How Much Does an LLC Cost in Georgia

How Much Does an LLC Cost in Georgia?

A Georgia LLC costs $110 to form and $60 per year to keep active, per the Georgia Secretary of State Corporations Division fee schedule effective September 6, 2025. That is the mandatory state minimum. Realistic first-year cost lands higher once you add a registered agent service and a local occupational tax certificate.

One correction up front. Since September 6, 2025, Georgia charges the same fee online or by mail. The old “$100 online” discount is gone; both channels now carry a $10 service charge. Most third-party sites still quote the outdated split.

For a national view of formation costs, see Commenda’s LLC filing fees by state guide.

What Is the Georgia LLC Filing Fee for Articles of Organization?

The Georgia Secretary of State charges $110 to file Articles of Organization, per its fee schedule effective September 6, 2025. That total is a $100 base fee plus a $10 service charge, and it is identical online through eCorp or by mail. There is no cheaper online-only rate anymore.

Online filings accept credit card, debit card, or eCheck. Paper filings require a check or money order payable to the Georgia Secretary of State. Once you file, the Georgia LLC formation guide walks through the next steps.

Does Georgia Offer Expedited Processing?

Yes. Georgia offers three expedited tiers on top of the base filing fee, per the Secretary of State’s expedited processing schedule. Standard online filings usually process within a few business days at no extra charge, so most founders skip expediting.

How Much Is the Georgia LLC Annual Registration Fee?

The Georgia annual registration fee is $60 per year, a $50 base fee plus a $10 service charge, the same online or by mail. It is due by April 1 each year, and the filing window opens January 1, per the Georgia Secretary of State. This is the recurring cost first-timers miss most often.

A detail competitors skip: Georgia lets you prepay for one, two, or three consecutive years in a single eCorp filing. Bundling ahead means one less deadline to track. Commenda’s compliance calendar can flag the date so nothing lapses.

Miss April 1 and Georgia adds a flat $25 penalty. Keep ignoring it and the state administratively dissolves the LLC after the grace period ends July 1. Reinstatement then costs $260 and must be filed within five years of dissolution.

Do I Need a Registered Agent in Georgia and What Does It Cost?

Yes. Every Georgia LLC must maintain a registered agent with a physical Georgia street address, no P.O. boxes, available during business hours, under O.C.G.A. § 14-11-209. You can serve as your own agent for $0 or hire a professional service, which typically costs $100–$300 per year.

The free option has a non-monetary cost. Your street address goes on the public record, and you must be reliably available during business hours to accept legal service. Many founders outsource to keep their home address private.

How Much Does an EIN Cost for a Georgia LLC?

An Employer Identification Number (EIN) is free directly from the IRS, issued immediately online. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) never charges for it. Be cautious of third-party services that charge $50–$300 for this free government filing.

Multi-member LLCs and any LLC with employees need an EIN. Most single-member LLCs get one too, to open a business bank account without exposing a Social Security number.

How Much Does a Georgia LLC Name Reservation Cost?

Name reservation is optional and costs $35, a $25 base fee plus a $10 service charge, for a 30-day hold, per the Georgia Secretary of State fee schedule. You can skip it entirely and file your Articles of Organization directly if the name is available.

Check availability before you file with Commenda’s company name checker. Reserving only makes sense if you need weeks to prepare and want to lock the name in the meantime.

How Much Does an Operating Agreement Cost in Georgia?

An operating agreement costs $0 in state fees. Georgia does not require one, and you never file it with the state, so cost depends on how you produce it: a free DIY template ($0), an online legal service (roughly $0–$200), or an attorney draft (several hundred to $1,000+).

Multi-member LLCs should have one regardless of price. It defines ownership, voting, and profit-sharing, and prevents member disputes when money is on the line. Single-member LLCs benefit too, for banking and clean liability separation from the owner.

How Much Does a DBA Cost in Georgia?

A Georgia trade name (DBA, for “doing business as”) is filed with the county Clerk of Superior Court, not the state, and real all-in cost commonly runs $150–$170+. Georgia requires publishing the trade name in the county’s legal-organ newspaper, so the publication charge, not the filing fee, drives most of the cost.

Fees differ by county because each Clerk of Superior Court sets its own filing fee, and legal-organ newspaper rates vary too. You only need a DBA if you operate under a name different from the LLC’s registered legal name. Check your county Clerk of Superior Court schedule for the exact filing fee and its designated legal organ for the publication rate.

What Does a Georgia Business License Cost?

Georgia has no general statewide business license, but nearly every business needs a local occupational tax certificate from its city or county. Costs vary widely, commonly from $10 to over $1,000, driven by jurisdiction, business type, gross receipts, and employee headcount. This is a real budgeting line, not a state LLC fee.

Georgia’s First Stop Business Information Center, run by the Secretary of State, helps identify the licenses your location and industry require. Commenda’s Georgia business registration guide covers the steps beyond formation.

What Are Professional Licensing Fees in Georgia?

Regulated professions need a license from the relevant Georgia board before operating. Real estate, contracting, cosmetology, healthcare, legal, and food service all qualify. Fees vary by board, with renewal every one to two years plus continuing education as ongoing costs. Confirm the current amount with your specific licensing board.

Most of these licenses run through the Georgia Professional Licensing Boards, administered by the Secretary of State, or through separate state agencies. Budget for both the initial fee and the recurring renewal, since the ongoing cost often exceeds the first-year fee over time.

What Are the Hidden Fees When Forming an LLC in Georgia?

The costs first-timers miss are recurring or conditional, not the headline filing fee. The recurring $50-plus annual registration tops the list, followed by the DBA newspaper publication requirement and the local occupational tax certificate. EIN upsells and the public-record tradeoff of self-serving as registered agent round it out.

• Annual registration: $60/year, plus a $25 late penalty and administrative dissolution risk if ignored.
• DBA newspaper publication: pushes trade-name cost to roughly $150–$170+ in many counties.
• Local occupational tax certificate: $10 to $1,000+, nearly universal, easy to overlook.
• EIN upsells: $50–$300 charged by third parties for a free IRS filing.
• Registered agent renewal: $100–$300 every year if outsourced.

What’s the Cheapest Way to Form an LLC in Georgia?

The cheapest way is to file the Articles of Organization yourself online for $110, get your EIN free from the IRS, act as your own registered agent, and use a free operating agreement template. That makes the $110 state filing fee your only mandatory startup cost, plus the $60 annual registration each following year.

Formation-service pricing varies by provider and often renews higher than the intro price, so confirm current published rates before you commit.

Does Georgia Charge a Franchise Tax on LLCs?

No. Georgia imposes no franchise tax on LLCs. LLCs are pass-through entities by default, so members pay Georgia income tax on their share of profits. Sales tax, employment taxes, and business personal property tax apply based on your activity, not on simply existing as an entity.

The Georgia Department of Revenue is the primary source for state tax obligations. This absence of a franchise tax is a big reason Georgia’s ongoing cost stays low next to states like California.

What Does Foreign LLC Registration Cost in Georgia?

An out-of-state LLC doing business in Georgia registers as a foreign LLC for $235, a $225 base fee plus a $10 service charge, per the Georgia Secretary of State fee schedule. The old “$30 online” figure floating around competitor content is wrong. Foreign LLCs also appoint a Georgia registered agent and file the same $60 annual registration.

If you are relocating rather than expanding, see Commenda’s guide on how to move your LLC or corporation to another state.

What Other Georgia Secretary of State Fees Might You Pay?

Beyond formation, the Georgia Secretary of State charges small fees for optional documents you may need for banking, financing, or restructuring. All three below come from the current Corporations Division fee schedule.

How Does Georgia’s LLC Cost Compare to Other States?

Georgia’s $110 filing fee and $60 annual registration sit at the low end nationally, with no franchise tax to inflate the recurring bill. States like California add a flat $800 annual tax, which dwarfs Georgia’s yearly cost.

For a full ranking, see Commenda’s guide to the best state to start an LLC, or compare directly with how much an LLC costs in Florida.

How Commenda Helps You Form Your Georgia LLC

Commenda’s incorporation service handles your Georgia LLC end to end: the Articles of Organization filing, registered agent, EIN application, operating agreement templates, and annual registration reminders so nothing lapses into administrative dissolution. You get one flat, all-in cost instead of piecing together filings and deadlines yourself.

For deeper reference, see Commenda’s US LLC registration guide and the EIN for LLC page. Both stay current with federal and state requirements.

Book a demo and get a flat, all-in quote for your Georgia LLC formation.