Georgia's Secretary of State keeps the state's company records through its Corporations Division in Atlanta. The Division takes articles for LLCs and corporations, the yearly annual registration and requests for certificates. Almost everything happens in eCorp, the Division's online system for searches and filings.
Georgia rewards online filing. Most paper submissions carry an extra $10 service charge, and mail takes about twice as long as eCorp. The yearly filing is called an annual registration, and it has one window for everyone: January 1 to April 1.
Georgia SOS business search in eCorp
The eCorp search finds companies by full or partial name, by control number, by registered agent name or by officer name. The officer search helps when you know a person but not the name of the business. A service of process search and a trademark search sit on their own tabs.
| Official business search | ecorp.sos.ga.gov/BusinessSearch (ecorp.sos.ga.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| You can search by | business name (partial or full), entity or file number (control number), registered agent, officer or owner name, designated agent, service of process search, trademark search (ecorp.sos.ga.gov, checked ) |
| Name availability check | Yes (georgia.gov, checked ) |
- Search by business name (partial or full), control number, registered agent name or officer name.
- Separate tabs exist for service of process search and trademark search.
From ecorp.sos.ga.gov, checked .
Each Georgia entity has a control number. Write it down once you find the record, since it is the fastest way back to the same company.
Georgia entity status words
Active/Compliance is the status you want to see: the company is on file and meets its filing duties. Admin Dissolved usually means a missed annual registration, though losing a registered agent or office can cause it too.
| Status shown | What it means |
|---|---|
| Active/Compliance | Entity is on file with the Secretary of State and in compliance with the filing requirements of the Code. |
| Admin Dissolved | Administratively dissolved by the Secretary of State, usually for not filing the annual registration, or for losing a registered agent or office. |
| Withdrawn | A foreign entity filed a certificate of withdrawal to end its authority to transact business in Georgia. |
Status wording from sos.ga.gov, checked .
Georgia Corporations Division fees
Online, Articles of Organization for an LLC cost $100, and so do Articles of Incorporation for a profit, professional or nonprofit corporation. On paper each costs $110. A foreign LLC pays $225 for a Certificate of Authority.
| Form an LLC | $100 (georgia.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Form a corporation | $100 (georgia.gov, checked ) |
| Form a nonprofit | $100 (georgia.gov, checked ) |
| Register an out-of-state LLC | $225 (sos.ga.gov, checked ) |
| Reserve a name | $25 (georgia.gov, checked ) |
| Annual or biennial report | LLC: $50; corporation: $50; nonprofit: $30 (georgia.gov, checked ) |
| Good standing certificate | $10 (sos.ga.gov, checked ) |
| Faster processing | 2 business days: $100; same day if before noon weekday: $250; one hour paper or in person only: $1,000 (georgia.gov, checked ) |
Rather not file it yourself? Ask our private filing service about forming or reporting in Georgia. State fees are separate.
Standard handling takes 7 business days online and 15 by mail. To go faster, pay $100 for an answer within two business days or $250 for same day service on a weekday filing made before noon. One hour service costs $1,000 and is only for paper or in person filings.
Annual registration in Georgia
Every Georgia LLC and corporation files an annual registration between January 1 and April 1. For profit and professional corporations and LLCs pay $50. Nonprofits pay $30. A $10 service charge applies on paper.
The fee, the due date, late penalties and the filing steps are in our Georgia annual report guide.
If a paper envelope is not postmarked by April 1, the late fee is $25. A company that skips the filing can be dissolved administratively. Our guide on how to file an annual report has the general steps.
Name rules and reservation in Georgia
An LLC name needs a designator: limited liability company or limited company, with Ltd. and Co. allowed, or a short form such as LLC, L.L.C., LC or L.C. The name must be distinguishable on the Secretary of State's records from every entity already on file.
| LLC name must include | limited liability company, limited company (Ltd. and Co. allowed), L.L.C., LLC, L.C., LC (law.justia.com, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Corporation name must include | corporation, company, incorporated, limited, or an abbreviation of one (rules.sos.ga.gov, checked ) |
| How different a name must be | Name must be distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of State from other corporations, LLCs, LPs, foreign entities with authority, nonprofit and professional corporations on file. Issuance of a name only means it is distinguishable for filing purposes. (law.justia.com, checked ) |
| Reservation fee | $25 (georgia.gov, checked ) |
| Reservation lasts | 30 days; renew by reapplying and paying the fee again (georgia.gov, checked ) |
| Reservation form | ecorp.sos.ga.gov (georgia.gov, checked ) |
A reservation costs $25 online, which is not refunded, or $35 on paper. It holds the name for 30 days, and you renew by applying and paying again. Getting a name through does not give you an exclusive right to it, only clearance to file.
Georgia registered agent
Registered agent must be located in Georgia (georgia.gov, checked )
When the agent changes, update the record in eCorp so the company does not fall out of compliance. Our guide to changing a registered agent covers the order of steps.
Certificate of Existence in Georgia
Georgia's proof of good standing is the Certificate of Existence. It costs $10 online, with the usual $10 service charge on paper. File any overdue annual registration before you order one.
What it costs, where to order it and what blocks it are in our Georgia good standing guide.
Trade names in Georgia
Georgia trade names are not filed with the Secretary of State. You register them with the clerk of superior court in the county where the business mainly operates. You also publish a notice once a week for two weeks in a row. The county sets the fee.
County, not the Secretary of State. Trade names are registered with the clerk of superior court of the county where the business is chiefly carried on, plus newspaper publication once a week for two consecutive weeks. Fee set by the county. (georgia.gov, checked )
Contact the Georgia Corporations Division
| Office | Corporations Division, Office of Secretary of State (georgia.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Division | Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division (georgia.gov, checked ) |
| Officeholder | Brad Raffensperger (sos.ga.gov, checked ) |
| Phone | (404) 656-2817 (georgia.gov, checked ) |
| Hours | 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday, except state holidays (georgia.gov, checked ) |
| Mailing address | 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SE, Suite 313 West Tower, Atlanta, GA 30334 (georgia.gov, checked ) |
| Street address | 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SE, Suite 313 West Tower, Atlanta, GA 30334 (georgia.gov, checked ) |
| Contact page | ecorp.sos.ga.gov/Home/ContactUs (ecorp.sos.ga.gov, checked ) |
The Division is in Suite 313 of the West Tower at 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SE, Atlanta, and the same address takes mail and in person filings. Have the control number ready before you call.
Sources
- georgia.gov/register-llc: office name, division, mailing address, street address, LLC filing fee, expedite fees, registered agent rule. Checked .
- sos.ga.gov/page/about-secretary-raffensperger: officeholder. Checked .
- georgia.gov/contacts/secretary-state-georgia-corporations-division: phone. Checked .
- ecorp.sos.ga.gov/Home/ContactUs: contact page. Checked .
- georgia.gov/register-corporation: hours, corporation filing fee, nonprofit filing fee, report fee. Checked .
- ecorp.sos.ga.gov/Home/UseFulLinks: business search. Checked .
- ecorp.sos.ga.gov/BusinessSearch: search fields, search tips. Checked .
- georgia.gov/reserve-business-name-georgia-secretary-state: name check, name reservation fee, name reservation term, name reservation form. Checked .
- law.justia.com/codes/georgia/title-14/chapter-11/article-2/section-14-11-207/: LLC name endings, name rule. Checked .
- rules.sos.ga.gov/gac/590-7-3: corporation name endings. Checked .
- sos.ga.gov/sites/default/files/forms/Reference%20-%20Filing%20Fees_0.pdf: foreign LLC fee, certificate fee. Checked .
- sos.ga.gov/page/business-division-faq: status terms. Checked .
- georgia.gov/file-dba-doing-business: assumed names (DBA). Checked .