How to Start an LLC in Georgia
We prepare and file your Georgia Articles of Organization for a flat $199, plus the state's $100 filing fee. Every Georgia LLC also needs a registered agent on file — that's priced separately, at $99/year, and isn't part of the $199 formation fee.
Building a Georgia LLC step by step starts with one formation document, continues with an agent on file, and finishes with annual maintenance. The numbers: $100 state filing, roughly a week processing window, and a few small recurring items you handle on an annual basis. What follows covers all the steps, the full pricing view, and what our role looks like.
Open Your Georgia LLC — $199
For a flat $199, we prepare and submit your formation document to Georgia Secretary of State. Allow roughly a week from filing to approval.
What an LLC Does for You in Georgia
A LLC-style liability company sits between a sole proprietorship and a corporation: liability protection like a corporation, taxes like a sole prop. Throughout Georgia, LLCs are the small-business form of choice — light maintenance, real protection, simple taxes.
The Cost Picture for Georgia LLCs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Our LLC formation service | $199 one-time |
| State filing fee (Georgia Secretary of State) | $100 one-time |
| Registered agent (required for every Georgia LLC) | $99/year |
| State annual report fee | $50/year ($60 online) |
$199 for the filing work; state fee to Georgia Secretary of State; RA service $99/year as its own product.
Important Georgia-specific notes: Annual registration $50 base + $10 service fee = $60 total for online filing. Due between January 1 and April 1 each year. Effective September 6, 2025, filing fees updated.
Georgia LLC Formation: Each Step
1. Pick a Compliant Georgia LLC Name
Georgia entity name requirements: include an LLC indicator (LLC, L.L.C., Limited Liability Company), avoid duplicating any existing registered business name. Search Georgia Secretary of State's entity database before committing — it's the fastest way to confirm a name is available.
Restricted words include 'bank,' 'insurance,' 'trust,' and anything suggesting a government agency. Pick a alternate angle if you're none of those things.
2. Line Up Your Registered Agent
A Georgia LLC must designate a registered agent at formation and keep one on file thereafter. The agent needs a physical Georgia address and availability throughout the business day. Anything you list as agent information is publicly accessible at Georgia Secretary of State. There's no private filing option here.
We provide that Georgia address and the staffing behind it for $99/year. Our team and address handle the public-facing side so your private address stays private.
3. File the Formation Paperwork with Georgia Secretary of State
This is the moment the LLC becomes real: deliver the Articles to Georgia Secretary of State with payment of $100 to the state. The filing covers the company name, the principal address, the agent's name with street address, the management arrangement (members or managers at the helm), and the the names of the LLC's organizers.
Online filings go through the Georgia business filings portal and move faster than paper submissions through the state.
The state usually returns approval within roughly a week. Faster processing can shorten that further for added state fees.
4. Put Together an Operating Agreement
Georgia doesn't mandate an operating agreement to be filed with the state, but having one is fundamental to running the LLC properly. The agreement defines ownership, distributions, management authority, voting rules, and exit procedures. Without a written agreement, Georgia's default LLC rules apply — and those rules are generic, not tailored to your situation.
5. Get an EIN from the IRS
An EIN (Employer Identification Number) serves as the LLC's federal-level tax identifier. Required by banks, payroll providers, and the IRS for federal filings. Visit IRS.gov and apply at no cost. The online form takes ten or so minutes; the EIN issues at the end.
Steer clear of paying an outside service for the EIN. EINs are free from the IRS via a brief form.
6. Stay Compliant After Formation
Keeping the LLC alive and well requires ongoing attention to a short list of items:
- Sustain an active registered agent tied to a Georgia address at all times
- Send in your yearly filing when it's due each year
- Carry out an explicit division between business and personal accounts (distinct banking, distinct records)
- Take care of federal and Georgia tax deadlines on schedule
Georgia Secretary of State can dissolve LLCs that fall out of compliance. After dissolution, the liability shield disappears until you reinstate.
We'll handle it for $199. The Georgia formation filing is ours from start to finish.
Registered Agents in Georgia
Georgia's registered agent rule applies to each LLC from day one and persists for the LLC's entire life. The agent has to:
- Preserve an actual Georgia location with a street address (a PO box alone isn't enough)
- Be at the address during the regular workday to receive court papers
- Relay all received mail and notices the same business day they arrive
The owner-as-agent option works but exposes the owner's address to the public. Once it's listed, anyone running a Georgia entity search can find it.
Sign up for our $99/year agent product. Our team and address handle the public-facing side so your address stays private.
Common Georgia LLC Questions
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Georgia?
$100 to Georgia Secretary of State covers the formation filing. That sits in the middle of the national range. After formation, the yearly filing fee is $50/year ($60 online).
How long does it take to form an LLC in Georgia?
Georgia formations typically clear in roughly a week.
Does Georgia require an annual report?
Yes. Plan on $50/year ($60 online) per year for the yearly filing.
Do I need a registered agent for my Georgia LLC?
Yes — An agent must be on file at all times for every Georgia LLC. The rule applies continuously from formation forward.
Can I form an LLC in Georgia if I live in another state?
Yes — Georgia doesn't restrict LLC ownership to residents. The agent piece still has to be Georgia-based — our $99/year service handles that part.
File Your Georgia LLC Today
Doing the filing yourself with Georgia Secretary of State works at the Georgia business filings portal. $100 is paid to Georgia Secretary of State. The agent requirement is the one thing you can't skip.
Use our registered agent plan and put our information on the formation document. At $99 a year, you get our address on the filing, scans the day mail arrives, and a heads-up before every state deadline.
Just want the registered agent role? Our agent plan on its own costs $99/year.
More to know about Georgia LLCs or how the agent role works? Visit our FAQ page or reach out any weekday.
Ready to get started?
Choose straightforward agent representation for the yearly rate — address, scans, and reminders.