Georgia LLC Cost: Filing Fees Explained (2026)

Q: How much does it cost to start an LLC in Georgia?

The Georgia Secretary of State charges $100 to file the Articles of Organization (Form CD 030) online, or $110 by mail. That is the only mandatory state fee to create the LLC. An EIN and Georgia Tax Center registration are free.

Q: What is the annual cost of a Georgia LLC?

Every Georgia LLC files a $50 annual registration with the Secretary of State between January 1 and April 1 each year. Filing after April 1 adds a $25 late fee. There is no separate state franchise tax on LLCs.

Q: How much does a Georgia registered agent cost?

Nothing, if you act as your own registered agent or name a member or manager. Commercial registered agent services typically charge an annual fee, but Georgia does not charge a state fee to name an agent in the Articles of Organization.

Q: Does Georgia charge expedited filing fees?

Yes. On top of the base filing fee, the Corporations Division charges about $100 for two-business-day processing, $250 for same-day, and $1,000 for one-hour in-person service. Standard processing has no extra charge.

Q: How much does it cost to reserve a Georgia LLC name?

A name reservation costs $25 online or $35 by mail and holds the name for 30 days. Reservation is optional; you do not need to reserve a name before filing your Articles of Organization.

Fact-checked by the LegalGlass editorial team against primary sources · Published Aug 6, 2026 · Last updated Aug 6, 2026

A Georgia LLC costs $100 to start online ($110 by mail) for the Articles of Organization (Form CD 030), filed with the Georgia Secretary of State. After that, every Georgia LLC pays a $50 annual registration between January 1 and April 1 each year. An EIN and Georgia Tax Center registration are free.

Quick Answer

Start-up fee: $100 online / $110 by mail (Articles of Organization, Form CD 030)
Annual cost: $50 annual registration, due Jan 1–Apr 1 each year
Agency: Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division
Name reservation: $25 online / $35 mail (optional, 30 days)
EIN & tax registration: $0 (IRS and Georgia Tax Center)
Franchise tax: None on Georgia LLCs

What It Costs to Start a Georgia LLC

The one unavoidable cost of forming a Georgia LLC is the state filing fee for the Articles of Organization (Form CD 030), filed with the Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division. The fee is $100 when you file online through the eCorp portal and $110 when you file by mail, where the higher figure reflects a $10 paper service charge. This single payment creates the LLC; there is no separate "certificate" or publication fee for LLCs in Georgia. For the full walkthrough, see how to form an LLC in Georgia.

Everything else at start-up is optional or free. A federal EIN from the IRS is free, registering for state tax accounts at the Georgia Tax Center is free, and an operating agreement costs nothing to adopt yourself. Compare Georgia to other states with the national how much does an LLC cost guide, and see what an LLC is if you are deciding on a structure.

It is worth separating state fees from service fees. The $100 online figure is the amount the Georgia Secretary of State charges - it is the same whether you file yourself or pay a third party to file for you. Formation services and law firms add their own markup on top of that state fee, but that markup is a private cost, not a Georgia requirement. Filing directly through the Secretary of State's eCorp portal is the cheapest route, and the online path is also the fastest, at roughly 7 business days versus about 15 business days by mail. Because the online fee is $10 lower and the turnaround is faster, most new Georgia LLCs file online.

Georgia LLC Fee Table (2026)

The table lists the Georgia state fees most LLCs encounter, each verified against the Georgia Secretary of State or the Georgia Department of Revenue. Amounts are effective for 2026 and are set by the state, not by any filing service.

Item	When	Fee (2026)	Agency
Articles of Organization - online	To form the LLC	$100	Secretary of State
Articles of Organization - by mail	To form the LLC	$110	Secretary of State
Name reservation (30 days)	Optional, before filing	$25 online / $35 mail	Secretary of State
Annual registration	Yearly, Jan 1–Apr 1	$50	Secretary of State
Late fee (annual registration)	After April 1	$25	Secretary of State
Amendment (e.g., change agent/name)	As needed	$20 online / $30 mail	Secretary of State
Reinstatement after dissolution	As needed	$100 + late fees	Secretary of State
Federal EIN	After formation	$0	IRS
State tax registration	As needed	$0	Dept. of Revenue

The $50 Annual Registration

Georgia's main ongoing LLC cost is the annual registration, filed with the Secretary of State each year between January 1 and April 1 for $50. Georgia does not call this an "annual report," but it serves the same purpose: confirming the LLC's principal office, registered agent, and management. Your first annual registration is due in the calendar year after the year you formed the LLC.

If you miss the April 1 deadline, the Secretary of State adds a $25 late fee, and continued non-filing leads to administrative dissolution. Georgia also lets you prepay multiple years (for example, a two-year or three-year registration) so you do not miss a deadline. For the full process, see Georgia LLC annual registration.

Expedited Filing and Optional Fees

Standard processing is included in the base filing fee, but the Corporations Division offers faster turnaround for an added charge. Expedite fees are approximately $100 for two-business-day service, $250 for same-day service, and $1,000 for one-hour in-person service. These are optional; most new LLCs use standard processing, which runs about 7 business days online and 15 business days by mail.

Other optional fees include the $25 online name reservation (or $35 by mail), and a $20 online amendment fee ($30 by mail) if you later change your LLC name or registered agent through Form CD 115. Certified copies and certificates of existence carry their own small fees set by the Corporations Division. Most first-time filers need none of these extras: if your name is available, you do not need to reserve it, and if you file the Articles of Organization correctly the first time, you will not need an amendment. Treat expedited processing as insurance for a real deadline - for example, a bank or client that requires proof of formation by a specific date - rather than a default. See how to form an LLC in Georgia for the filing steps these fees attach to.

No Franchise Tax, but State Income Tax Applies

Unlike some states, Georgia does not impose a general franchise tax on LLCs, so there is no annual "privilege" tax bill beyond the $50 registration. However, LLC profit is still subject to Georgia income tax. By default, single-member LLCs are taxed on the owner's Georgia return and multi-member LLCs as partnerships, at Georgia's flat state income tax rate. An LLC that elects corporate treatment pays the Georgia corporate income tax, which is set at the same flat rate.

If your LLC has employees or sells taxable goods and services, you register through the Georgia Tax Center and collect the 4% state sales and use tax (plus local rates). Registration is free, and a tax account number is typically issued within about 15 minutes. See S-corp vs LLC for how an S-election can change your tax picture.

Registered Agent and License Costs

Naming a registered agent in your Articles of Organization costs nothing extra; Georgia does not charge a separate state fee for the designation. If you act as your own agent or name a member or manager, your registered agent cost is $0. Commercial registered agent services charge their own annual fee, which is a private-market cost, not a state fee. See Georgia registered agent requirements and the national registered agent overview.

Georgia has no statewide general business license, but most businesses need a local occupational tax certificate from their city or county, and the fee for that is set locally - it varies by jurisdiction and often by number of employees or gross receipts. Budget for it, but confirm the exact amount with your local government. See how to get a business license in Georgia.

Sample First-Year Cost

For a typical single-member Georgia LLC that files online, acts as its own registered agent, and gets a free EIN, the first-year state cost is the $100 Articles of Organization fee. If the LLC forms early enough to owe an annual registration the same year, add $50. Optional add-ons - a $25 name reservation or expedited processing - are extra and up to you.

Beyond state fees, real-world costs vary: a commercial registered agent, an accountant, a local occupational tax certificate, and industry licenses are all separate and priced privately or locally. The point is that Georgia's mandatory state fees are modest and transparent - $100 to start and $50 a year to stay in good standing.

A realistic ongoing budget, then, has two layers. The state layer is fixed and predictable: the $50 annual registration, plus the occasional $20 amendment if you change your name or registered agent. The operating layer is variable and depends on choices you make: a commercial registered agent if you do not serve yourself, bookkeeping or tax-preparation help, a local occupational tax certificate whose fee your city or county sets, and any professional-board license fees for a regulated trade. None of those operating-layer items are charged by the Secretary of State, so keep them out of your comparison when you are weighing Georgia's official filing costs against other states in the national cost guide.

What It Costs to Close

Closing a Georgia LLC is inexpensive at the state level. Filing the Certificate of Termination (Form CD 415) with the Corporations Division costs $0 online and $10 by mail. You must be current on your annual registrations first, and you should close your tax accounts with the Department of Revenue. For the full wind-up process, see how to dissolve an LLC in Georgia and the national how to dissolve an LLC guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to start an LLC in Georgia?

$100 to file the Articles of Organization (Form CD 030) online, or $110 by mail, to the Georgia Secretary of State. That is the only mandatory state fee to create the LLC; an EIN and tax registration are free.

What is the annual cost of a Georgia LLC?

$50 for the annual registration, due between January 1 and April 1 each year. Filing after April 1 adds a $25 late fee. There is no franchise tax on Georgia LLCs.

Is there a franchise tax on a Georgia LLC?

No. Georgia does not impose a general franchise tax on LLCs. Profit is taxed on the owners' Georgia returns at the flat state rate, unless the LLC elects corporate treatment.

How much does a Georgia registered agent cost?

Nothing if you serve as your own agent or name a member or manager. Commercial services charge their own annual fee; Georgia charges no state fee to name the agent.

Does Georgia charge expedited filing fees?

Yes - about $100 for two-business-day, $250 for same-day, and $1,000 for one-hour in-person service, on top of the base fee. Standard processing has no extra charge.

How much does it cost to reserve a Georgia LLC name?

$25 online or $35 by mail, holding the name for 30 days. Reservation is optional.

Sources

Georgia.gov - Register an LLC with the Georgia Secretary of State ($100 online / $110 mail; expedite fees).
Georgia Secretary of State - How to File Annual Registration ($50 fee; Jan 1–Apr 1 window).
Georgia Secretary of State - How to Reserve a Name ($25 online / $35 mail; 30-day hold).
Georgia Secretary of State - Business Division FAQ (late fee; reinstatement; amendment).
Georgia Secretary of State - Georgia Business Forms (CD 030; CD 115 Amendment; CD 415 Termination).
Georgia Secretary of State - How to Guide: Register a Domestic Entity (processing times).
Georgia Department of Revenue - Register a New Business (Georgia Tax Center; free registration).
Georgia Department of Revenue - Business Taxes (sales and use tax).
Georgia Tax Center - Georgia Tax Center portal.
IRS - Get an Employer Identification Number (free EIN).
IRS - Limited Liability Company (LLC) (federal default classification).
Legal Information Institute - 26 CFR 301.7701-3 (entity classification election).

LegalGlass provides general information for educational purposes and is not a law firm or a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney or tax professional. Laws, fees, and thresholds change; verify current requirements with the Georgia Secretary of State and Georgia Department of Revenue before acting.