How to Start an LLC in Georgia

How do you file an LLC in Georgia yourself?

You do not need a lawyer or a paid service to form a Georgia LLC. The State of Georgia's own guide walks through the whole process, and the filing itself happens on the Secretary of State's eCorp site at ecorp.sos.ga.gov ^[1].

1. Choose a name. The state asks for the LLC's name or a valid name reservation number when you file, so you can reserve a name first if you want to hold it while you prepare. The articles are approved only if the name is available.
2. Pick a registered agent. The agent receives service of process and official documents for the LLC, and the agent must be located in Georgia ^[1].
3. File the Articles of Organization. The state's checklist covers the filer's name and address, a valid email address, the principal office mailing address, the registered agent's name and address, the name and address of each organizer, and any optional provisions. Online, create an eCorp account, choose "create or register a business" and select domestic limited liability company. On paper, use the Articles of Organization (Form CD 030) with the Transmittal Form for limited liability companies (Form 231).
4. Pay the state fee. Filing online costs $100 by card as of November 2026, and it is both cheaper and faster than paper. By mail or in person it costs $110, paid by check or money order ^[1].
5. Get an EIN from the IRS. It is free and you can apply online ^[4].
6. Write an operating agreement. The state's filing checklist does not include one, so it stays in your own records, but it sets out who owns what and how decisions get made.

If the information is valid and the name is available, the state returns your filed articles within its stated processing time. Online filings take about 7 business days and mailed filings about 15 business days ^[1].

How much does an LLC cost in Georgia?

The main cost is the state filing fee of $100 online as of November 2026 ^[1]. Everything else is optional or comes later.

Item	Amount as of November 2026	Notes
Articles of Organization, online	$100	Paid by Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover
Articles of Organization, mail or in person	$110	Check or money order
2 day expedite	$100 extra	Online, mail or in person
Same day expedite	$250 extra	Online filings must be in before noon on a weekday
One hour expedite	$1,000 extra	Mail and in person filings only
Annual registration	See eCorp for the current fee	Due January 1 to April 1 each year
EIN from the IRS	Free	Apply online

Fees in the first five rows come from the official Georgia guide ^[1].

The ongoing cost is the annual registration. You file it between January 1 and April 1 each year, and you can file for one, two or three years at a time. A mailed registration adds a $10 service charge, and a $25 late fee applies if the mail is postmarked after April 1 ^[2]. The state's renewal page does not print the base registration fee, so check the current amount on the eCorp annual registration page before you file.

Georgia sits near the low end among the states we cover. As of November 2026, California charges $70 ^[6], Florida $125 ^[7], North Carolina $125 ^[8] and Texas $300 ^[9]. Our LLC fees by state table lists every state.

On taxes, the IRS treats a single-member LLC as a disregarded entity and a multi-member LLC as a partnership by default, unless the LLC elects to be taxed as a corporation on Form 8832 ^[5]. State business taxes depend on what you sell and whether you hire, which is the next step after filing.

Do you need a registered agent in Georgia?

Yes. Every Georgia LLC names a registered agent in its Articles of Organization. The agent's job is to receive service of process and official documents for the company, and the state requires the agent to be located in Georgia ^[1].

Before you list someone, check three things:

• They have a Georgia address where papers can be delivered.
• They are reliably available to receive those papers.
• They will forward anything they receive to you right away, because those papers can include lawsuit notices with response deadlines.

For more detail on who can serve, the state's guide points to the Secretary of State's Business Division FAQ. Some owners pay a commercial registered agent instead, often for privacy or because they travel. That service is a yearly cost in addition to the state fees, and it does not file your annual registration unless you arrange it.

What comes after filing?

The Articles of Organization create your LLC, but the state's own guide says Secretary of State registration is not the only step before you do business in Georgia. Here is what usually comes next.

• EIN and bank account. Get your free EIN from the IRS and open a business bank account in the LLC's name, so business money stays separate from personal money.
• Operating agreement. Sign it with every member, even if you are the only one.
• State tax registration. Certain businesses must register with the Georgia Department of Revenue to collect and pay business taxes. You do this through the Georgia Tax Center by choosing "Register a New Georgia Business," with your EIN, legal name, NAICS code and date of first Georgia sales ready. The state taxpayer ID usually arrives by email within a few hours ^[3]. Unemployment insurance tax for employers is handled by the Georgia Department of Labor, not the Department of Revenue.
• Local licenses. Cities and counties issue their own business licenses and permits. Call your city or county office before you open, especially for food, child care or trade work.
• Annual registration. Put January 1 to April 1 on your calendar now. Skipping it can lead to administrative dissolution of the LLC ^[2].

If you are still choosing what kind of business to run, our guide to starting a business and the startup cost calculator help you budget the rest of the launch.

Should you file yourself or use a formation service?

You can file directly with the state yourself: the online form asks only for the basics listed above. An online formation service fills out the same state form for you. Whatever a service charges is in addition to the state fee, which you still pay to Georgia.

	File yourself	Online formation service
State fee (as of November 2026)	$100 online	$100 online, passed through
Service fee	None	Extra, on top of the state fee
Speed	About 7 business days online	Same state processing time
Registered agent	You or someone you choose in Georgia	Often offered as a yearly add-on
What you still do yourself	Everything	EIN, bank account, taxes, licenses, annual registration choices

A service can make sense if you want a commercial registered agent anyway or simply do not want to handle the form. It does not make approval faster unless you pay the state's own expedite fees, and you remain responsible for the annual registration. Compare this with other states in our North Carolina LLC guide and Florida LLC guide if you are deciding where to form.