Georgia Registered Agent for Your LLC
Every Georgia LLC is required by law to have a registered agent with a physical address in the state. Learn what a registered agent does, who can serve, and how to appoint one.
Bizee Editorial Staff
Editorial Team
Georgia registered agent requirements at a glance
Filing fee: $100 (online) / $110 (paper)
Processing time: 7–10 business days (standard); 1–2 business days (expedited, additional fee)
State agency: Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division
Annual report due: April 1 each year (annual registration)
State tax rate: 5.39% flat corporate income tax rate (2024); LLCs taxed as pass-through by default
What a registered agent is and what they do
A registered agent is a person or business designated to receive official legal and government documents on behalf of your LLC. In Georgia, every LLC is required by law to maintain a registered agent with a physical street address in the state — a P.O. box does not qualify. The agent must be available during normal business hours to accept service of process, tax notices, and correspondence from the Georgia Secretary of State.
The registered agent's address is part of the public record filed with the Georgia Secretary of State. That's one reason many business owners choose a professional registered agent service rather than listing their home address on a public document.
- Accepts service of process — lawsuits, subpoenas, and other legal notices delivered to your LLC
- Receives official correspondence from the Georgia Secretary of State, including annual registration reminders
- Receives federal and state tax notices on behalf of your LLC
- Maintains a physical Georgia street address available during normal business hours
Who can serve as your registered agent in Georgia
Georgia law allows 3 types of registered agents: an individual Georgia resident, a Georgia-based business entity authorized to do business in the state, or a commercial registered agent service. The agent must have a physical street address in Georgia — not a P.O. box — and must be available during regular business hours.
You can serve as your own registered agent if you have a physical business address in Georgia. Most business owners who work from home or travel frequently find that a professional service is the more practical choice — your registered agent's address appears on public filings, and someone needs to be at that address during business hours every day your LLC is active.
How to appoint or change your registered agent
You appoint your registered agent when you file your Articles of Organization with the Georgia Secretary of State. The agent's name and Georgia street address are required fields on that form — you can't complete formation without them.
If you need to change your registered agent after formation, you file a Notice of Change of Registered Agent or Registered Office with the Georgia Secretary of State. The filing fee is $20 online. The change takes effect once the state processes the filing.
Risks of being your own registered agent
Serving as your own registered agent is allowed, but it comes with trade-offs that catch a lot of business owners off guard. The biggest one: your name and address become part of the public record. If your LLC is ever served with a lawsuit, that notice arrives at your listed address — which could be your home, and could arrive in front of clients or employees.
Plus, you need to be physically present at that address during all normal business hours, every business day. If you travel, work remotely, or move, you're on the hook for keeping that information current with the state. Missing a legal notice because you weren't available can mean a default judgment against your LLC before you even know a case was filed.
What happens if you don't have a registered agent
Georgia requires your LLC to have a registered agent at all times. If your registered agent resigns and you don't replace them, or if the agent's address becomes invalid, your LLC can fall out of good standing with the Georgia Secretary of State. An LLC that's not in good standing can lose the right to do business in Georgia and may be administratively dissolved.
Beyond the state-level consequences, a lapsed registered agent means legal notices may not reach you. If a lawsuit is filed against your LLC and service of process goes to an address where no one is available, the court can proceed without your response — and a default judgment means your LLC loses automatically.
How to search for a registered agent in Georgia
If you need to find the registered agent for another Georgia LLC — to serve legal documents or check a business's standing — you can search the Georgia Secretary of State's online business database at ecorp.sos.ga.gov. Search by business name or control number to pull up the entity's public filing, which includes the registered agent's name and address.
The database is free to use and reflects the most recent information on file. Keep in mind that the address shown is only as current as the last filing — if a business hasn't updated its registered agent information, the record may be outdated.
FAQ about Georgia registered agent requirements
Yes. Georgia law requires every LLC to maintain a registered agent with a physical street address in the state at all times. You must appoint one when you file your Articles of Organization, and your LLC must have one for as long as it remains active. There's no exception to this requirement.
Yes, but it's worth thinking through before you do. You can serve as your own registered agent if you have a physical street address in Georgia and can be there during normal business hours every business day. The trade-off is that your address becomes public record, and you're personally responsible for receiving any legal notices — including lawsuits — at that address.
You need to appoint a registered agent when you file your Articles of Organization with the Georgia Secretary of State. The agent's name and Georgia street address are required fields on the formation form. You can't complete your LLC filing without them.
Yes. Your registered agent must have a physical street address in Georgia — not a P.O. box. If you use a commercial registered agent service, they must be authorized to do business in Georgia and maintain a Georgia office address. An out-of-state address does not satisfy the requirement.
File a Notice of Change of Registered Agent or Registered Office with the Georgia Secretary of State. The filing fee is $20 online. The change takes effect once the state processes the form. You can file through the Georgia Secretary of State's online portal at ecorp.sos.ga.gov.
Your LLC can fall out of good standing with the Georgia Secretary of State and may be administratively dissolved. Beyond that, if legal notices can't reach your LLC because there's no valid registered agent on file, a court can proceed with a case against you without your response — and a default judgment means your LLC loses automatically.
Search the Georgia Secretary of State's online business database at ecorp.sos.ga.gov. Enter the business name or control number to pull up the entity's public filing, which includes the registered agent's name and address. The search is free.
