How to Start an LLC in Georgia (2026)

Full transcript

0:00 The short answer

Dan To start an LLC in Georgia, you file Articles of Organization with the Georgia Secretary of State's Corporations Division and pay the $110 filing fee.

Maya Why $110? I expected a round number.

Dan It's two pieces. The filing fee is $100, and the Division adds a $10 service charge.

Maya This is The Business Formation Podcast. Today, Georgia for 2026, in six steps, with what it all costs and the three best ways to have it filed for you. Let's get into the name.

0:33 Step 1: Choose a name

Dan Your Georgia LLC's name needs an LLC designator, like LLC, and it has to be distinguishable from every name on the Secretary of State's records.

Maya What does distinguishable mean in practice?

Dan The Division gives examples of changes that don't count. Adding the word the. Shortening Georgia to G A. Spelling Boys with a z.

Maya So no clever spelling.

Dan Not for this purpose. Also, words like bank, trust, insurance, or university need another agency's written approval before the Division will accept them.

Maya And checking availability?

Dan The state's business database is free to search. If you want to hold a name, reserving one for 30 days is optional.

1:18 Step 2: Name a registered agent

Maya Who can be my agent in Georgia?

Dan A Georgia resident, or a corporation or LLC authorized to do business in Georgia, at a Georgia street address where the agent is actually located.

Maya Can my own LLC be the agent?

Dan No. And a P.O. box or a mail drop won't work either.

Maya What about privacy?

Dan The agent's name and address are public, which is why a lot of owners hire a commercial agent.

Maya If I want to change agents later, is there a form?

Dan Not a separate one. You update the agent on your annual registration, or you file an amended one.

1:53 Step 3: File Articles of Organization

Maya Where does the filing happen?

Dan Online through eCorp, or on paper with Form CD 030. The fee is $110 either way.

Maya Walk me through the online route.

Dan You create an eCorp account, choose to register a business, pick domestic limited liability company, and pay by card.

Maya I'm Maya, by the way, here with Dan.

Dan Nice to meet you, Maya.

Maya What if I'd rather mail it in?

Dan That works. The paper route uses Form CD 030 together with Transmittal Form 231.

Maya What do I need on hand before I start?

Dan The LLC name, an email address for state notices, the principal office mailing address, your registered agent, and each organizer's name and address.

Maya And how long does the Division take?

Dan It says online filings generally take 7 to 10 business days.

Maya That's longer than some states.

Dan It is. If you can't wait, you can pay extra for 2-business-day or same-day review.

2:52 Step 4: Write an operating agreement

Maya Does Georgia require an operating agreement?

Dan It's recommended, and it isn't filed with the Secretary of State. There's no state fee for it.

Maya What happens if I skip it?

Dan Georgia's default LLC rules apply. You get the state's answers to questions you never asked.

Maya I'd rather write my own.

Dan Put down who owns what, how profits and losses are split, who makes decisions, and how a member can exit.

Maya Does a single-owner LLC need the same thing?

Dan It's shorter, but yes, it's worth having. It also helps when a bank or a partner asks how the company is run.

3:27 Step 5: Get a free EIN

Maya Now the federal tax number.

Dan Apply free with the IRS at IRS.gov after the Corporations Division approves your Articles.

Maya Is it quick?

Dan If the online application is approved, the IRS issues it right away. Have the Social Security number or ITIN of the person in charge ready.

Maya And the beneficial ownership filing?

Dan Skip it for U.S. companies. FinCEN doesn't require it anymore.

3:56 Step 6: File the annual registration by April 1

Maya What's the yearly paperwork?

Dan Georgia calls it an annual registration. You file it with the Corporations Division between January 1 and April 1 every year, starting the year after you form. The fee is $60.

Maya What's on it?

Dan For an LLC, it confirms the registered agent and the principal office. Members and managers aren't listed.

Maya Is it a hassle?

Dan Not much. If nothing changed, One Click Registration doesn't even need a login.

Maya And if April 1 passes?

Dan There's a $25 late fee. Keep ignoring it, and the Division mails a notice of administrative dissolution. You get 60 days to file before the LLC is dissolved.

Maya What if it does get dissolved?

Dan Reinstatement costs $260. That's a lot more than the $60 you skipped.

4:48 What it costs

Maya What's the state bill if I do it all?

Dan $110 to form. Then $60 every year for the annual registration. The EIN is free.

Maya Any extra costs worth knowing about?

Dan The optional ones. Reserving a name for 30 days, and paying for faster review. And the avoidable one, the $25 late fee if you miss April 1.

Maya So the $60 is the recurring cost.

Dan And it's the same every year.

Maya So over, say, the first few years the state side is simple.

Dan Simple, yes. One $110 filing up front, then $60 each year, with nothing hidden in the reporting.

5:31 A year-one checklist

Maya Order of operations, please.

Dan Search the name. Pick a Georgia agent. File on eCorp. Write the operating agreement. Get your EIN.

Maya Then?

Dan Then mark the January 1 through April 1 window, with a reminder two weeks before. Your first registration is due the year after you form.

Maya Which step takes the longest?

Dan The wait on the Division, typically 7 to 10 business days online. Do the other steps while you wait, so the EIN is ready right after approval.

6:04 The 3 best ways to file in Georgia

Maya And if I'd rather hand it off?

Dan Here are the three best ways to file in Georgia. Number one, our pick, is Mainstay Filing, $199 a year plus the state fee. With the $110 state fee, checkout comes to $309.

Maya What comes with it?

Dan Your Articles filed, your EIN application, and your registered agent every year. It renews at the same $199. And in Georgia, it prepares and files your annual registration by April 1.

Maya What do I pay on top?

Dan Just the $60 state fee.

Maya Number two?

Dan GA Registered Agent.org. It prepares and files your Articles for $199 plus the state fee. The first year of registered agent service is free, then it's $99 a year.

Maya Number three?

Dan Georgia Registered Agent.co. Same offer: $199 plus the state fee, a free first year of agent service, then $99 a year.

Maya How do I decide?

Dan If you'll file your own annual registration, two and three cost less from year two, at $99 for the agent alone. If you want the agent and the April 1 filing in one steady price, that's Mainstay. The $60 fee is the same with all three.

7:32 Three years of service fees

Maya Put it in three-year terms.

Dan Mainstay is $199 a year, so $597. The other two are $199, then $99, then $99, for $397.

Maya So $200 apart.

Dan Yes. And the gap is mostly the annual registration, the part Mainstay handles for you.

7:55 Recap

Maya Run it back for us once more.

Dan Choose a name with an LLC designator, name an agent at a Georgia street address, file Articles of Organization for $110, write an operating agreement, get your free EIN, and file your $60 annual registration between January 1 and April 1 every year.

Maya The links to all three services and every official source are in the show notes. Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast, and good luck with your new Georgia LLC.