The Georgia Corporation and LLC Annual Registration is the yearly filing every active business entity registered with the Georgia Secretary of State Corporations Division must submit to keep its legal status in good standing. The filing confirms or updates the entity’s principal office address, registered agent, registered office, officers, and contact information, and it must be filed between January 1 and April 1 each year.
Missing this deadline costs more than money. Entities that fail to file face a $25 late fee, and entities that go more than 60 days past due risk administrative dissolution or revocation of authority, which strips away the limited liability shield owners rely on. The Georgia Secretary of State processes more than 1.2 million annual registrations each year through its eCorp online filing portal, and the agency reports that roughly 8% of Georgia entities miss the April 1 deadline annually.
Here is what this guide covers:
- 📋 What the Annual Registration is, who must file it, and the exact statutes that require it
- 🗂️ Every document, ID, and piece of information to gather before you open the form
- ✍️ Line-by-line instructions for each field on both the One Click and Standard registration paths
- 💳 How to pay, how to file by mail or online, and what proof of filing to keep
- 🛟 How to fix mistakes, reinstate a dissolved entity, and avoid the 10 most common filing errors
What the Annual Registration Is and Who Must File It
The Georgia Annual Registration is a yearly status filing required under O.C.G.A. § 14-2-1622 for profit corporations, O.C.G.A. § 14-3-1622 for nonprofit corporations, and O.C.G.A. § 14-11-1103 for limited liability companies. The filing is not a tax return and it does not report income. It confirms that the entity still exists, names its current officers or members, lists its registered agent, and provides the address where the public and the state can serve legal process.
Every domestic Georgia corporation, LLC, limited partnership, and nonprofit must file. Foreign entities that hold a Certificate of Authority to transact business in Georgia must also file. Professional corporations, professional LLCs, benefit corporations, and series LLCs all use the same annual registration system. Sole proprietorships and general partnerships that never registered with the Secretary of State do not file because they are not registered entities to begin with.
The filing window opens on January 1 and closes on April 1. New entities formed in the prior calendar year still must file by April 1 of the next year, which means a corporation formed on December 15, 2025 has only until April 1, 2026 to file its first registration. Entities can also file for two or three years at once, paying the fee in advance and reducing the chance of missing a future deadline.
The current form revision used by the eCorp portal is dated January 2026. Always confirm the revision date in the upper corner of the PDF before printing a paper form, because the Corporations Division updates field names and fee schedules each January.
Before You Start: Documents and Information You Need
Gather everything below before you open the filing. Trying to find a control number or registered agent consent letter halfway through the form is the single biggest reason filings get abandoned and entities slip into late status.
- Business name and Control Number. The Control Number is the seven-digit ID the state assigned at formation. Without it you cannot use the One Click Annual Registration path, and you must search by entity name instead.
- Current principal office street address. This must be a physical street address inside or outside Georgia. The state rejects filings that list only a P.O. Box for the principal office.
- Registered agent’s full name and Georgia street address. The registered agent must have a physical Georgia address, called the registered office, and must consent to serve. A missing or invalid agent is the top reason for administrative dissolution.
- Names and addresses of all officers (corporations) or at least one member or manager (LLCs). Corporations must list the CEO, CFO, and Secretary. LLCs must list at least one member or manager.
- Email address for state correspondence. The state sends reminders, receipts, and dissolution warnings to this email, so use one that someone actually checks.
- NAICS code (recommended). Six-digit industry code from the U.S. Census NAICS lookup that helps the state classify your business.
- Payment method. Credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express) or ACH for online filing. Check or money order for paper filing, payable to Georgia Secretary of State.
- Filer’s contact information. Name, phone, and email of the person submitting the form, in case the state needs to ask a question.
If anything in this list is missing, pause and find it first. Filing with the wrong registered agent address or an outdated officer list creates a public record error that costs money and time to amend later.
Where to Get the Form and How to Access It
The fastest path is the eCorp Annual Registration portal, which lets you search by entity name or Control Number, prefill the prior year’s information, edit only what changed, and pay by card or ACH. The state strongly prefers online filing because it processes in real time, while paper filings can take 7 to 12 business days to post.
A paper version is available for filers who cannot file online. Download the Annual Registration Form (CD 100) directly from the Corporations Division. Print it on white 8.5 by 11 paper, complete it in black ink or type, sign it, and mail it with a check.
The Annual Registration with Changes path is for entities that need to change the registered agent, registered office, principal office, or officer information at the same time they file. This path costs the same as a standard annual registration and replaces the need for a separate amendment.
The Annual Registration with Amendment path is used when the entity is also changing its name or making other charter-level amendments. This costs more because it bundles the amendment fee with the registration fee.
Step-by-Step: How to Fill Out the Georgia Annual Registration Line by Line
This section walks every field on the eCorp online flow and the corresponding box on the paper CD 100 form. Each H3 covers what the field asks, how to fill it, an example entry, an edge case, a common mistake with its consequence, and a misconception to drop before you click.
Field 1: Business Search / Control Number
Plain English: The portal needs to find your entity, so it asks for either the entity’s seven-digit Control Number or its exact registered name.
How to answer it: Enter the seven-digit Control Number printed on your formation documents or the top of last year’s annual registration receipt. If you do not have it, click Search by Name and type the registered name exactly as it appears in state records.
Example entry: Maria Lopez searches 0123456 for her LLC, Lopez Family Holdings LLC, and the portal returns the match in under a second.
Edge case: If your entity has a common name like Atlanta Holdings LLC, the search may return multiple results. Use the City and Entity Type filters to narrow it down and avoid filing under the wrong entity.
Common mistake and consequence: Filers sometimes pick the wrong matching entity from the search results and pay the fee for a business they do not own. The state will not refund the fee, and you must then file again under the correct entity.
Misconception: Many filers believe the Control Number is the same as the EIN. It is not. The EIN is a federal tax number issued by the IRS, while the Control Number is a state ID issued by the Georgia Secretary of State.
Field 2: Entity Name Confirmation
Plain English: The portal shows the registered legal name of the entity and asks you to confirm it is correct.
How to answer it: Read the name on screen and confirm it matches your formation documents, including capitalization, punctuation, and the entity designator like LLC, L.L.C., Inc., or Corp.
Example entry: Marcus Reed sees Reed Construction Services, LLC on screen and clicks Confirm because it matches his Articles of Organization.
Edge case: If the name on screen is misspelled or out of date, do not file a standard annual registration. Use the Annual Registration with Amendment path to fix the name at the same time.
Common mistake and consequence: Filers confirm a slightly wrong name without noticing, and the public record continues to show the error. Banks, lenders, and courts use this exact spelling, so a mismatch can delay loans or invalidate contracts.
Misconception: Some filers think they can change the name in this box by typing over it. The annual registration cannot change the legal name. A name change requires a separate amendment filing.
Field 3: Year(s) of Registration
Plain English: Choose whether to file for one, two, or three years at once.
How to answer it: Click the dropdown and select 1, 2, or 3. The fee multiplies by the number of years, but you skip future deadlines for the chosen period.
Example entry: Janet Pham selects 3 Years for her solo law practice, Pham Legal LLC, and pays $150 instead of $50 each year for three years.
Edge case: If the entity is brand new and just formed in the prior calendar year, only the one-year option may appear until the first registration posts.
Common mistake and consequence: Filers pick three years and then dissolve the entity in year two, losing the prepaid fees. The state does not refund unused years.
Misconception: Multi-year filings do not lock in the current fee. If the state raises fees in a future year, your prepaid years are still covered, but new entities and renewals at that time will pay the new amount.
Field 4: NAICS Code
Plain English: The North American Industry Classification System code that best describes what your business does.
How to answer it: Look up your code at the NAICS search tool and enter the full six digits. If the prior year’s code is still correct, leave it as is.
Example entry: Aisha Brown runs a hair salon and enters 812112 for Beauty Salons.
Edge case: If your business has two equally large lines of work, pick the code for the larger revenue source. The state only accepts one code.
Common mistake and consequence: Filers leave the NAICS field blank or pick a generic code like 999999. This does not stop the filing but can flag your entity for misclassification by other state agencies, including the Department of Labor and Department of Revenue.
Misconception: Some filers think the NAICS code controls how they are taxed. It does not. Taxation is set by entity type and IRS election, not the NAICS code on the annual registration.
Field 5: Principal Office Address
Plain English: The main physical address where the business operates or keeps its records.
How to answer it: Enter the full street address, suite or unit number, city, state, and ZIP code. This can be inside or outside Georgia, but it must be a real street address.
Example entry: Carlos Mendoza enters 1450 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30309 for his consulting LLC.
Edge case: Home-based businesses can use the owner’s home address. If privacy is a concern, use a commercial mail receiving agency address that meets USPS Form 1583 requirements, but not a plain P.O. Box.
Common mistake and consequence: Filers enter a P.O. Box and the eCorp system rejects the submission, forcing them to redo the form. If the form somehow posts with a P.O. Box, the state may issue a deficiency notice.
Misconception: Filers think the principal office must be in Georgia. It does not have to be. Georgia LLCs and corporations can have a principal office in any state or country, as long as the registered office is in Georgia.
Field 6: Registered Agent Name
Plain English: The person or company authorized to receive lawsuits and official mail on behalf of your entity.
How to answer it: Type the full legal name of the agent. If the agent is an individual, use their full name. If the agent is a company, use the company’s exact registered name.
Example entry: Reed Construction Services, LLC lists Marcus Reed as its registered agent.
Edge case: If your prior agent resigned or moved out of Georgia, you must name a new agent before the filing posts. The new agent must consent in writing under O.C.G.A. § 14-2-501.
Common mistake and consequence: Filers list a person who never agreed to serve. If that person rejects service of a lawsuit, the entity can lose by default judgment because service is still legally valid at the listed address.
Misconception: Owners often think the registered agent must be a lawyer or a paid service. Any Georgia resident over 18 or any authorized Georgia business entity can serve, including the owner.
Field 7: Registered Office Address
Plain English: The Georgia street address where the registered agent is available during normal business hours.
How to answer it: Enter the full Georgia street address, including suite, city, and ZIP. It must match the address where the agent will physically receive process.
Example entry: Marcus Reed enters 512 Main Street, Athens, GA 30601 as the registered office.
Edge case: If the registered agent works from a co-working space, the address must still be a place where the agent is physically reachable during business hours. Virtual offices that do not staff a real person can fail this test.
Common mistake and consequence: Filers use a P.O. Box or an out-of-state address for the registered office. The state will reject the filing, and during the lag your entity has no valid agent, which can void legal protections.
Misconception: Filers assume the registered office must be the same as the principal office. They can be the same, but they do not have to be. Many entities use a registered agent service at one address and run the business at another.
Field 8: Officer Information (Corporations) or Member/Manager Information (LLCs)
Plain English: Names, titles, and addresses of the people running the entity.
How to answer it: For corporations, list the CEO, CFO, and Secretary with full name and business address. For LLCs, list at least one member or manager. Add or remove officers using the Add and Remove buttons in eCorp.
Example entry: Lopez Family Holdings LLC lists Maria Lopez, Member, 1450 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30309.
Edge case: A single person can hold all three corporate offices in Georgia. Janet Pham lists herself as CEO, CFO, and Secretary of her one-person professional corporation.
Common mistake and consequence: Filers leave the prior year’s officer in place after that person resigned. The resigned officer remains publicly listed and can still receive legal notices, which creates liability and recordkeeping problems.
Misconception: Many LLC owners think they must list every member. Georgia only requires at least one member or manager on the annual registration, although you can list more.
Field 9: Email Address for State Notices
Plain English: The email where Georgia sends receipts, renewal reminders, and dissolution warnings.
How to answer it: Enter a working email address that someone monitors year-round. Avoid personal addresses tied to a single employee who may leave.
Example entry: Carlos Mendoza enters filings@mendozaconsulting.com so the receipt lands in a shared inbox.
Edge case: If the prior email bounced, the state may flag the entity. Update the email immediately and verify by logging into eCorp to confirm the change.
Common mistake and consequence: Filers list a personal Gmail that nobody checks. They miss the renewal reminder, blow the April 1 deadline, and pay the $25 late penalty plus risk dissolution.
Misconception: Filers think the state will mail a paper reminder if the email fails. It will not. Georgia has been email-first for annual registration reminders since 2015.
Field 10: Authorizer Signature and Title
Plain English: The electronic or handwritten signature that certifies the information is true under penalty of perjury.
How to answer it: Type your full legal name in the Authorizer box and select your title from the dropdown, such as Member, Manager, Officer, or Attorney in Fact.
Example entry: Aisha Brown types Aisha Brown and selects Member before clicking Submit.
Edge case: If an attorney or accountant is filing for you, they sign as Attorney in Fact and must keep a signed authorization letter in their records for at least three years.
Common mistake and consequence: Filers type a nickname or use only initials. The state may accept it, but the signed certification carries weaker evidentiary weight if the filing is challenged in court.
Misconception: Filers think a typed signature is not legally binding. Under the Georgia Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, a typed electronic signature on the eCorp portal is fully enforceable.
Field 11: Payment
Plain English: The fee due for the annual registration.
How to answer it: Choose credit card or ACH online, then enter the card or bank details. The eCorp portal totals the fee based on entity type and number of years.
Example entry: Reed Construction Services, LLC pays $50 by Visa for a one-year LLC registration.
Edge case: If the card is declined, the filing is not submitted. Try a different card or switch to ACH, then resubmit before April 1 to avoid the late penalty.
Common mistake and consequence: Filers close the browser before the payment screen confirms. The filing never posts, no receipt is emailed, and the entity slips into late status without warning.
Misconception: Filers think paying covers them even if the filing form has errors. The fee is non-refundable but does not cure form errors. A rejected filing means the entity is still late.
Three Filled-Out Examples Using Real Scenarios
Scenario 1: Maria Lopez, Single-Member LLC With No Changes
| Form Section | What Maria Enters |
|---|---|
| Business Search | 0123456 |
| Entity Name | Lopez Family Holdings LLC |
| Years | 1 Year |
| NAICS | 531390 |
| Principal Office | 1450 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30309 |
| Registered Agent | Maria Lopez |
| Registered Office | 1450 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30309 |
| Member | Maria Lopez, Member |
| maria@lopezholdings.com | |
| Signature | Maria Lopez, Member |
| Payment | $50 Visa |
Scenario 2: Reed Construction Services Inc., Corporation Changing Registered Agent and Officers
| Form Section | What Marcus Enters |
|---|---|
| Business Search | 0987654 |
| Entity Name | Reed Construction Services, Inc. |
| Years | 2 Years |
| NAICS | 236220 |
| Principal Office | 512 Main Street, Athens, GA 30601 |
| New Registered Agent | Peach State Agents LLC |
| New Registered Office | 100 Edgewood Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30303 |
| CEO | Marcus Reed, 512 Main Street, Athens, GA 30601 |
| CFO | Linda Reed, 512 Main Street, Athens, GA 30601 |
| Secretary | Marcus Reed, 512 Main Street, Athens, GA 30601 |
| filings@reedconstruction.com | |
| Signature | Marcus Reed, CEO |
| Payment | $100 ACH |
Scenario 3: Pham Legal PC, Reinstating an Administratively Dissolved Professional Corporation
| Form Section | What Janet Enters |
|---|---|
| Filing Type | Application for Reinstatement |
| Business Search | 0456789 |
| Entity Name | Pham Legal PC |
| Back-Year Registrations | 2024, 2025, 2026 |
| NAICS | 541110 |
| Principal Office | 200 Galleria Parkway, Suite 1100, Atlanta, GA 30339 |
| Registered Agent | Janet Pham |
| Registered Office | 200 Galleria Parkway, Suite 1100, Atlanta, GA 30339 |
| Officers | Janet Pham, CEO/CFO/Secretary |
| janet@phamlegal.com | |
| Signature | Janet Pham, CEO |
| Reinstatement Fee | $250 |
| Back Registrations | $150 plus $75 late fees |
How to File the Completed Form
Online via eCorp. Go to the eCorp Annual Registration portal and search by Control Number or entity name. Pay by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, or ACH. Filings post within seconds, and the system emails a receipt with a confirmation number. Save the receipt as your proof of filing.
By mail. Print the completed CD 100 Annual Registration Form, sign it in black ink, and mail it with a check or money order to Office of the Secretary of State, Corporations Division, 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE, Suite 313 West Tower, Atlanta, GA 30334. Processing takes 7 to 12 business days. Keep the canceled check and a copy of the form as proof.
In person. Walk-in filings are accepted at the same Atlanta address during business hours. Bring two copies of the form, a check or card, and request a date-stamped copy back as proof of filing.
Fee schedule. Profit corporations and LLCs pay $50 per year. Nonprofit corporations pay $30 per year. Foreign entities pay the same as their domestic counterpart. The late fee is $25 if filed after April 1. Reinstatement after administrative dissolution costs $250 plus back-year registrations and late fees, filed through Form CD 415.
What Happens After You File
Online filings post to the public record within minutes. The eCorp system sends a receipt by email, and the entity’s status updates to Active/Compliant on the Business Search page. Banks, lenders, and contracting partners that pull a Certificate of Existence will see the entity is current.
Paper filings take 7 to 12 business days. The state cashes the check first and then processes the form. If the form has an error, the Corporations Division mails a deficiency letter to the principal office and the entity remains in Noncompliant status until the fix is filed.
If you miss the April 1 deadline, the entity moves to Noncompliant status. After 60 days of noncompliance, the state issues a Notice of Intent to Dissolve. Sixty days after that, the entity is administratively dissolved under O.C.G.A. § 14-2-1421, and all the limited liability protections evaporate until reinstatement.
Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out the Form
- Filing under the wrong entity from search results. The state will not refund the fee, and your real entity is still late.
- Using a P.O. Box for the principal office or registered office. The filing is rejected, and the delay can push you past April 1.
- Leaving a resigned officer on the form. That person can still legally receive lawsuits and bind the entity in some contexts.
- Listing a registered agent who never consented. A rejected service of process can lead to a default judgment against the entity.
- Skipping the NAICS code. Other Georgia agencies may misclassify the business, affecting tax and labor filings.
- Entering a personal email nobody checks. You will miss the dissolution warning and pay reinstatement fees later.
- Submitting without confirming payment cleared. A declined card means the form never posted.
- Filing too late for a multi-year discount. Late filings cannot use the three-year option; they must clear the back year first.
- Confusing the Control Number with the EIN. The EIN will not find your entity in eCorp.
- Forgetting to update the registered office after the agent moved. A stale address invalidates service and triggers dissolution.
Do’s and Don’ts
Do:
- Do file between January 1 and February 28 to leave time for fixes if the form is rejected.
- Do save the PDF receipt and confirmation number in a permanent folder.
- Do verify the registered agent still consents to serve before listing them.
- Do use a shared business email so reminders survive employee turnover.
- Do consider the three-year option if cash flow allows, to avoid future missed deadlines.
- Do check the Business Search page after filing to confirm Active/Compliant status.
Don’t:
- Don’t wait until March 31 to file, because system slowdowns and card issues can push you past midnight.
- Don’t list a P.O. Box for the registered office, ever.
- Don’t assume a paid registered agent service updated your filing; verify it yourself.
- Don’t ignore deficiency letters, because the clock to dissolution keeps running.
- Don’t reuse last year’s PDF without checking the revision date.
- Don’t sign as Attorney in Fact without a written authorization letter in your files.
Pros and Cons of Filing on Your Own vs. With Help
Pros of filing on your own:
- Saves the $50 to $300 fee a registered agent service or attorney charges.
- Gives the owner direct knowledge of the public record.
- Fast for simple entities with no changes, often under 10 minutes online.
- Keeps the email reminder in the owner’s inbox, not a third party’s.
- Avoids the risk a service forgets to file and lets the entity dissolve.
Cons of filing on your own:
- Easy to miss the April 1 deadline if no one tracks it.
- No professional to catch officer or address errors before submission.
- Reinstatement after dissolution is far more complex than the original filing.
- Multi-state owners may find Georgia’s portal different from other states they file in.
- A wrong NAICS code or principal office can quietly cause downstream tax issues.
Online Filing vs. Paper Filing
| Filing Method | Key Differences |
|---|---|
| Online via eCorp | Posts in minutes, pay by card or ACH, $50 LLC fee, receipt by email, available 24/7 |
| Paper CD 100 | Posts in 7 to 12 business days, pay by check or money order, same $50 LLC fee, mail to Atlanta address, no automatic receipt |
FAQs
What is the deadline to file the Georgia Annual Registration?
Yes. The deadline is April 1 each year for all profit corporations, nonprofit corporations, LLCs, and limited partnerships registered or qualified in Georgia.
Can I file for multiple years at once?
Yes. You can pay for one, two, or three years in a single filing through the eCorp portal, and the fee multiplies by the number of years selected.
Is the registered agent required to be a Georgia resident?
Yes. The registered agent must be a Georgia resident over 18 or an authorized Georgia business entity with a physical Georgia street address.
Can I use a P.O. Box for the principal office?
No. The principal office must be a physical street address, although a commercial mail receiving agency address may qualify if it meets USPS Form 1583 standards.
Do I list my EIN on the annual registration?
No. The annual registration uses your seven-digit Georgia Control Number, not the federal EIN, which never appears on this filing.
Do I have to list every LLC member in the member box?
No. Georgia LLCs only need to list at least one member or manager, although the form allows you to list more if you choose.
Can I change the entity’s name on the annual registration?
No. A name change requires the Annual Registration with Amendment path or a separate amendment filing, not the standard annual registration form.
Is the $50 fee refundable if I made a mistake?
No. Georgia does not refund annual registration fees, even if the filing is rejected or filed under the wrong entity, so verify every field before paying.
What happens if I miss April 1?
Yes. A $25 late fee applies immediately, and after 60 days of noncompliance the state begins administrative dissolution proceedings against the entity.
Do nonprofits pay the same fee as LLCs?
No. Nonprofit corporations pay $30 per year, while profit corporations and LLCs pay $50 per year for a one-year registration.
Can my accountant or attorney file for me?
Yes. A third party may file as Attorney in Fact by signing in that capacity, provided they keep a signed authorization letter from an officer or member.
How do I reinstate my entity after administrative dissolution?
Yes. File Application for Reinstatement Form CD 415, pay the $250 reinstatement fee, and clear all back-year annual registrations and late fees.
Do foreign LLCs qualified in Georgia have to file?
Yes. Foreign entities with a Georgia Certificate of Authority file the same annual registration on the same April 1 deadline at the same fee as domestic counterparts.
Will I get a paper reminder in the mail?
No. Georgia sends renewal reminders only by email to the address listed on the prior year’s filing, so a stale email means no reminder reaches you.
Related reading
- How to Fill Out Georgia Form CD 030 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Georgia Form CD 100 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Georgia Form CD 230 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Georgia Form CD 510 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Georgia Petition for Letters of Administration + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Georgia Investment Adviser Registration (Form ADV) + FAQs