Skip to content
Biz Formation Academy

A plain textbook on LLC paperwork, one state per chapter.

Chapter 1 · Georgia

Georgia LLC Formation Chapter (2026): 7 Sections and the 3 Best LLC Services

In 2026 the services this chapter recommends for forming an LLC in Georgia are Mainstay Filing ($199), GA Registered Agent.org ($199) and Georgia Registered Agent.co ($199), best first. Read 7 sections to learn the process. The fee at Georgia's filing office is $110; afterward the annual registration falls due every year.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

Read first

Charge at the filing office $110 See sos.ga.gov; page last consulted October 2026
Annual registration $60 a year Deadline given by the state: April 1
Three years of state fees $230 Formation, reports and any minimum tax
Chapter sections 7 Outlined below

You will be able to explain

  • Where and how a Georgia LLC is filed
  • What the agent rule says
  • Recurring obligations
  • Who to consider for filing

Recommended reading for Georgia

Three-year cost and paperwork completed carry the most weight; how we grade lists all five.

1. Mainstay Filing: best for new owners who want the work handled

Recommended first
$199 annually and the $110 state fee

This chapter recommends Mainstay Filing above the others, because a yearly fee of $199 pays for the formation, the registered agent and the annual registration, and the second year is $199 again.

Compared with GA Registered Agent.org, the reader pays $200 more across three years and keeps fewer filings to prepare.

The annual registration is handled too, with Georgia's $60 added at cost.

Price covers

  • The filing is made for you
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • Annual registration prepared and filed
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • No markup on the state fee

Advantages

  • No added charge for the EIN application
  • A flat $199 each year
  • No increase at renewal ($199)

Limitations

  • Renewal costs $100 above GA Registered Agent.org
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. GA Registered Agent.org: best for a basic formation

In-state service
$199 at the start and $99 a year after year one

Second place is held by GA Registered Agent.org, since $199 to start with the first agent year paid, followed by $99 annually.

Preparing the annual registration every year is still left to you.

Price covers

  • Filing delivered to the state
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • $99 yearly from year two
  • $199 and the state fee
  • Year-one agent service at no added cost

Limitations

  • Whoever owns the LLC prepares the annual registration
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra
Visit GA Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. Georgia Registered Agent.co: best for owners who prepare their own reports

In-state service
$199 at the start and $99 a year after year one

Third place is held by Georgia Registered Agent.co, since $199 to start with the first agent year paid, followed by $99 annually.

Preparing the annual registration every year is still left to you.

GA Registered Agent.org and this service cost the same.

Price covers

  • Filing delivered to the state
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • $99 yearly from year two
  • $199 and the state fee
  • Year-one agent service at no added cost

Limitations

  • Whoever owns the LLC prepares the annual registration
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra
Visit Georgia Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The Georgia rankings compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1 Mainstay Filing $199$199/yr$597 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 GA Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397 Visit GA Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Georgia Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397 Visit Georgia Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Taken from each company's price page on November 13, 2026. Add the $110 state fee to every row.

Forming a Georgia LLC, section by section

  1. Section 1

    Choose a name that is available

    Before filing, search the Georgia Secretary of State for the name you want. A match with an existing Georgia entity usually means choosing another.

    It helps to have a fallback name ready.

  2. Section 2

    Designate the registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A Georgia resident, a Georgia corporation or LLC, or a corporation or LLC from another state with authority to do business in Georgia. An entity cannot be its own agent.

    The address has to be a Georgia street address that is also the agent's business office, and the agent has to be located there. A P.O. box or mail drop cannot be used.

    Each recommended service can act as your registered agent.

    Reference: See sos.ga.gov; page last consulted October 2026

  3. Section 3

    File alone or pay for assistance

    Filing yourself costs $110. Hiring one of the recommended services adds $199 for preparing the paperwork.

  4. Section 4

    Next comes the Articles of Organization

    To form the company, deliver the Articles of Organization (Form CD 030) to the Georgia Secretary of State together with $110. See O.C.G.A. § 14-11-203.

    Reference: See sos.ga.gov; page last consulted October 2026

  5. Section 5

    Apply for a federal tax identification number

    Once Georgia approves the filing, the LLC applies to the IRS for an Employer Identification Number, which banks and payroll services require. The Mainstay Filing annual price already includes this section.

  6. Section 6

    Prepare an operating agreement

    Ownership and management rules belong in the operating agreement, an internal record that is separate from the Georgia filing.

  7. Section 7

    Keep the LLC in good standing

    Every year the LLC files the annual registration and pays $60; the deadline is April 1. Late filers owe $25.

    Reference: See sos.ga.gov; page last consulted October 2026

The price list

SectionPaid toSum
Formation filing fee State agency$110
Annual registration State agency$60 every year
Late charge State agency$25
Optional service Your chosen service$199 in the first year
Three-year state total State agency$230

Anything paid to Georgia is an official fee that can be verified in the bibliography. The three-year row combines the filing, two later reports and a minimum tax where one exists; service prices are not part of it.

Why the list is in this order

finished ahead of on chapters the price completes, which counts for 30%.

Handling the annual registration outweighed the lower price once the weights were applied.

Georgia review questions

What is the cost of a Georgia LLC formation?

The official schedule lists $110. Hiring one of them costs $199 extra.

Which form creates the LLC?

The document to look for is the Articles of Organization (Form CD 030); the Georgia Secretary of State receives it.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does Georgia require each year?

Enter the annual registration in the calendar: $60, every year, April 1.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Nothing prevents it. Georgia asks $110, and the LLC must name a registered agent, which the owner can be or can hire out.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Mainstay Filing, GA Registered Agent.org and Georgia Registered Agent.co, from the highest ranking to the lowest.

Next chapter

Bibliography and primary texts

  1. Georgia Secretary of State fee schedule Rev. 8/2025 rests on sos.ga.gov, a text consulted October 2026.
  2. Georgia report due date rests on law.justia.com, a text consulted August 2026.
  3. Georgia Secretary of State Corporations Division fee schedule rests on sos.ga.gov, a text consulted October 2026.
  4. Georgia registered agent statute rests on sos.ga.gov, a text consulted October 2026.
  5. Price reference: Mainstay Filing, Georgia service page, November 13, 2026
  6. Price reference: GA Registered Agent.org, pricing page, November 13, 2026
  7. Price reference: Georgia Registered Agent.co, pricing page, November 13, 2026