Georgia LLC Filing Fee (2026): $110 to Form, Then $60 Every Year
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The short version (2026): The Georgia LLC filing fee is $110 ($100 filing fee + $10 service charge) for Articles of Organization, and it costs the same online or on paper under the fee schedule that took effect September 6, 2025. If you file it yourself, $110 is your whole state bill for year one. After that, Georgia charges $60 a year for the annual registration, filed between January 1 and April 1, starting the year after you form. File late and a $25 penalty applies; ignore it long enough and the state can dissolve the company, which costs $260 to reverse.
The bottom line: the Georgia LLC filing fee is $110, and keeping the company active costs $60 each spring. Everything else the Secretary of State sells is optional.
That sounds tidy, and it mostly is. The confusion comes from outdated numbers. A lot of pages still quote $100 online and $110 by mail, a split that ended when the Corporations Division added a $10 service charge to both filing methods in September 2025. Some still list a $100 two-day expedite. It’s $120 now. This guide works from the current Georgia Secretary of State pages and the Georgia Code, so every figure below is the one you’ll actually pay in 2026.
How much does it cost to start an LLC in Georgia?
The cost to start an LLC in Georgia comes down to one payment: $110 to the Corporations Division when your Articles of Organization go in. Those articles are the company’s charter. Once the state accepts them, the LLC exists. The Secretary of State’s LLC registration guide breaks the payment into a $100 filing fee and a $10 service charge, and you pay both whether you file on the eCorp website or mail paper forms. If you’ve seen the Georgia LLC registration cost quoted lower, the source probably predates the September 2025 schedule.
So what’s the real Georgia LLC cost across the first year? For a do-it-yourself filer, still $110. No annual registration is due in the calendar year you form, which surprises people. Your first $60 payment comes the following January through April 1.
From year two on, plan on $60 a year. The Georgia LLC filing fee is a one-time charge, and the annual registration is the only recurring bill the state sends your way for keeping the company active. Want a year-one estimate with your own add-ons, such as a registered-agent service or rush processing? Plug them into our LLC formation cost calculator.
What the Georgia LLC filing fee covers, item by item
Georgia’s filing charges follow a pattern worth spotting: almost every document costs a statutory base amount plus the same $10 service charge. The base amounts come from O.C.G.A. §14-11-1101, the fee section of Georgia’s LLC Act, which sets $100 for Articles of Organization, $50 for the annual registration, $25 for a late filing, and $250 for reinstatement. The Corporations Division adds $10 on top of each. Here’s the full 2026 schedule for a domestic LLC.
| Item | Amount | When | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization (Form CD 030 or eCorp online) | $110 ($100 + $10 service charge) | Once, at filing | Secretary of State, Corporations Division |
| Annual registration | $60 ($50 + $10) | January 1 to April 1 each year, starting the year after formation | Secretary of State |
| Late annual registration penalty | $25 | Only if you file after April 1 | Secretary of State |
| Reinstatement after administrative dissolution | $260 ($250 + $10) | Within 5 years of dissolution | Secretary of State |
| Name reservation (optional) | $35 ($25 + $10), nonrefundable | Before filing; holds the name 30 days | Secretary of State |
| Expedite, two business days (optional) | $120 | Added to the filing fee | Secretary of State |
| Expedite, same day (optional) | $275 | Request in by noon on a business day | Secretary of State |
| Expedite, one hour (optional) | $1,200 | Reviewed 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on business days | Secretary of State |
| Amended annual registration (optional) | $30 | If your agent or address changes mid-year | Secretary of State |
| Certificate of Existence (optional) | $20 ($10 + $10) | When a bank or lender asks for one | Secretary of State |
| Returned check or declined card (NSF) | $30 | Only if a payment bounces | Secretary of State |
Only two rows are unavoidable: the $110 Georgia LLC filing fee and the $60 annual registration. The rest depend on your timeline, your bank, or a mistake you’d rather not make. One more rule from the Division’s fee and expedite page: fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, so double-check your articles before you pay.
Georgia charges the same $110 whether you file online or by mail, so the real savings come from handling the paperwork yourself. Put your ownership terms in writing too: LawDepot’s LLC operating agreement template is fully editable, with no drafting fees stacked on the state’s bill.
Online or by mail: filing time and expedite tiers
You can file two ways, and the Georgia LLC filing fee doesn’t change between them. Online, you complete the Articles of Organization on the eCorp site and pay by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover). By mail, you fill out Form CD 030 or draft your own articles, attach Transmittal Form 231, and send a check or money order. Cash isn’t accepted, and each filing needs its own payment.
Speed is where the two methods split. The SOS guide says online filings are generally processed in about 7 business days, while the fee page gives a range of 7 to 10. Plan for 7 to 10 business days online. Paper articles uploaded through the website take roughly 10 to 14 business days, and mailed filings about 15 business days from the day the Division receives them. Late December through January runs slower, so a year-end filing deserves a buffer.
If you can’t wait, Georgia sells three expedite tiers, each charged on top of the Georgia LLC filing fee:
- Two business days: $120. The sensible choice when a bank appointment is on the calendar.
- Same day: $275. Get the request to the Division by noon on a business day. Miss noon and it waits until noon the following business day.
- One hour, for $1,200. Staff handle these between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on business days, and the LLC guide ties this tier to mailed paper filings.
The expedite clock counts business days only, so weekends and state holidays don’t count. For most owners, the honest answer is to skip all three. File online early in the week, and the standard queue usually does the job.
Georgia’s $60 annual registration
This is the recurring piece, separate from the Georgia LLC filing fee you paid at formation. Every Georgia LLC files an annual registration with the Secretary of State between January 1 and April 1, and the fee is $60 ($50 filing fee + $10 service charge) online or on paper. Think of it as a yearly check-in that keeps the state’s record of your company current, including where your registered agent can be found.
When does a brand-new LLC file its first one? O.C.G.A. §14-11-1103(c) sets the window: January 1 to April 1 of the year after the calendar year you formed. So a company formed in March 2026 and one formed in November 2026 share a first deadline of April 1, 2027. Fall filers get the short end. Their first annual bill can land only a few months after formation.
Three details from the SOS annual registration page save money and time:
- Filed online, an annual registration is processed immediately. There’s no reason to pay the $60 two-business-day expedite, which applies only to mailed or hand-delivered registrations.
- You can prepay up to 3 calendar years in advance, which takes the April 1 date off your calendar for a while.
- An LLC that’s current on its fees can use the One Click Annual Registration option.
If your registered agent or address changes between filings, an amended annual registration costs $30. Our guide to filing an LLC annual report online walks through the general process across states.
Miss April 1 and the costs climb
Here’s the part of Georgia LLC registration that catches owners off guard. The state doesn’t bill you in advance the way a utility would, so the April 1 deadline tends to slip by in a busy spring. The consequences arrive in stages, and each one is fixable, though at a higher price than the $60 you skipped.
Stage one: the $25 penalty. File after April 1 and the Division adds a $25 late penalty to the annual registration.
Stage two: a dissolution notice. Under O.C.G.A. §14-11-603(b), the Secretary of State may start administrative dissolution if the LLC hasn’t delivered its annual registration, with all fees and penalties, within 60 days after it was due. Administrative dissolution is a paperwork shutdown, not a lawsuit: the state switches off the company’s active status because a filing never showed up. You get a notice before that happens. From the notice, the LLC has 60 days to fix things.
Stage three: paying to come back. Once the company is dissolved, reinstatement costs $260 ($250 filing fee + $10 service charge) under the SOS reinstatement guide. The clock for applying runs 5 years from the dissolution date. Georgia holds the company name for those 5 years; after that, another business may reserve or file under it.
The number that matters here is the gap between $60 on time and $260 to reinstate. One calendar reminder in early March closes it.
A copy-paste year-one calendar for a Georgia LLC
The whole first year, from the Georgia LLC filing fee to your first annual registration, fits in five lines. Copy it into your calendar app and fill in your own dates.
Georgia LLC compliance calendar (2026 formation):
Filing day: File Articles of Organization on eCorp (or Form CD 030 + Transmittal Form 231 by mail). Pay $110 ($100 filing fee + $10 service charge). Online: about 7-10 business days. Optional expedite: $120 (2 business days), $275 (same day, noon cutoff). On approval: Save the Certificate of Organization the Secretary of State issues. Same week: Get the LLC's EIN free from the IRS at irs.gov. January 1 - April 1, 2027: File the first annual registration. $60 ($50 + $10). Online filings process immediately. Up to 3 years can be prepaid. Every January 1 - April 1 after: Same $60 annual registration. After April 1 = $25 late penalty. Agent or address change mid-year = $30 amended registration.
A word on that EIN, the federal tax ID number your LLC uses for tax filings and a business bank account. The IRS issues it at no charge, and its own EIN page says, “You never have to pay a fee for an EIN.” Sites that charge for one are reselling a free service.
Your Certificate of Organization proves the LLC exists; it says nothing about how you and any co-owners split profits, make decisions, or handle a member leaving. LawDepot’s customizable LLC operating agreement template covers those terms in plain English while the state reviews your filing.
Registered agent: the Georgia address rule
Every Georgia LLC needs a registered agent, the person or business that receives lawsuits and official state mail for the company. O.C.G.A. §14-11-209 requires the LLC to keep a registered office and registered agent in Georgia continuously. The agent can be an individual Georgia resident, including you, or a qualifying business entity.
The detail that trips people up is the address. The annual registration asks for a physical street address in Georgia where an individual can be found in person. A P.O. box won’t work. If you live out of state or don’t want your home address on public record, a commercial registered-agent service is the usual fix. Providers set their own prices, not the state, so if you hire one, add the real quote to the downloadable worksheet below. The service doesn’t change the Georgia LLC filing fee; it becomes its own line in your budget.
Keep this role filled. Under §14-11-603(b)(1)(B), going 60 days or more without a registered agent or registered office is a separate ground for administrative dissolution, even when your annual registration is current.
Optional costs: name reservation, certificates, and foreign filings
A few extras show up on Georgia’s fee schedule. None are required to form an LLC.
Name reservation, $35. Several guides call this free. It isn’t. The SOS name reservation guide sets the fee at $35 ($25 filing fee + $10 service charge), nonrefundable, and the hold lasts 30 days or until you submit your filing, whichever comes first. The same page says a reservation isn’t required to register an LLC. If you’re filing this week, run a Georgia LLC search on eCorp to confirm the name is open and skip the reservation.
Certificate of Existence, $20. This is the state’s official confirmation that your LLC exists on its records, and banks sometimes ask for one. Online requests are processed immediately with no expedite fee.
Foreign LLC registration, $235. Skip this one unless your LLC started life in another state and now wants to do business in Georgia. The out-of-state company applies for a Certificate of Authority, and the price is $235 ($225 filing fee + $10 service charge). An LLC formed in Georgia never pays it.
None of these change the Georgia LLC filing fee itself. They stack on top only when you choose them.
Does a Georgia LLC owe franchise tax or net worth tax?
Some states charge LLCs a yearly franchise tax on top of their filing fees. The Georgia tax owners usually ask about is the corporate net worth tax, and O.C.G.A. §48-13-72 imposes it on corporations. An LLC isn’t a corporation. In most cases that leaves out an LLC taxed as a partnership, along with the single-member LLC the IRS disregards for income tax and treats like a sole proprietorship.
It gets murkier in two spots. Maybe your LLC elected to be taxed as a corporation. Or a corporation owns your single-member LLC. Either way, ask the Georgia Department of Revenue or a tax professional what you owe. Don’t assume zero. Income tax is a separate question from the state’s filing fees and isn’t covered in this guide.
How Georgia compares, and the cheapest way to file
Nothing unusual about Georgia here. Our verified 50-state LLC filing fee table has the average LLC filing fee at about $122, with the median at $100. At $110, the Georgia LLC filing fee falls between them: over the median, under the average.
| Where | Fee to form | Recurring |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | $110 ($100 filing fee + $10 service charge) | $60 a year |
| 50-state average | About $122 | Median formation fee is $100 |
| Montana | $35 (cheapest; Kentucky $40, Arkansas $45 next) | Varies by state |
| Massachusetts | $500 (most expensive) | $500 every year |
The recurring side matters more over time. At $60 a year, Georgia’s annual registration is modest next to Massachusetts, where the company pays $500 every year. If you’re weighing a neighboring state, our Florida LLC filing fee guide covers the numbers across the state line.
What it’ll run you at the floor is $110 for year one and $60 a year after. Getting there takes four moves:
- Check the name on eCorp and skip the $35 reservation unless your filing is weeks away.
- File the Articles of Organization online, where the price matches paper but processing is faster.
- Pass on expediting unless a real deadline is waiting.
- Get the EIN from the IRS directly, then set a reminder for January of next year.
The Georgia LLC filing fee is fixed by statute and the Division’s schedule. What you control is everything around it, and filing it yourself is worth doing when the paperwork is this short.
Filing it yourself keeps a Georgia LLC at $110 to form and $60 a year. Round out the paperwork banks and partners often ask to see with LawDepot’s LLC operating agreement template, which you can edit clause by clause.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to start an LLC in Georgia?
The Georgia LLC filing fee is $110, which breaks down as a $100 filing fee plus a $10 service charge. You pay it to the Secretary of State with your Articles of Organization. Online and paper cost the same; that has been the rule since the fee schedule of September 6, 2025. For a do-it-yourself filer, $110 is the full state cost for the first year, because the first annual registration is not due until the following calendar year. Anything past that is your call. A name reservation adds $35, a Certificate of Existence $20, and expedited review $120, $275, or $1,200 depending on speed.
Does a Georgia LLC have to pay an annual fee?
Yes. Every Georgia LLC files an annual registration with the Secretary of State between January 1 and April 1 each year, and it costs $60 ($50 filing fee plus a $10 service charge) online or on paper. The first one is due January 1 to April 1 of the year after the year you formed, so an LLC formed in 2026 files first by April 1, 2027. Online registrations are processed immediately, and you can prepay up to 3 calendar years in advance. The annual registration is separate from the Georgia LLC filing fee you pay once at formation.
How long does it take to form an LLC in Georgia?
Secretary of State pages give slightly different numbers, so plan on 7 to 10 business days for an online filing. Paper articles uploaded online take about 10 to 14 business days, and mailed filings about 15 business days from receipt. Expect slower turnarounds in late December through January. If you need it faster, expedited review costs extra on top of the $110 Georgia LLC filing fee: $120 for two business days, $275 for same day (request in by noon), or $1,200 for one hour. Expedite periods count business days only.
What happens if I miss the Georgia annual registration deadline?
Filing after April 1 adds a $25 late penalty. If the annual registration, with all fees and penalties, still has not arrived within 60 days after it was due, O.C.G.A. 14-11-603 allows the Secretary of State to start administrative dissolution. You get a notice before anything happens, then 60 days to fix it. If the LLC is dissolved anyway, reinstatement is generally available for 5 years and costs $260 ($250 filing fee plus a $10 service charge). Your name stays protected for those 5 years. Wait longer and another business can claim it.
Do I need to reserve my LLC name in Georgia?
No. According to the Secretary of State, you can register an LLC without one. Optional doesn’t mean free, though. A reservation costs $35 ($25 filing fee plus a $10 service charge), you won’t get it back, and it holds the name for 30 days or until your filing goes in, whichever happens first. It makes sense mainly when your filing date is weeks away and you want to lock in the name. If you plan to file soon, check availability with a business search on the eCorp site and put that money toward the $110 Georgia LLC filing fee instead.
Sources & References
- sos.ga.gov
- sos.ga.gov
- codes.findlaw.com
- sos.ga.gov
- codes.findlaw.com
- sos.ga.gov
- codes.findlaw.com
- sos.ga.gov
- sos.ga.gov
- codes.findlaw.com
- codes.findlaw.com
- sos.ga.gov
- codes.findlaw.com
- irs.gov
- clearlegaltips.com
Fact-checked: September 2026
ClearLegalTips is an independent publisher of plain-English legal guides, free document templates, and cost calculators for common U.S. legal tasks. Every article is reviewed by founder and editor Fatih Öztürk and fact-checked against official sources: statutes, court fee schedules, and government filing pages. Not a law firm; nothing here is legal advice.
