How Do You Register an LLC Yourself with the Georgia Secretary of State?

Before filing, confirm that the name you want is available on the state's records and settle who will act as the LLC's registered agent. The Secretary of State's domestic entity guide sets out what the filing requires, and it is worth reading in full before starting.

After approval, apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) directly with the IRS. The IRS issues it for free and says the entity should be formed with the state before applying, so there is no reason to pay a third party for one. Only after that does it make sense to open a business bank account.

After formation, the ongoing obligation is the annual registration. The Secretary of State's annual registration guide sets the fee at $60.00 online or on paper. Under Georgia Administrative Code Rule 590-7-22, a newly formed LLC files its first registration between January 1 and April 1 of the year after formation. A late filing adds a $25.00 penalty, and failing to file puts the LLC at risk of administrative dissolution.

Federal beneficial ownership (BOI) reporting does not apply. FinCEN's current rule exempts companies created in the United States.

Georgia LLC fees and deadlines at a glance

Filing the Georgia LLC step by step

None of these steps is hard. Problems usually come from starting a step before the thing it depends on exists, so the order below matters as much as the steps themselves.

Step 1: Confirm the name is available

Search the Secretary of State's business records for the name before filing. If you want to hold a name before you are ready to file, the Corporations Division publishes its current name reservation fee and how long a reservation lasts (Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division, read September 28, 2026).

Step 2: Settle the registered agent

Decide who will act as the LLC's registered agent before starting the filing. The Secretary of State's domestic entity guide sets out who can serve and what information the filing asks for. This page does not restate those requirements, so read them at the source. If you would rather not handle the role yourself, you can buy it as a service, which is covered in the comparison below (Georgia Secretary of State, How to Register a Domestic Entity, read September 28, 2026).

Step 3: File the Articles of Organization

Online filing runs through the Corporations Division's eCorp system, where you complete the Articles of Organization and pay the $110.00 fee ($100 filing plus $10 service charge) (Georgia Secretary of State, How to Register a Domestic Entity, read September 28, 2026). Check with the Corporations Division for current processing times before planning around an approval date. Keep the approval documents the state returns, because the next steps depend on them.

Step 4: Apply for the EIN, after approval

The IRS issues EINs at no cost and says the entity should be formed with the state before applying. Any website that charges for an EIN is charging for something the IRS provides for free (IRS, Get an Employer Identification Number, read September 28, 2026).

Step 5: Open the business bank account

The bank account comes last because it depends on both earlier results: the approved state filing (Georgia Secretary of State, How to Register a Domestic Entity, read September 28, 2026) and the EIN (IRS, Get an Employer Identification Number, read September 28, 2026). No state or federal office publishes a bank's own document list. The only way to know what a given bank requires is to ask it.

After formation: the annual registration

Georgia's recurring obligation is the annual registration. It costs $60.00 whether filed online or on paper and is due by April 1. Filing can start January 1, and the Secretary of State allows filing up to 3 years in advance. Correcting a registration after filing costs $30.00 as an amended annual registration. Missing the deadline adds a $25.00 penalty (Georgia Secretary of State, How to File Annual Registration, read September 28, 2026).

For a new LLC, the first registration is due between January 1 and April 1 of the year after the year it was formed. An LLC that fails to file risks administrative dissolution (Georgia Administrative Code Rule 590-7-22, read September 28, 2026).

Federal BOI reporting is not part of this cycle. FinCEN's current rule exempts entities created in the United States (FinCEN, Beneficial Ownership Information, read September 28, 2026).

Doing it yourself versus using a formation service

Filing on your own costs the $110.00 state fee and $0 for the EIN, plus registered agent costs if the LLC pays for an agent. From the second year on, the fixed state cost is the $60.00 annual registration.

A formation service does not lower any state fee. ZenBusiness's Starter plan is $0 plus the state fee, which in Georgia is the same $110.00. Its Pro plan is $199 a year and Premium is $299 a year. Registered agent service is a separate $199 a year on every tier, including Premium, discounted to $99 for the first year when you form with ZenBusiness.

A service is genuinely useful in two situations. The first is the registered agent role, if no owner wants to handle it. The second is ongoing tracking of the April 1 deadline, where a missed date costs $25.00 and continued failure risks dissolution. If either applies, you can compare ZenBusiness's formation plans against the cost of handling it yourself. statefilingsteps.com earns a commission on that link. It does not change the conclusion here: the filing itself is well within reach for most owners.

An attorney is a separate option, mainly worth considering when members want a custom operating agreement. Attorney fees vary.

Frequently asked questions