A Georgia LLC exists once the Secretary of State files its Articles of Organization. The office is the Corporations Division in Atlanta. The Georgia office guide covers searches, names and contacts. This page is about the filing, and it describes how filing works, not legal advice.
Our general articles of organization guide compares the form across states. If you plan a corporation instead, see the articles of incorporation guide.
What does Georgia call the LLC form?
The state form is the Articles of Organization for LLC, numbered CD 030. You can use it or draft your own articles. The online path asks for the same facts and builds the document for you.
Have these ready before you start:
- 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, such as 501(c)(3) language
| LLC form | Articles of Organization (Form CD 030) (georgia.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| State filing fee for an LLC | $100 (georgia.gov, checked ) |
| State filing fee for a corporation | $100 (georgia.gov, checked ) |
| Filing online | Online through the Secretary of State eCorp account, $100 by credit card (georgia.gov, checked ) |
| Faster processing | Same business day, if sent before noon on a weekday, costs $250 more (georgia.gov, checked ) |
| Processing time | 7 business days online, 2 business days for $100 more (georgia.gov, checked ) |
| Worth knowing | The annual registration is due January 1 to April 1 every year (georgia.gov, checked ) |
| Faster processing (all filings) | 2 business days: $100; same day if before noon weekday: $250; one hour paper or in person only: $1,000 (georgia.gov, checked ) |
| Where to file online | ecorp.sos.ga.gov (ecorp.sos.ga.gov, checked ) |
Where do you file, and how much does it cost?
You can register online, by mail or in person. Online, you create an account in the Secretary of State's online services, pick create or register a business, choose a domestic limited liability company, and pay $100 by credit card.
By mail, you send the signed articles, the transmittal form and a check or money order for $110 to the Corporations Division, 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SE, Suite 313 West Tower, Atlanta. The extra $10 is a service charge for paper.
How long does it take, and what can you speed up?
Online processing is 7 business days. By mail it is 15 business days, and in person it varies. For a fee, the office can go faster.
- 2 business days: $100 more
- Same business day, if submitted before noon on a weekday: $250 more
- One hour, mail or in person only: $1,000 more
Pick the speed that fits a bank account deadline or a contract date, since the cost climbs fast.
Which Georgia rules affect the filing?
Choose a registered agent before you file. The agent must have a physical Georgia street address where a person can be found. An entity cannot act as its own agent, and a post office box or mail drop is refused.
Names follow Georgia rules too. An LLC name must end with a word such as limited liability company or LLC, and it cannot use corporation or incorporated. A search of the Secretary of State records helps you spot conflicts, but it is not a name availability check, and a filed name does not give exclusive rights.
What happens after the filing?
If the information is valid and the name is free, you receive your articles within the processing time. Georgia then expects an annual registration every year between January 1 and April 1. Our Georgia annual report guide covers the fee and the deadline.
Registering with the Secretary of State is not the only step for a new business. Taxes, local licenses and other permits sit with other offices.
If you would rather hand off the paperwork, you can ask our private filing service. State fees are separate, and you can file with the Secretary of State yourself.
Sources
- georgia.gov/register-llc: LLC filing fee, expedite fees. Checked .
- georgia.gov/register-corporation: corporation filing fee. Checked .
- ecorp.sos.ga.gov/Home/UseFulLinks: online filing. Checked .
- georgia.gov/register-llc/: llc form, filing online, processing time, faster processing, worth knowing. Checked .