How to Get a Registered Agent in Georgia

Georgia requires all corporations and limited liability companies that do business in the state to have a registered agent. This individual or entity plays a crucial role in receiving legal documents and notifications from the state.

This guide explores a Georgia registered agent’s requirements and role. We also examine why using a third-party agent is often the best choice. Finally, we explain how to elect a registered agent when forming your business.

Key Takeaways

• Under Georgia law, companies are not allowed to act as their own registered agents.

• Leveraging a registered agent service offers key benefits that make running your business easier, including increased privacy, access to expertise, control over your business hours, and more.

• Changing your Georgia registered agent is as simple as updating your company’s annual registration via the Georgia eCorp website.

What Is a Registered Agent?

The Georgia Secretary of State’s website states that a Georgia registered agent acts as a type of mailbox for a Georgia LLC or corporation.[1]

In other words, the people or entities that business owners elect as their registered agents receive service of process, notifications, and other legal documents on behalf of your business.

Whether you have a small business or a national corporation, you must have a registered agent. If you have no agent, your business falls out of good standing with the state, and you can no longer do business in Georgia. 

Registered Agent Responsibilities

A Georgia registered agent has several core responsibilities they must meet on behalf of your business, including:

• Having a physical address registered with the Georgia Secretary of State to receive mail

• Making themselves available during regular business hours to receive mail

• Receiving, processing, and forwarding important documents to the business they represent

• Providing consent for their address to go on the public record

Choosing Your Georgia Registered Agent

Selecting a registered agent in Georgia is often tricky, especially for a new business owner. You require a deeper understanding of what a registered agent does before you can make your choice.

Georgia Registered Agent Requirements

There are several basic requirements a Georgia registered agent must meet, regardless of the business type for which they act as an agent.

The agent must have a registered office and be in good standing with the state. A Georgia business must pay state fees and name its registered agent on its formation documents before conducting business there.

Your agent must also meet the specific needs of your business type.

Limited Liability Company

The registered agent for a limited liability company (LLC) can be any of the following:

• Any individual resident of the state, as long as that individual doesn’t own your business

• A domestic LLC or corporation that has a certificate of authority to transact in Georgia

• A foreign LLC or corporation with a certificate of authority to transact in the state

These rules also apply to any foreign LLC that wishes to operate in Georgia.[2]

Profit and Nonprofit Corporations

An entity may act as a registered agent in Georgia for a corporation or nonprofit if 

• they’re an individual or business entity residing in Georgia 

• a domestic or foreign LLC, 

• profit corporation, or 

• nonprofit authorized to conduct business in Georgia.

Can I Be My Own Georgia Registered Agent?

Georgia has clear rules on acting as your own registered agent in the state:

You can’t do it.

Georgia doesn’t allow any company to serve as its own registered agent, regardless of its standing with the state.

However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There are several downsides to acting as your own registered agent that makes working with a third party preferable:

• 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 a lot of junk mail to find important documents

• Your time is split between your business and your responsibilities as a registered agent

Benefits of a Third-party Registered Agent

Since the state doesn’t allow business owners to serve as their own registered agents, they must work with a Georgia registered agent service or a similar third party.

Though this may seem restrictive, there are several benefits to working with an outside company when you need a registered agent.

Benefit #1 — You Create a Crucial Barrier

When you have a third-party registered agent, you build a barrier between your business and other entities.

Why is that useful?

Imagine working from home, sometimes even inviting clients into your property. When acting as your own registered agent, you have to take receipt of any essential documents addressed to your business. In addition to being distracting, this responsibility could force you to accept sensitive documents on your doorstep.

What if clients or your neighbors witness you receiving them?

The same applies to more traditional types of businesses. Only now, you may receive sensitive documents in front of clients and your employees. Gossip could run rampant, creating distractions in the office.

Using a third-party registered agent creates separation between your business and any entity that wishes to make contact.

Benefit #2 — More Privacy

Your address goes on the public record when you elect yourself as your registered agent. This action ensures that relevant business entities and the Georgia Secretary of State know how to contact you.

However, being on the public record creates a problem.

Anybody in the state can access your registered address. The result is an influx of junk mail that may obscure the critical documents you need to track.

Having a third-party agent ensures privacy because it keeps your address off the public record.

Benefit #3 — You Remain in Good Standing

Several issues come with falling out of good standing with the state of Georgia.

You’re usually stopped from transacting business in the state, essentially shutting your company down. You may also face fines and penalties from the state. You can’t start a lawsuit against any other entity if you’re not in good standing.

These issues won’t matter if you have a registered agent with a registered address. But what if you change your address and forget to inform the state? You lose your good standing, creating many problems for your organization.

When you work with a third party, you don’t have to worry about issues of good standing. Your Georgia registered agent service maintains a consistent address, so changes aren’t an issue. Even in the rare cases when the service changes its address, it knows to register that change with the state, so its decision doesn’t affect your business.

Benefit #4 — Accessing Expertise

What do you do when you receive a service of process? What if the state requests your annual report or you receive a complex legal document?

You must have the answers to these questions when serving as your own registered agent. You must have the required knowledge to avoid mistakes that cause compliance issues.

Those compliance issues aren’t a problem when working with a third-party agent. In addition to acting as your point of contact, your agent can advise you on what steps to take when you receive important documents.

Benefit #5 — You Control Your Business Hours

Let’s imagine you operate a nightclub.

Naturally, your business is closed during the day because it operates at night. That creates a problem if you’re acting as your own registered agent. Due to the requirement to keep regular business hours, you’d need to use a different address, such as your home, as your registered office. Alternatively, you must change your business hours to meet the requirements.

Neither is an attractive solution.

With a third-party registered agent, you don’t have to worry about making yourself available. You can maintain your preferred business hours while your registered agent operates separate, regular business hours on your behalf.

Electing a Georgia Registered Agent

Any Georgia business elects its registered agent on its formation documents. However, these documents differ depending on your company’s structure. For example, a Georgia LLC submits different documents than a Georgia corporation. State fees also vary depending on your business type.

However, there are some commonalities regardless of business structure.

You can deliver your formation documents via mail or in-person to the following address:

Office of Secretary of State

Georgia Corporations Division

2 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SE

Suite 313 West Tower

Atlanta, GA 30334

If you prefer to file your formation documents online, you can do so via the Georgia eCorp website. You must create an online account before submitting your documents.

Electing a Registered Agent for a Georgia LLC

You must complete two forms when electing a registered agent for LLC businesses.

First comes the LLC Articles of Organization form, which all LLCs must submit.[3] After completing that form, move on to the Transmittal Information Form CD 231: Georgia LLC form. Complete Section 4 of this form to elect your registered agent.

You can submit both forms in person, via mail, or online. Filing fees vary, as you’ll pay $100 when submitting online and $110 if you submit by mail.

Electing a Registered Agent for a Georgia Corporation

Again, you have two forms to complete when electing a Georgia registered agent for a corporation.

Start with the Articles of Incorporation form, where you provide the main details of your business.[4] Then, complete the Transmittal Information Form CD 227: Georgia Corporation form to elect your agent. The agent’s name and contact information go into Section 3 of this second form.

The state fees for submitting these forms are $110 via mail and $100 when submitted online.

Electing a Registered Agent for Your Georgia Nonprofit

In addition to completing Section 3 of the Transmittal Information Form CD 227: Georgia Corporation form, you must complete the Nonprofit Articles of Incorporation form.

Filing fees are the same for a nonprofit as for any other business. As a result, you pay $100 when filing online and $110 if you mail your forms.

Changing a Georgia Registered Agent

Thankfully, changing a Georgia registered agent is simpler than electing one. Whether you have a Georgia LLC, corporation, or nonprofit, you can select a new agent by updating your company’s annual registration via the Georgia eCorp website.

Suppose you prefer to send a physical document. In that case, you can do so by printing the online annual registration and sending it to the following address:

Office of Georgia Secretary of State

Georgia Corporations Division

2 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SE

Suite 313 West Tower

Atlanta, GA 30334

FAQs

Who can be a Georgia registered agent?

Almost any individual or business entity can serve as a registered agent if they live in the state or are authorized to transact in Georgia. However, your business can’t serve as its own registered agent in Georgia.

How much does a registered agent in Georgia cost?

A third-party registered agent may cost between $100 and $300, depending on the level of service they provide. Swyft Filings’ registered agent service starts quarterly at $99 + state fees.

How can I change my registered agent in Georgia?

You can change your registered agent in Georgia via your company’s annual registration on the Georgia eCorp website.

How can I find a registered agent in Georgia?

You can use the Georgia Corporations Division’s Business Search database to find a Georgia registered agent.

What is a Georgia registered office?

A registered office is your registered agent’s physical street address. This address can’t be a P.O. box or mailing service.

What’s the difference between a registered agent and a resident agent or statutory agent?

The three terms are often used as synonyms, meaning they can all refer to a registered agent. Sometimes, a resident agent can also represent a property despite not owning it themselves.

What is a registered agent service?

A registered agent service is a third party that fulfills the registered agent requirements on behalf of the business. Swyft Filings offers a reliable registered agent service that maintains your privacy, provides immediate access to vital documents, and gives you more time to focus on your business.

Bibliography

1. Georgia Secretary of State. “Business Division FAQ.” Accessed on December 13, 2022.

2. Georgia Secretary of State. “Business Division FAQ.” Accessed on December 13, 2022.

3. Georgia Secretary of State. “Instructions for completing Form CD 030.” Accessed on December 13, 2022.

4. Georgia Secretary of State. “Filing Procedures for Forming a Georgia Corporation.” Accessed on December 13, 2022.