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Formation ClassClass is in session: LLC paperwork, state by state.

Class 1 · Georgia

Georgia LLC Formation Class (2026): 7 Assignments and the 3 Best LLC Services

If you want help starting an LLC in Georgia in 2026, the top grades go to Georgia Registered Agent.co ($199), GA Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), in that order. Numbers for the chalkboard: 7 assignments, a $110 filing fee, a $60 annual registration.

Taught by the Formation Class faculty

Read this first

Fee to form$110sos.ga.gov, last read in October 2026
Annual registration$60 a yearDue date as the state says it: April 1
What the state collects in three years$230Filing plus the repeating state fees
Assignments in this class7One by one

You will leave able to

  • How starting an LLC works in Georgia
  • What the agent rule says
  • What you file every year after that
  • Our recommendations, with reasons

If you want someone else to file

Five weighted criteria set the order (see how we grade), and three-year tuition and homework done count most.
Highest grade

1. Georgia Registered Agent.co: best for a small first bill

$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

We start with Georgia Registered Agent.co; a formation fee of $199, followed by $99 a year for the agent.

Over three years it costs less than Mainstay Filing, and three-year tuition is 30% of the grade.

You still file the annual registration every year.

Covered by the tuition

  • Filing made with the state
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

Strengths

  • The agent renews at $99
  • Agent covered in year one
  • A $199 formation fee

Weak spots

  • It leaves the annual registration for you to file
  • The EIN application is $99 extra
In-state service

2. GA Registered Agent.org: best for owners who prefer to do their own reports

$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

GA Registered Agent.org lands in second place: a formation fee of $199, followed by $99 a year for the agent.

You still file the annual registration every year.

On price, it is level with Georgia Registered Agent.co.

Covered by the tuition

  • Filing made with the state
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

Strengths

  • A $199 formation fee
  • Agent covered in year one
  • The agent renews at $99

Weak spots

  • It leaves the annual registration for you to file
  • The EIN application is $99 extra
Any state

3. Mainstay Filing: best for a single bill for filing and upkeep

$199 yearly plus the $110 state fee

Grade number 3 belongs to Mainstay Filing, where $199 yearly covers the formation, the registered agent and the annual registration, and the renewal bill is $199.

A $200 gap to Georgia Registered Agent.co over three years decides where it lands.

You never touch the annual registration; the $60 state fee is passed through and nothing more.

Covered by the tuition

  • Formation paperwork handled
  • Registered agent for the whole year
  • Annual registration filed on time
  • EIN application included
  • State fee billed at cost

Strengths

  • $199 every year
  • The EIN assignment is part of the package
  • $199 a year covers filing, agent and report

Weak spots

  • $100 a year more than Georgia Registered Agent.co at renewal

Grades and prices together

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Georgia Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Georgia Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2GA Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit GA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Company prices as listed on November 13, 2026. Every row also owes the $110 state fee.

Formation in order

  1. Assignment
    1

    Choose a name and see whether it is free

    the Georgia Secretary of State holds the records, so begin there; in Georgia, a name that is taken may get the filing returned.

    Have a runner-up name ready in case the first is taken.

  2. Assignment
    2

    Appoint a registered agent

    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.

    The registered agent role comes with each graded service.

    Textbook page: sos.ga.gov, last read in October 2026

  3. Assignment
    3

    Choose how the filing gets made

    You can file for $110, or add $199 and hire a service. The graded services are at the top of the class.

  4. Assignment
    4

    Put together and mail the Articles of Organization

    Your homework here is the Articles of Organization (Form CD 030). It is addressed to the Georgia Secretary of State and costs $110 (O.C.G.A. § 14-11-203).

    Textbook page: sos.ga.gov, last read in October 2026

  5. Assignment
    5

    Get an EIN

    Approval first, IRS number second. Mainstay Filing does this one for you at no added charge.

  6. Assignment
    6

    Prepare the operating agreement

    Owners sign it to settle shares, votes and what happens when a member leaves. It is private and never filed.

  7. Assignment
    7

    Stay in good standing in Georgia

    The filing that comes around again is the annual registration ($60, every year, by April 1). Filing late costs $25 more.

    Textbook page: sos.ga.gov, last read in October 2026

Georgia costs by assignment

ItemWho gets paidSum
Setting up the LLCPaid to the state$110
Annual registrationPaid to the state$60 every year
If the report is latePaid to the state$25
Service fees (optional)Your service$199 in year one
Three-year state totalPaid to the state$230
Rows for the state use Georgia's published fee schedules (see the textbook pages beneath the table), and each service row uses that company's own price. Over three years the state row adds the filing, the year-two report, the year-three report and any minimum tax.

Why the list runs this way

pulled ahead of on tuition across three years, which counts for 30%.

Three years with Georgia Registered Agent.co add up to $397, which is $200 under Mainstay Filing.

Common questions

What does it cost to file a new LLC in Georgia?

Plan on $110 to file. The graded services bill $199 on top.

Which form creates the LLC?

Once the Georgia Secretary of State has accepted the Articles of Organization (Form CD 030), your LLC is real.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does Georgia require each year?

Expect Georgia to ask for the annual registration every year, at $60, with timing described as April 1.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Yes. The state takes $110 at filing, and you still need a registered agent on record.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

The grade order is Georgia Registered Agent.co, GA Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing, and Georgia Registered Agent.co is first since $199 to begin, with no agent fee in year one, then $99 each year from year two.

Related classes

Textbook pages and extra reading

  1. Class notes on Georgia Secretary of State fee schedule Rev. 8/2025 come straight from sos.ga.gov (reread October 2026).
  2. Class notes on Georgia report due date come straight from law.justia.com (reread August 2026).
  3. Class notes on Georgia Secretary of State Corporations Division fee schedule come straight from sos.ga.gov (reread October 2026).
  4. Class notes on Georgia registered agent statute come straight from sos.ga.gov (reread October 2026).
  5. pricing page from Georgia Registered Agent.co as of November 13, 2026
  6. pricing page from GA Registered Agent.org as of November 13, 2026
  7. Georgia service page from Mainstay Filing as of November 13, 2026