Select a registered agent for your business entity. The registered agent is the person or entity designated to receive any service of process, documents, or other official communication on behalf of the business. A registered agent must be located in Georgia.

• Name of the corporation or a valid name reservation number
• Name and address of the person filing for the corporation
• A valid email address
• Mailing address of the principal office
• Name and address of the registered agent
• Name and address of each CEO, CFO, and Secretary
• An ORIGINAL certificate of existence or good standing, not more than 90 days old, certified by the home state or country. (Certificate from home state may not be more than 90 days old; copy of articles of incorporation from home state should NOT be submitted.)
• A form of payment. Depending on how you apply, your form of payment will be one of the following: credit card, (MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover Cards), check, cashier’s check, or money order.

You can register a foreign corporation online or by mail. Applications can be expedited for additional fees. Each registration method has different processing times and expedite options.

Register online – Application for certificate of authority is electronically generated.

Register by mail – Paper application must be completed and mailed in. There is an additional $10 service charge for filing in paper format.

This is the quickest and easiest filing method.

The filer may simply fill in the required business information and the application for certificate of authority will be electronically generated when the filing is approved. You do not have to upload a paper application for certificate of authority form.

1. Visit the Secretary of State’s online services page.
2. Create a user account.
3. Select “create or register a business”. 
4. Select “I am registering a foreign (non-Georgia) business…” then select your foreign entity type from the list of options.
5. Fill out the required information about your business entity.
6. Pay the $225 filing fee by approved credit card: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover. Expedite filing options are available for an additional fee. All fees are non-refundable.

Processing Time: Varies based on office workload; online filings are generally processed in approximately 7 business days. Processing in 2 business days costs an additional $100; Processing in the same business day (if submitted before noon on a business day) costs an additional $250. All fees are non-refundable.

1. Download the associated paper application for certificate of authority form for your type of corporation:

• Certificate of Authority for Profit or Nonprofit Corporation (CD 236)
• Certificate of Authority for Professional Corporation (CD 238)
• Certificate of Authority for Benefit Corporation (CD 239)

2. Mail the completed Application for Certificate of Authority and $235 filing fee ($225 + $10 paper filing service charge) by check or money order to:

Office of Secretary of State
Corporations Division
2 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SE
Suite 313 West Tower
Atlanta, Georgia 30334

Processing Time
Varies based on office workload; paper filings are generally processed in approximately 15 business days from date of receipt by the Corporations Division. Processing in 2 business days costs an additional $100; Processing in the same business day (if submitted before noon on a business day) costs an additional $250. Processing in one hour costs an additional $1,000. All fees are non-refundable.

Once your filing is reviewed and approved, a Certificate of Authority will be issued for your entity.

Each year following the initial certificate of authority filing, you must file an annual registration for your entity between January 1 and April 1. An entity that does not file its annual registration is subject to revocation of the certificate of authority. 

A foreign entity whose certificate of authority has been revoked must re-qualify to do business in Georgia by submitting a new application and fee for certificate of authority.

It is important to note that registering with the Georgia Secretary of State is not the only step you will need to take before you can start doing business in the State of Georgia.

Select a registered agent for your company. The registered agent is the person or entity designated to receive any service of process, documents, or other official communication on behalf of the business. A registered agent must be located in Georgia.

• Name of the LP or a valid name reservation number
• Name and address of the person filing for the LLP
• A valid email address
• Mailing address of the principal office
• Name and address of the registered agent
• Name and address of the managing partner
• A form of payment. Depending on how you apply, your form of payment will be one of the following: credit card, check, cashier’s check, or money order.

You can register a foreign LLP online or by mail. Applications can be expedited for additional fees. Each registration method has different processing times and expedite options.

Register online – Application for certificate of authority is electronically generated.

Register by mail – Paper application must be completed and mailed in. There is an additional $10 service charge for filing in paper format.

This is the quickest and easiest filing method.

The filer may simply fill in the required business information and the application for certificate of authority will be electronically generated when the filing is approved. You do not have to upload a paper application for certificate of authority form.

1. Visit the Secretary of State’s online services page.
2. Create a user account.
3. Select “create or register a business”. 
4. Select “I am registering a foreign (non-Georgia) business…” then select your foreign entity type from the list of options.
5. Fill out the required information about your business entity.
6. Pay the $200 filing fee by approved credit card: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover. Expedite filing options are available for an additional fee. All fees are non-refundable.

Processing Time: Varies based on office workload; online filings are generally processed in approximately 7 business days. Processing in 2 business days costs an additional $100; Processing in the same business day (if submitted before noon on a business day) costs an additional $250. All fees are non-refundable.

1. Download and fill out the Application for Certificate of Authority (CD2000)
2. Mail the completed Application for Authority and $210 filing fee ($200 + $10 paper filing service charge) by check or money order to:

Office of Secretary of State
Corporations Division
2 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SE
Suite 313 West Tower
Atlanta, Georgia 30334

Processing Time:
Varies based on office workload; paper filings are generally processed in approximately 15 business days from date of receipt by the Corporations Division. Processing in 2 business days costs an additional $100; Processing in the same business day (if submitted before noon on a business day) costs an additional $250. Processing in one hour costs an additional $1,000. All fees are non-refundable.

Once your filing is reviewed and approved, a Certificate of Authority will be issued for your entity.

Each year following the initial certificate of authority filing, you must file an annual registration for your entity between January 1 and April 1. An entity that does not file its annual registration is subject to revocation of the certificate of authority. 

A foreign entity whose certificate of authority has been revoked must re-qualify to do business in Georgia by submitting a new application and fee for certificate of authority.

It is important to note that registering with the Georgia Secretary of State is not the only step you will need to take before you can start doing business in the State of Georgia.