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How to start an LLC in Georgia

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A Georgia LLC costs $100 to file online, or $110 by mail. You file Articles of Organization with the Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division. There's no publication requirement and no franchise tax for a standard pass-through LLC. The one ongoing state cost is the annual registration: $60 a year as of 2026, due between January 1 and April 1. That window is the same for every LLC no matter when you formed, so an LLC formed in November owes its first registration by April 1 of the next year. Most Georgia businesses also need a city or county business license, called an occupation tax certificate, and the state filing doesn't replace it.

Best next step

For most founders, start with the Georgia filing itself

If you live and operate in Georgia, the safest move is to file in Georgia directly. Compare LLC services only if you want help with privacy, document handling, or someone to do the filing for you.

Safest default
File directly with Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division if you live and operate in Georgia.
Cheaper viable option
Handle the filing yourself if you're comfortable managing the registered agent role and the state paperwork.
Avoid overpaying
Don't buy bundled extras until you confirm the filing fee, the annual schedule, and whether a service actually solves a problem for you.
See official filing instructions Compare LLC services
Filing fee
$100 online / $110 by mail
Mail filings include a $10 paper service charge.
Processing time
~7 business days online
Standard estimate. Expedited available.
Annual report
Between January 1 and April 1 each year, starting the year after you form
$60 per year as of 2026 ($50 fee plus a $10 service charge). You can prepay 2 or 3 years at once. A $25 penalty applies after April 1, and a missed registration can lead to administrative dissolution.
Publication
None
No newspaper requirement

Official Georgia resources

Primary filing source

Start here

Register an LLC in Georgia (Georgia.gov)

Open this first. It's the official source for the filing itself.

georgia.gov

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How to form an LLC in Georgia

Forming, registering, filing, or applying for an LLC in Georgia: it's all the same process, and these are the steps in the order you'll do them.

Before you file

What you'll need

To form a Georgia LLC, you will need an available LLC name with a required designator (LLC, L.L.C., or Limited Liability Company), a registered agent with a physical Georgia street address, a principal office mailing address, an organizer, an email address for filing notices, and $100 for online filing or $110 by mail. Paper filings also need Transmittal Form 231.

  1. Step 1 of 8: Pick an available Georgia LLC name

    Search the Georgia Corporations Division business search on eCorp to confirm your name is available. The name must include "Limited Liability Company," "LLC," or "L.L.C." (or an accepted abbreviation). Reserving a name is optional: it costs $25, holds the name for 30 days, and is only worth it if you need to lock the name before you are ready to file.

  2. Step 2 of 8: Choose a registered agent with a Georgia street address

    Every Georgia LLC needs a registered agent at a physical Georgia street address where a person can be found during business hours. PO boxes don't qualify. You can be your own agent if you have a Georgia address and are there reliably, but that address becomes public. A commercial registered agent usually costs $50 to $150 a year and keeps your home address off the record.

    Georgia registered agent rules and costs

  3. Step 3 of 8: File Articles of Organization online through eCorp

    Create an eCorp account, choose "create or register a business," and select domestic limited liability company. You will enter the LLC name, principal office mailing address, registered agent, organizer, and an email address. The online fee is $100 by credit card. Filing by mail costs $110 and requires the Articles of Organization (Form CD 030) plus Transmittal Form 231. Online is cheaper and about twice as fast.

  4. Step 4 of 8: Wait for approval, or pay to expedite

    Standard processing is about 7 business days online and 15 business days by mail. If you need the LLC sooner, two-business-day processing costs an extra $100 and same-day processing (submitted before noon on a weekday) costs an extra $250. Most founders don't need to expedite; start the EIN and bank account prep while you wait.

  5. Step 5 of 8: Get a free EIN from the IRS

    Once the LLC is approved, apply for an EIN directly on IRS.gov. It is free and usually issued immediately online. You will need it for a business bank account, hiring, and most tax registrations. Don't pay a third party for it.

  6. Step 6 of 8: Write an operating agreement and open a business bank account

    Georgia doesn't require an operating agreement, and you don't file one with the state. Write one anyway: it documents who owns what, who makes decisions, and what happens if a member leaves, and banks often ask for it. Then open a separate business bank account so the LLC's money stays separate from yours.

  7. Step 7 of 8: Get your city or county business license

    Georgia has no statewide general business license. Apply for an occupation tax certificate with your city, or with your county if you are in an unincorporated area. Home-based businesses may also need zoning approval. Rules and fees vary, so check your local government's business license page before you start taking revenue.

  8. Step 8 of 8: Calendar the annual registration (January 1 to April 1)

    Every Georgia LLC files an annual registration with the Secretary of State between January 1 and April 1, starting the calendar year after it forms. The fee is $60 as of 2026, and you can prepay 2 or 3 years at once. Filing after April 1 adds a $25 penalty, and not filing can get the LLC administratively dissolved. If nothing has changed, the "One Click" option on eCorp is the quickest way to file.

How much a Georgia LLC costs

What you'll pay the state if you file it yourself and serve as your own registered agent. The cost page has every fee, the optional add-ons, and when each payment is due.

To form
$100
Year one total
$100
Online Articles of Organization; $110 by mail
Every year after
$60/yr
Annual registration, plus your local business license
Full Georgia LLC cost breakdown

Georgia tax and compliance notes

This is where Georgia gets less simple than the filing itself. The state-specific issues that generic LLC guides usually skip.

Georgia's individual income tax is a flat 4.99% for 2026, lowered from 5.19% by HB 463 and retroactive to January 1, 2026. More annual cuts are scheduled, so recheck the rate each tax year. A default single-member or multi-member LLC passes its profit through to your personal Georgia return at that rate.

Georgia does not charge a franchise tax or minimum annual tax on a standard pass-through LLC. The only recurring state charge for keeping the LLC alive is the annual registration.

Georgia has no general statewide business license. Most businesses need an occupation tax certificate (usually called a business license) from their city, or from the county if they are in an unincorporated area. Fees, deadlines, and home-business zoning rules vary by locality.

If you sell taxable goods or services, register for sales and use tax with the Georgia Department of Revenue. Forming the LLC does not create any tax accounts for you.

Domestic Georgia LLCs are currently exempt from FinCEN BOI reporting under the interim final rule in effect since March 2025. The federal rule has changed before, so recheck FinCEN before relying on this.

Georgia vs other LLC states

The simple comparison most founders actually want. Watch the ongoing state cost column. That's where states with cheap filing fees can still get expensive.

State Annual report Upfront cost Ongoing state cost
Georgia This page
$60/yr, due January 1 to April 1 $100 online / $110 mail $60/yr + local business license
Tennessee
$50/member, $300-$3,000, due 1st day of 4th month after fiscal year close $300 minimum $300 minimum Annual Report + $100 minimum franchise tax + excise tax if applicable
North Carolina
$200 due April 15 $125 $200/yr
Wyoming
$60 minimum, due 1st day of anniversary month $100 $60+/yr
Delaware
No annual report; $400 annual LLC tax due June 1 $110 $400/yr

Georgia LLC pros and cons

Quick tradeoffs. Where Georgia helps, where it adds friction, and what to watch before you file.

What works

  • Low cost to start: $100 online, with no publication requirement.
  • No franchise tax or minimum annual tax for standard pass-through LLCs.
  • The annual registration is cheap and can be prepaid for up to 3 years.
  • Online filing through eCorp is fast, about 7 business days, with affordable expedite options.

Watch out for

  • The annual registration deadline (April 1) is fixed for everyone, so it's easy to forget in your first year.
  • Business licenses are handled by cities and counties, so rules and fees vary and take extra research.
  • Your registered agent address is public, which matters if you work from home.
  • State fees have been changing (service charges were added in 2025), so recheck the fee schedule before you file.

Other state guides

If Georgia isn't the right fit, these guides cover the other states most first-time founders compare it against.

Growing past a basic LLC?

Check the S-corp math after your Georgia LLC is profitable.

Once net income is consistently around $60K or more, S-corp treatment may reduce self-employment tax. The savings only count after payroll, accounting, and state costs.

Run S-corp calculator

FAQ

The questions people ask right before they decide to file on their own or pay a service.

How much does it cost to start an LLC in Georgia?

The state filing fee is $100 online or $110 by mail. After that, the annual registration is $60 a year starting the year after you form. A commercial registered agent typically adds $50 to $150 a year, and most businesses also pay a city or county business license fee that varies by location.

What is the Georgia LLC filing fee?

The Articles of Organization cost $100 when filed online through eCorp and $110 by mail, which includes a $10 paper service charge. Expedited processing is extra: $100 for two business days or $250 for same day.

How long does it take to form an LLC in Georgia?

About 7 business days for online filings and 15 business days by mail. You can pay $100 extra for two-business-day processing or $250 extra for same-day processing if you submit before noon on a weekday.

Where do I file a Georgia LLC?

With the Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division, online through the eCorp system at ecorp.sos.ga.gov. You can also file by mail or in person at 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SE, Suite 313, West Tower, Atlanta.

How do I register an LLC in Georgia?

Registering, forming, and filing a Georgia LLC all mean filing Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State's Corporations Division: $100 online through eCorp or $110 by mail. That creates the LLC. Georgia has no statewide business license, so the next registration is local: an occupation tax certificate from your city, or your county if you are in an unincorporated area. Register with the Georgia Department of Revenue if you will collect sales tax or have employees. Then file the $60 annual registration between January 1 and April 1 each year.

How do I apply for an LLC in Georgia online?

Create an account at ecorp.sos.ga.gov, choose "create or register a business," and select domestic limited liability company. Enter the name, principal office mailing address, registered agent, organizer, and an email address, then pay $100 by card. Online filings take about 7 business days, or pay $100 more for two-business-day processing. Online is $10 cheaper and about twice as fast as mailing Form CD 030, so there is no reason to file on paper.

What is the formation document called in Georgia?

Articles of Organization. The paper version is Form CD 030, and mail filings also need Transmittal Form 231. Online filers fill in the same information on eCorp instead.

Does Georgia require a registered agent?

Yes. Every Georgia LLC must keep a registered agent with a physical Georgia street address where an individual can be found in person. PO boxes don't qualify, and the agent's address is public.

Can I be my own registered agent in Georgia?

Yes, if you have a Georgia street address and are reliably there during business hours to accept legal papers. The tradeoff is that the address goes on the public record. If you work from home or travel often, a commercial registered agent is the safer choice.

Does Georgia require an operating agreement?

No. Georgia doesn't require one and you don't file it with the state. You should still have one in writing, especially with more than one member, because it sets ownership, decision-making, and exit rules, and banks often ask for it.

When is the Georgia LLC annual registration due?

Between January 1 and April 1 every year, starting the calendar year after you form. The deadline is the same for every LLC regardless of formation date. The fee is $60 as of 2026, and filing after April 1 adds a $25 penalty.

Does Georgia require newspaper publication for an LLC?

No. Georgia's publication requirement applies to corporations, not LLCs, so there is no newspaper notice cost when you form a Georgia LLC.

Do I need a business license for my Georgia LLC?

Usually, but not from the state. Georgia has no general state business license. Most businesses need an occupation tax certificate from their city, or from the county if they are in an unincorporated area. Some professions also need a state professional license.

How is a Georgia LLC taxed?

By default, profit passes through to the owners and is taxed on their personal returns. Georgia's individual income tax is a flat 4.99% for 2026. Georgia doesn't charge a franchise tax on standard pass-through LLCs. If you sell taxable goods or services, you also collect and remit sales tax.

Can I form a Georgia LLC if I don't live in Georgia?

Yes. Members don't have to live in Georgia. You do need a registered agent with a Georgia street address, so out-of-state owners normally hire a commercial registered agent.

Do Georgia LLCs need to file a BOI report?

Not currently. Under FinCEN's interim final rule from March 2025, domestic U.S. companies, including Georgia LLCs, are exempt from BOI reporting. The rule could change, so recheck FinCEN before filing.