 14-11-209, the agent can be an individual resident of Georgia, a Georgia corporation or another Georgia LLC, or a foreign corporation or LLC with a certificate of authority to do business in Georgia.
Rules that apply to every Georgia agent
Whatever the entity type, the Division's FAQ sets the same ground rules:
- No self service. An entity cannot be its own registered agent.
- A real street address. The agent's address must be a Georgia street address, and the agent must be located there.
- No P.O. box or mail drop. Neither can be used as the agent address.
- One address. The agent's business office must be the same as the registered office.
The agent may be an owner, shareholder or officer, but does not have to be. The Division notes that many entities use their attorney or a professional service company. If your company is from another state and has no Georgia office, you must still appoint an agent here to qualify.
Changing agents through the annual registration
In Georgia the agent change rides on the annual filing. The FAQ says the agent's name and the registered office can be changed by filing an annual registration or an amended annual registration. The annual registration is also how you update officers and addresses.
The Division's filing fee list shows the costs:
| Filing | Online | Paper |
|---|---|---|
| Annual registration (LLC, profit corporation) | $60 | $60 |
| Amended annual registration | $30 | $30 |
| Registered agent resignation | No fee | $10 |
| Service of process on the Secretary of State as statutory agent | $10 | $10 |
If your annual registration is due anyway, you can name the new agent on it at no extra cost. Between registrations, the amended annual registration is the route.
What the agent can sign
Being the agent does not make someone an officer. The Division's FAQ says registered agents are not authorized to sign articles of amendment. An agent named in the most recent annual registration may, however, sign a reinstatement application, along with officers, directors, shareholders, members or managers.
When the agent is missing
Georgia treats a missing agent as grounds for dissolution. The Secretary of State may administratively dissolve an entity that fails to keep a registered agent or registered office, citing O.C.G.A. §§ 14-2-1420, 14-3-1420 and 14-11-603. Most dissolutions happen because an annual registration was not filed. Watch for the status "active/noncompliance" on the record: it means dissolution or revocation is coming that year.
A company that receives a notice of administrative dissolution has 60 days to respond (business FAQ). Once dissolved, it can apply for reinstatement within five years, for $260 including the service charge (filing fee list). Our entity status guide explains these statuses next to other states'.
Looking up an agent in Georgia
Georgia is one of the states where you can search by agent. The eCorp Business Search takes a business name, a control number, a registered agent name or an officer name, and matches names by starts with, contains or exact match. Open the record for the agent's name and Georgia address. Our registered agent lookup guide covers the method in any state, and the registered agent overview lists the rules elsewhere.
Forming a new company? See how to start an LLC in Georgia.