Who can serve as your Georgia registered agent, what it costs, and how to switch one if you need to, all explained plainly.
Georgia currently has more than 1.5 million active business entities on record with the Secretary of State, over three-quarters of them LLCs. [1]
The law requires every LLC and corporation formed in or doing business in the state to maintain a registered agent and registered office continuously. [2] It is one of the specific grounds for shutting a business down.
If a registered company goes 60 days without a valid registered agent or office on file, the Secretary of State can administratively dissolve your LLC or corporation outright.
Here is all that you need to know about hiring a registered agent in Georgia.
What Are the Georgia Registered Agent Requirements
Selecting a Georgia registered agent is an important decision for any business entity. Knowing the requirements makes choosing the right one easier.
Requirement | What It Means |
Residency or entity status | Must be an individual Georgia resident, or a domestic or foreign entity authorized to do business in the state |
Registered office | Must have a registered office on file with the Georgia Secretary of State |
Physical address | Must maintain a physical business address in Georgia that matches the registered office address (no P.O. boxes or mail drops) |
Consent | Must consent to their address appearing on the public record |
Ownership | May be an owner, member, or officer of the business; the entity itself just can't name itself as its own agent |
What Is a Registered Agent?
The Georgia Secretary of State describes a registered agent as essentially a dedicated mailbox for your limited liability company or corporation. [3] The person or entity you elect as your registered agent receives service of process, state notifications, and other legal documents on your business's behalf.
Every Georgia LLC or corporation must have a registered agent. Without one, your business falls out of good standing with the state and can no longer legally transact business in Georgia.
What Are the Responsibilities of a Registered Agent
A Georgia registered agent has several core responsibilities:
- Maintaining a physical Georgia address registered with the Secretary of State
- Being available during regular business hours to receive mail
- Receiving, processing, and forwarding important documents to the business they represent
- Keeping their address current on the public record
Georgia law does not allow a registered agent to use a P.O. box or mail drop. The agent must maintain a genuine street address in the state.
Can I Be My Own Georgia Registered Agent?
The business entity itself can't be its own registered agent; your LLC can't name itself. But an individual, including a business owner, member, or employee, as long as they're a Georgia resident with a physical Georgia address available during business hours. [2]
There are still real downsides to acting as your own registered agent:
- You must maintain a physical office address that operates during regular business hours
- Your street address becomes a matter of public record
- You must sift through junk mail to find important documents
- Your time is split between running your business and your responsibilities as an agent
DIY vs. Professional Registered Agent in Georgia
Feature | DIY | Professional Registered Agent |
Who qualifies | A Georgia resident, such as a business owner, member, or employee | A company authorized to do business in Georgia whose service is acting as a registered agent |
Address on public record | The individual's personal or business address | The service's business address, not yours |
Availability | Must personally be present during business hours to receive documents | Maintains a staffed office during business hours |
Added services | None | Mail forwarding, compliance deadline alerts, multi-state coverage |
Best for | Owners are comfortable managing compliance themselves and having their address made public | Businesses that want privacy, consistent availability, and compliance support |
What Are the Benefits of a Professional Registered Agent
Since Georgia doesn't allow a company to serve as its own registered agent, business owners choose between acting as the agent personally or working with a third-party service.
1. You Create a Crucial Barrier
A third-party registered agent creates separation between your business and anyone attempting to make contact, including process servers, so you're not accepting sensitive documents in front of clients or employees.
2. More Privacy
Electing yourself puts your address on the public record, which invites junk mail along with the documents you actually need. A third-party agent keeps your personal or business address off the public record.
3. You Remain in Good Standing
Falling out of good standing can stop you from transacting business or filing a lawsuit in Georgia. A registered agent service maintains a consistent address and handles any changes with the state on your behalf, so you don't risk losing good standing over an address update you forgot to file.
4. Access to Expertise
Knowing what to do with a service of process or a complex legal notice takes some know-how. A third-party agent can guide you on next steps instead of leaving you to figure it out alone.
5. You Control Your Business Hours
If your business doesn't keep standard daytime hours, a third-party agent maintains its own regular business hours on your behalf, so you don't have to rearrange your schedule or use your home address just to meet the requirement.
How to Set Up Your Georgia Registered Agent
Any Georgia business elects its registered agent on its formation documents. The exact forms differ depending on your business structure, and fees vary based on whether you file online or by mail.
You can deliver formation documents by mail or in person to:
Office of the Secretary of State
Georgia Corporations Division
2 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SE
Suite 313 West Tower
Atlanta, GA 30334
Or file online through the Georgia eCorp portal, which requires creating an account first.
Electing a Registered Agent for a Georgia LLC
Complete the LLC Articles of Organization form (CD 030), then the Transmittal Information Form CD 231, completing Section 4 to name your registered agent. [4] You can file in person, by mail, or online, with filing fees around $100 online and $110 by mail.
Electing a Registered Agent for a Georgia Corporation
Complete the articles of incorporation form, then the Transmittal Information Form CD 227, naming your agent in Section 3. [5] Filing fees run around $100 online and $110 by mail.
Electing a Registered Agent for a Georgia Nonprofit
Nonprofits complete the Nonprofit Articles of Incorporation form along with Section 3 of Transmittal Form CD 227, the same as a for-profit corporation, with fees around $100 online and $110 by mail.
Changing a Georgia Registered Agent
Georgia doesn't use a standalone change-of-agent form the way some states do. Instead, you update your registered agent by indicating the change on your company's annual registration filed through eCorp, per O.C.G.A. § 14-11-703. [6]
- File online through the Georgia eCorp One Click Annual Registration, which lets you update your registered agent as part of your regular annual filing. [7]
- Or file by mail by printing the Annual Registration form (CD 940) and sending it to the Corporations Division address above.
- If you need to change your agent mid-year, outside your normal annual registration window, file an Amended Annual Registration (CD 920) instead. [8]
- Pay the filing fee. A standard Annual Registration costs $60 ($50 plus a $10 service fee) and covers a registered agent change at no extra cost. An out-of-cycle Amended Annual Registration costs $30 ($20 plus a $10 service fee).
How Much Does a Georgia Registered Agent Cost?
A Georgia registered agent service typically costs around $600 per year, depending on the provider and included services. This is separate from your LLC or corporation formation fees and separate from your annual registration fee.
Pricing for registered agent services generally varies based on:
- Whether it's bundled with LLC or corporation formation, or purchased standalone
- Whether mail forwarding is included
- Additional compliance tracking services
Acting as your own registered agent costs nothing beyond your time, but as covered above, it comes with real tradeoffs around privacy and availability.
Ready to Choose Your Georgia Registered Agent?
Choose a trusted Georgia registered agent service that helps you stay compliant from day one. Swyft Filings protects your privacy, forwards official and legal documents to you on time, and helps keep your business in good standing, so you can focus on growing your business confidently.
Hire Your Georgia Registered Agent Now!
Bibliography
- Georgia Secretary of State. Georgia Corporations - Active Entities Report. Accessed July 13, 2026.
- Georgia General Assembly. "O.C.G.A. § 14-11-209: Registered Office and Registered Agent." Accessed July 13, 2026.
- Georgia Secretary of State. "Business Division FAQ." Accessed July 13, 2026.
- Georgia Secretary of State. "Articles of Organization for LLC (Form CD 030)." Accessed July 13, 2026.
- Georgia Secretary of State. "Filing Procedures for Forming a Georgia Corporation." Accessed July 13, 2026.
- Georgia General Assembly. "O.C.G.A. § 14-11-703: Registered Office and Registered Agent, Foreign LLC." Accessed July 13, 2026.
- Georgia Secretary of State. "eCorp One Click Annual Registration." Accessed July 13, 2026.
- Georgia Secretary of State. "Amended Annual Registration for LLC (Form CD 920)." Accessed July 13, 2026.
