[0:00] The short answer Dan: The 5 best registered agents in Georgia in 2026 are Mainstay Filing, Northwest Registered Agent, GA Registered Agent.org, Bizee, and Georgia Registered Agent.co. Maya: You're listening to The Business Formation Podcast, and today it's the Peach State. Why is Georgia different from other states for this? Dan: Because in Georgia, the agent is tied to your yearly filing. You change your agent through the same annual registration your company files between January 1 and April 1, and the state fee for that change is $30. [0:37] How Georgia handles the agent Maya: Who can serve as my agent there? Dan: An individual who lives in Georgia, or a corporation or another LLC, or a foreign entity with a certificate of authority. There's no age rule in the statute. One firm line from the Secretary of State, though: an entity cannot be its own registered agent. Maya: And the address? Dan: A physical street address in Georgia where the agent can be found in person. No post office box, no mail drop. Maya: Does my name end up on the public record? Dan: Only the agent does. The state says Georgia law requires listing just the registered agent for an LLC, so members and managers aren't listed. Maya: Hi, I'm Maya, by the way, and that's Dan. Dan: Good to be here. So let's rank them. [1:24] First place: Mainstay Filing Maya: Who's first? Dan: Mainstay Filing, at $149 a year. The renewal price is $149 too. Maya: What do I get? Dan: Its Georgia address is what goes on the record, so your home address doesn't. Anything served on your company gets scanned and uploaded the same business day at no charge. And the first three government mailings each year are scanned for free. Maya: And moving from my current agent? Dan: Mainstay files the amended annual registration for you. The state fee is $30 and Mainstay passes it through at cost. Maya: Where does it fall short? Dan: If your only goal is the smallest flat yearly fee, you can find $99 further down this list. Mainstay is $50 more each year, which is $150 over three. You're paying for a fixed price that doesn't move, and a filing done for you. [2:18] Second place: Northwest Registered Agent Maya: And second? Dan: Northwest Registered Agent: $125 a year, and its page says it hasn't raised the price in 20 years. Up to 10 pieces of regular business mail per year are scanned free. Maya: What do I need to watch for? Dan: When you sign up, you're automatically enrolled in its annual report service, $100 plus state fees per filing. Its own page says you can add or cancel it at any time, so that's one to cancel on day one if you don't want it. Maya: Does Georgia make that service pointless? Dan: Not pointless, just separate. Georgia's yearly filing is the annual registration, and the state fee is $60. The $100 would be on top of that. [3:01] Third place: GA Registered Agent.org Maya: Number three. Dan: GA Registered Agent.org, at $99 a year, and the same $99 when it renews. It offers the registered office address, same-day scanning of legal documents and alerts for state deadlines. Maya: Switching? Dan: Its page lists $0 on its side and then the $30 Georgia filing fee. The catch is that annual report filing is a separate service. Maya: So the yearly registration, which is the thing Georgia cares about most, isn't in the price. Dan: Right. Keep that in mind when you compare it to a plan that handles things for you. [3:39] Fourth place: Bizee Maya: Number four. Dan: Bizee, which used to be called Incfile. The agent is free for the first year when you buy any of its formation packages, then $149 a year. The renewal is automatic. Maya: So no free year if I'm already formed? Dan: That's how the page reads: the free year requires a formation order. Over three years it works out to free, $149, $149, so $298, but only if you formed through them. [4:12] Fifth place: Georgia Registered Agent.co Maya: Last one. Dan: Georgia Registered Agent.co. $99 a year, flat. You get a registered address on file, same-day scanning of legal documents and reminders before state deadlines. Maya: Same catch as the other $99 company? Dan: Same one. Annual report filing is sold separately. And between these two, the price is identical, so the choice is mostly about which dashboard you like. [4:39] The yearly registration, in numbers Maya: Let's pin down the money. What does Georgia charge every year? Dan: Annual registration runs January 1 to April 1. The fee is $60, made up of a $50 statutory fee and a $10 service charge. Late is another $25. Maya: And formation? Dan: Articles of Organization are $110, which is $100 plus the $10 service charge. Maya: Let me add this up. First year, formation plus registration. Dan: $110 and $60 is $170 to the state, before any agent. Add Mainstay at $149 and you're at $319 in year one. Maya: Is that the right way to think about it? Dan: It's one way. Just be careful to separate state fees from agent fees, because they're different bills and the agent price is the part you can shop. [5:30] Using a friend, or yourself Maya: What if I just use a friend who lives in Georgia? Dan: That works under the statute: an individual resident can be the agent, and there's no minimum age written into it. But remember what the job is. The state describes the agent as the one designated to receive service of process, documents and official communication for the business, and it has to be someone located in Georgia. Maya: So they'd need to be reachable at that street address all year. Dan: Yes. The address of the agent's business office has to match your registered office, so if your friend moves, your company's record is wrong until you amend it. Maya: What does an amendment cost again? Dan: $30 for the amended annual registration. The statute itself sets a fee of $5 per LLC for a statement of change, with a minimum of $20, and the $10 service charge brings it to that $30. Maya: I see why people hand this to a company. Dan: A lot do, mainly so one address handles papers all year, not just in a lucky week. [6:31] Changing or losing your agent Maya: Let's say I switch in June, after the registration window closed. Do I wait until next year? Dan: No. The Secretary of State FAQ says you can change the agent with an amended annual registration, Form CD 920. It's $30, which is $20 plus a $10 service charge, and you can do it online through eCorp or on paper. Maya: What if my agent quits? Dan: The agent files a statement of resignation, and there's no fee for that. It has to give you written notice, and the appointment ends on the 31st day after filing, unless you name a new one sooner. Maya: And if there's nobody? Dan: The Secretary of State becomes your agent for service. If you're without an agent for 60 days or more, the state can begin administrative dissolution. You get 60 days to fix it, and reinstatement is possible within five years. [7:25] How to choose Maya: Okay, I'm in Atlanta and I just want to decide. What are the tests? Dan: First, the price next year, not this year. Bizee's goes from free to $149. Second, what gets added without you asking, like Northwest's report service. Third, who files the amended registration when you change agents. In Georgia, that last one is the actual work. Maya: And the one that passes? Dan: Mainstay Filing. It's our pick for Georgia. [7:57] The recap Maya: Give me the five once more. Dan: One, Mainstay Filing, $149 a year, the same at renewal, with the change filed for you. Two, Northwest, $125, and cancel the annual report enrollment if you don't want it. Three, GA Registered Agent.org, $99 flat. Four, Bizee, free for year one with a formation order, then $149. Five, Georgia Registered Agent.co, $99 flat. Maya: Every link is in the show notes. Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast.