Forming an LLC in Georgia (2026): 7 Procedures and the 3 Best LLC Services
Georgia Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and GA Registered Agent.org ($199) measured best, in that order, for forming an LLC in Georgia in 2026. Forming the LLC requires 7 procedures and $110 paid to the state, followed by the annual registration every year.
The Georgia formation document, its price and its destination
What the agent rule says
The recurring state filing
Which services measured best and why
Best reading
The Georgia results
Measured on the method page: three-year cost (36%), procedures performed (28%), renewal, fit with Georgia's protocol and price legibility.
Highest result
1. Georgia Registered Agent.co: best for owners who remain in Georgia
$199 in year one, $99 later
Top of the Georgia readings is Georgia Registered Agent.co: the Georgia formation measures $199 with the agent covered in year one, and the agent renewal reads $99.
Mainstay Filing measures higher across three years, which puts this service first.
The price excludes the annual registration, which the owner files every year.
What the price performs
Filing with the state
Agent service for the first year
Measured strengths
$199 plus the state fee
The first agent year is included
$99 a year afterward
Measured limits
The annual registration filing is not part of the price
2. Mainstay Filing: best for a first year with minimal work
$199/yr plus the $110 state fee
Mainstay Filing is an acceptable second choice: one annual charge of $199 replaces three separate purchases: the filing, the registered agent and the annual registration.
Georgia Registered Agent.co measures $200 lower over three years, which keeps this service out of first place.
Each annual registration is filed by the service; the only addition is the state's $60.
What the price performs
Formation filing
Registered agent for the full year
Annual registration filed on schedule
EIN application included
State fee at cost
Measured strengths
One annual price of $199, including the annual registration
It prepares the EIN application
$199 at renewal
Measured limits
A yearly premium of $100 over Georgia Registered Agent.co
Prices are recorded from each company's own site on November 13, 2026. The state fee ($110) is not counted.
The sheet, procedure by procedure
Procedure1
Procedure 1: Settle on a name
the Georgia Secretary of State keeps the register. Search it first, since a taken name in Georgia can send the filing back.
TipA runner-up name avoids a repeat search.
Procedure2
Procedure 2: Place a registered agent on record
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A Georgia resident, a Georgia corporation or LLC, or a corporation or LLC from another state with authority to do business in Georgia. An entity cannot be its own agent.
The address has to be a Georgia street address that is also the agent's business office, and the agent has to be located there. A P.O. box or mail drop cannot be used.
TipAny ranked service can be engaged for this procedure.
Specimen: Specimen: sos.ga.gov, logged October 2026
Procedure3
Procedure 3: Self-filing against a service
The owner can file for $110 or add $199 for a service. The ranked services appear above.
Procedure4
Procedure 4: Prepare the Articles of Organization
the Georgia Secretary of State forms the LLC once it accepts the Articles of Organization (Form CD 030) with $110, under O.C.G.A. § 14-11-203.
Specimen: Specimen: sos.ga.gov, logged October 2026
Procedure5
Procedure 5: Complete the EIN application
With Georgia's approval recorded, request an EIN so the LLC can open accounts in its own name. This procedure sits inside the Mainstay Filing package.
Procedure6
Procedure 6: Document the owners' agreement
The operating agreement records who owns the Georgia LLC and how decisions are made. It stays in the company records and is never sent to the state.
Procedure7
Procedure 7: Plan the second year
Log the annual registration: $60, every year, deadline April 1. The late penalty reads $25.
Specimen: Specimen: sos.ga.gov, logged October 2026
Costs, procedure by procedure
Line
Paid to
Amount
Filing fee
State
$110
Annual registration
State
$60 every year
Late filing penalty
State
$25
Help from a service
The engaged service
$199 up front
Three-year state total
State
$230
Filing fee plus two later reports plus any minimum tax gives the state's three-year total. The specimens below name the page behind each amount.
Why this order
moved ahead of on measured cost over three years, which counts for 36%.
Three years with Georgia Registered Agent.co total $397, which is $200 below Mainstay Filing.
Brief answers
How large is the Georgia state fee for a new LLC?
Georgia charges $110. A ranked service adds $199 in year one.
Which form creates the LLC?
The Articles of Organization (Form CD 030) is the instrument, and the Georgia Secretary of State receives it.
Is a registered agent required?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
What does Georgia require each year?
File the annual registration every year, paying $60; the deadline is April 1.
Can I form the LLC without a service?
Allowed. File alone for $110 and arrange a registered agent as well.
Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?
Georgia Registered Agent.co reads highest, Mainstay Filing and GA Registered Agent.org follow; Georgia Registered Agent.co leads on measured cost over three years.
To reproduce the Georgia Secretary of State fee schedule Rev. 8/2025 result, consult sos.ga.gov. Our observation of it is dated October 2026.
To reproduce the Georgia report due date result, consult law.justia.com. Our observation of it is dated August 2026.
To reproduce the Georgia Secretary of State Corporations Division fee schedule result, consult sos.ga.gov. Our observation of it is dated October 2026.
To reproduce the Georgia registered agent statute result, consult sos.ga.gov. Our observation of it is dated October 2026.
Recorded November 13, 2026 from the pricing page of Georgia Registered Agent.co
Recorded November 13, 2026 from the Georgia service page of Mainstay Filing
Recorded November 13, 2026 from the pricing page of GA Registered Agent.org