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LLC SchoolhousePlain LLC lessons, one state at a time.

Module 1 · Georgia

How to Start an LLC in Georgia (2026): a 7-Step Lesson and the 3 Best LLC Services

Here is who we would send a new founder to for setting up an LLC in Georgia in 2026: Mainstay Filing ($199), GA Registered Agent.org ($199) and Georgia Registered Agent.co ($199), in grade order. Expect 7 steps and a $110 state fee, followed by the annual registration every year.

Taught by the LLC Schoolhouse editors

Quick facts

Formation fee$110Checked against sos.ga.gov, October 2026
Annual registration$60 a yearPay and file by the date given as April 1
Three-year state total$230Formation, reports and any minimum tax
Lesson steps7Numbered below

You will be able to

  • Where to file in Georgia and what the fee is
  • The registered agent requirement
  • How to stay in good standing
  • Which services we would use and why

Our graded picks for Georgia

The order follows five published criteria; read how we grade for the details.
Best grade

1. Mainstay Filing: best for having the annual registration done for you

$199 yearly, renewing at $199

Mainstay Filing earns the highest mark because $199 a year hands off the formation, the registered agent role and the annual registration to someone else.

GA Registered Agent.org is $200 less across three years; handling more of the lesson's steps earns this one the higher mark.

That includes the annual registration, with the state's $60 billed at cost.

What the price covers

  • Formation prepared and filed
  • Registered agent for twelve months
  • Annual registration prepared and filed
  • The EIN application
  • State fee billed at cost

Marks in its favor

  • The EIN step is in the price
  • Renewal stays at $199
  • $199 per year for the whole bundle

Where it loses points

  • GA Registered Agent.org renews for $100 less
Local choice

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

$199 plus state fee, then $99/year

Next on the report card comes GA Registered Agent.org, graded second: it forms the Georgia LLC for $199 and covers the agent for year one, after which the agent renews at $99.

The annual registration is not covered by its price.

What the price covers

  • Your Georgia formation is prepared and filed
  • The first year of agent service

Marks in its favor

  • A free first agent year
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • A low $99 renewal

Where it loses points

  • It does not file the annual registration
  • It charges $99 for the EIN step
Local choice

3. Georgia Registered Agent.co: best for a low agent renewal

$199 plus state fee, then $99/year

Next on the report card comes Georgia Registered Agent.co, graded third: it forms the Georgia LLC for $199 and covers the agent for year one, after which the agent renews at $99.

The annual registration is not covered by its price.

Its prices equal GA Registered Agent.org's, so either is a sound choice.

What the price covers

  • Your Georgia formation is prepared and filed
  • The first year of agent service

Marks in its favor

  • A low $99 renewal
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • A free first agent year

Where it loses points

  • It does not file the annual registration
  • It charges $99 for the EIN step

The grades and prices at a glance

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2GA Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit GA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Georgia Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Georgia Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Each company's listed price on November 13, 2026. Add Georgia's $110 fee to each row.

Starting an LLC in Georgia, one step at a time

  1. Step
    1

    Pick a name and make sure it is free

    Look up the name on the Georgia business register at the Georgia Secretary of State first.

    Jot down two backup names before you search.

  2. Step
    2

    Choose a 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.

    Every pick on our list includes a registered agent.

    Where this comes from: Checked against sos.ga.gov, October 2026

  3. Step
    3

    Will you file it yourself or use a service?

    Filing directly costs only the $110 state fee. A service adds $199 but handles the forms. See the graded list.

  4. Step
    4

    Prepare and file the Articles of Organization

    To form the LLC, pay $110 and give the Articles of Organization (Form CD 030) to the Georgia Secretary of State; the authority is O.C.G.A. § 14-11-203.

    Where this comes from: Checked against sos.ga.gov, October 2026

  5. Step
    5

    Apply for an EIN

    With the Georgia approval in hand, ask the IRS for an EIN so the LLC can open accounts in its own name. Mainstay Filing includes the EIN application in its yearly price.

  6. Step
    6

    Draft the operating agreement

    Think of the operating agreement as the LLC's rulebook: who owns what, kept by you and not sent to the state.

  7. Step
    7

    Put the yearly deadlines on your calendar

    Georgia wants the annual registration every year, due April 1, and the fee is $60. Miss the deadline and $25 is added.

    Where this comes from: Checked against sos.ga.gov, October 2026

What you will pay

WhatPayeeTotal
Filing the LLCThe state$110
Annual registrationThe state$60 every year
Missing the deadlineThe state$25
Help from a serviceThe provider$199 up front
State fees, years one to threeThe state$230
Official Georgia fees, cited below. The three-year line adds the filing fee, the reports in years two and three and any minimum tax.

Why this order

What settled it was homework the price handles, worth 33% of the grade.

GA Registered Agent.org costs less, but the annual registration stays with you.

Common questions

What does it cost to form an LLC in Georgia?

The official fee is $110. If you hire a service, add $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

Step 4 of this lesson shows how to complete the Articles of Organization (Form CD 030) and where to send it: the Georgia Secretary of State.

Is a registered agent required?

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

What does Georgia require each year?

Keep an eye on the annual registration: $60, every year, April 1.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

A service is optional. Owners can send the paperwork themselves with the $110 fee, provided they appoint a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Mainstay Filing, GA Registered Agent.org and Georgia Registered Agent.co, graded from first to last.

Keep studying

Class references

  1. Georgia Secretary of State fee schedule Rev. 8/2025 is covered in the official page at sos.ga.gov; our notes follow it as of October 2026.
  2. Georgia report due date is covered in the official page at law.justia.com; our notes follow it as of August 2026.
  3. Georgia Secretary of State Corporations Division fee schedule is covered in the official page at sos.ga.gov; our notes follow it as of October 2026.
  4. Georgia registered agent statute is covered in the official page at sos.ga.gov; our notes follow it as of October 2026.
  5. Mainstay Filing Georgia service page: opened and read on November 13, 2026
  6. GA Registered Agent.org pricing page: opened and read on November 13, 2026
  7. Georgia Registered Agent.co pricing page: opened and read on November 13, 2026