Forming an LLC in Georgia costs $110 in state filing fees, and keeping it active costs $60 per year after that. Everything else — expedited processing, a name reservation, a paid registered agent, local business licenses — is optional or situational. So how much does an LLC cost in Georgia in practice? For most owners, somewhere between $110 in year one at the bare minimum and a few hundred dollars once local licenses and a registered agent service are added in.
The $110 Formation Fee
Every Georgia LLC starts with the Articles of Organization, filed on Form CD 030 through the Secretary of State’s Corporations Division. The total is $110: a $100 filing fee plus a $10 service charge. The amount is the same whether you file online or mail in paper documents.1Georgia Secretary of State. How to Guide: Register a Domestic Entity
The fee doesn’t scale with the number of members or projected revenue. Your LLC doesn’t legally exist — and gives you no liability protection — until the state accepts the filing and the fee is paid.
The $60 Annual Registration
Each year after formation, Georgia requires you to file an annual registration to keep the state’s records current. The cost is $50 plus a $10 service charge, for a total of $60.2Georgia Secretary of State. Reference – Filing Fees (Effective 9.6.2025) The first one is due between January 1 and April 1 of the year following formation, and the same window applies every year after.3Georgia.gov. Renew a Corporation
What a Late Filing Costs
Miss April 1 and the state adds a $25 late fee. Ignore the registration long enough and the Corporations Division mails a Notice of Administrative Dissolution, which gives you 60 days from that notice to catch up before your LLC is dissolved.4Georgia Secretary of State. Business Division FAQ Administrative dissolution ends your authority to conduct business in Georgia and can expose members to personal liability.
Reinstatement is available for five years after dissolution. It costs $260 ($250 filing fee plus $10 service charge), plus every past-due annual registration fee and late penalty.5Georgia Secretary of State. How to Guide: Reinstate an Entity After five years, reinstatement is off the table and you’d have to form a new LLC.
A current LLC pays $60 a year. A neglected one can accumulate several hundred dollars in back fees, late charges, and reinstatement costs quickly.
Optional State Fees
Reserving a Name
If you want to hold a specific business name before filing your Articles, Georgia will reserve one for 30 days. It’s $25 online or $35 by mail.6Georgia.gov. Reserve a Business Name with Georgia Secretary of State You can list up to three name choices in order of preference, and the state reserves the first one available. The fee is nonrefundable even if none of your choices are.
You don’t need to reserve a name at all — the Articles of Organization filing checks availability on its own. Reservation only makes sense if you have branding locked in and need extra time to prepare the rest of your paperwork.
Expedited Processing
Standard filings work through the queue in the order they arrive. If you need faster review, Georgia offers three paid tiers, each added on top of the $110 filing fee:7Georgia Secretary of State. Filing Fees and Expedited Processing of Document Filings
- Two business days: $120
- Same day (if received by noon): $275
- One hour: $1,200
Expedited fees apply during business hours on business days only, and they’re non-refundable. Paying for speed doesn’t guarantee approval if the documents have errors. Online annual registrations are processed immediately anyway, so there’s no reason to pay for expedited service on those.
Registered Agent
Georgia law requires every LLC to keep a registered agent and a registered office in the state, so someone can receive lawsuits and official notices on the company’s behalf.8Justia Law. Georgia Code 14-11-209 – Registered Office and Registered Agent You can serve as your own agent for free, but you have to be available at a physical Georgia address during business hours.
If that’s not workable — you travel, work remotely, or live out of state — professional registered agent services generally run $50 to $300 per year. Changing your agent’s address outside the annual registration window costs $5 per entity with a $20 minimum.2Georgia Secretary of State. Reference – Filing Fees (Effective 9.6.2025)
EIN From the IRS
Most Georgia LLCs need an Employer Identification Number to open a business bank account, hire employees, or file federal taxes as a multi-member LLC. The IRS issues EINs for free through its online tool, usually in minutes.9Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number Third-party sites that charge for an EIN are reselling something the IRS gives away.
Local Licenses, Sales Tax, and Workers’ Comp
Georgia does not issue a general state business license, so there’s no statewide license fee to plan for. Most cities and counties, however, require an occupational tax certificate before you can operate locally. Fees vary by municipality, business type, and revenue, and some jurisdictions layer on health, zoning, or other regulatory permits. Your city or county clerk’s office is the source for exact numbers.
If your LLC sells taxable goods or services, you’ll need to register as a dealer with the Georgia Department of Revenue for a sales and use tax number.10Georgia Department of Revenue. Sales and Use Tax Registration – FAQ Georgia also requires workers’ compensation insurance for any business that regularly employs three or more people, and LLC members count toward that threshold.11State Board of Workers’ Compensation. Workers’ Compensation Insurance FAQs
Operating Agreement and Notary
Georgia doesn’t legally require an LLC to have a written operating agreement, but one is strongly recommended, especially for multi-member LLCs where ownership shares, profit distribution, and decision-making need to be documented. An attorney-drafted agreement generally starts around $500 and can top $1,000 for complex ownership. Template-based and online formation services fall anywhere from $50 to a few hundred dollars on top of state fees.
If any documents need to be notarized, Georgia caps notary fees at $2 per notarial act, among the lowest in the country.12Justia Law. Georgia Code 45-17-11 – Fees of Notaries
Bottom Line: What Georgia LLCs Actually Pay
- Articles of Organization: $110, one-time and required
- Annual registration: $60 per year, starting the year after formation
- Name reservation: $25 online or $35 by mail, optional
- Expedited processing: $120, $275, or $1,200, optional and added to the filing fee
- EIN: free from the IRS
- Registered agent: $0 if you serve yourself, otherwise $50 to $300 per year
- Attorney-drafted operating agreement: $500 to $1,000 or more, optional
- Local occupational tax certificate: varies by city or county
- Late annual registration: $25 penalty; reinstatement after dissolution costs $260 plus back fees
Strip everything to the required minimum and a Georgia LLC costs $110 to form and $60 a year to maintain. That’s one of the more affordable structures in the Southeast. Real total cost depends on whether you pay someone else to be your registered agent, whether your city charges an occupational tax, and whether you bring in an attorney to draft an operating agreement.