Georgia Form CD 030 is the Articles of Incorporation – Profit Corporation form that every person forming a domestic for-profit corporation in Georgia files with the Georgia Secretary of State Corporations Division to legally create the company. Without a properly filed CD 030, your business has no legal existence, no liability shield, and no power to open a corporate bank account, sign binding contracts, or hire employees under a corporate name.
The Corporations Division processes more than 100,000 new business filings each year, and roughly 1 in 7 paper filings comes back rejected for missing fields, mismatched names, or unsigned incorporator blocks, according to the agency’s published filing statistics on its eCorp filing portal. One small mistake on this two-page form can delay your launch by weeks and cost you another $110 in re-filing fees.
Here is exactly what you will learn in this guide:
- 📋 What Form CD 030 is, who must file it, and the Georgia statute that controls every line on the page
- 🖊️ A field-by-field walkthrough of the entire form with sample entries you can copy
- 👥 Three full filled-out examples using real founder scenarios
- 💸 Every filing channel, fee, and processing time with the official URL or address
- ⚠️ The most common rejection reasons and how to avoid each one before you click submit
What Form CD 030 Is and Who Must File It
Form CD 030 is the official two-page Articles of Incorporation form that creates a Georgia domestic profit corporation under the Georgia Business Corporation Code, codified at O.C.G.A. § 14-2-202. The form is published by the Corporations Division of the Georgia Secretary of State, and the current revision date printed on the bottom of the PDF is Rev. 06/2024. Any older version may still be accepted, but using the current version reduces the chance of a clerical rejection.
You must file Form CD 030 if you want to create a Georgia corporation that issues stock and operates for profit. This includes single-shareholder consulting corporations, two-founder tech startups, family restaurants incorporating to gain liability protection, and professional corporations not covered by a separate professional code. Limited liability companies file Form CD 100 instead, nonprofits file Form CD 040, and out-of-state corporations registering to do business in Georgia file Form CD 230.
The agency that receives the form is the Corporations Division, located inside the Office of the Secretary of State at 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE, Suite 313 West Tower, Atlanta, GA 30334. The statute that requires the filing is O.C.G.A. § 14-2-201.1, which makes incorporation effective only when the form is filed and the fee is paid. The penalty for operating as a corporation without filing is loss of the liability shield, personal liability for business debts, and possible fines under the Georgia Trade Name Act.
Three filer profiles dominate this form. Aisha is a first-time founder launching a one-person marketing consultancy. Marcus and Priya are two co-founders forming a tech startup that will later raise venture capital. The Nguyen family is incorporating their long-running restaurant to protect personal assets after a near-miss slip-and-fall claim. Each follows the same form, but the answers in several boxes look very different.
Before You Start: Documents and Information You Need
Gather every piece of information below before you open the PDF or log into the eCorp portal. Stopping mid-form to look up a NAICS code or a registered agent address is the leading cause of timeout errors on the online system, which can wipe your entries and force you to start over.
- Proposed corporate name with required ending. The name must contain Corporation, Incorporated, Company, Limited, or an abbreviation under O.C.G.A. § 14-2-401, and missing the ending is the single most common rejection reason.
- Name availability check or reservation number. Run a free search on the Georgia business name database and, if you want to lock the name for 30 days, file a Name Reservation for $25.
- Principal office street address. The form rejects P.O. boxes for the principal office, so a real street, suite, or unit number is required.
- Registered agent name and Georgia street address. The registered agent must have a physical Georgia address under O.C.G.A. § 14-2-501, and the address cannot be a virtual mailbox.
- Number of authorized shares. Most small corporations authorize 1,000 to 10,000 shares, but the number affects future stock issuance and tax classification.
- Incorporator’s full legal name, address, and signature. The incorporator does not have to be a shareholder, director, or officer, but the signature must be original or a verified e-signature.
- Names and addresses of initial directors (optional but common). Listing them now avoids a separate organizational meeting filing later.
- Mailing address for the annual registration notice. This is where the state mails the renewal each year, and a wrong address means you will miss the renewal and face administrative dissolution.
- Filing fee payment method. Online filers need a credit card or eCheck, and paper filers need a check made out to Secretary of State.
- Newspaper publication contact for the legal notice. Under O.C.G.A. § 14-2-201.1(b), you must publish a Notice of Incorporation in the official legal organ newspaper of the county where the registered office sits, which costs about $40.
Where to Get the Form and How to Access It
The official PDF version of Form CD 030 lives on the Corporations Division forms page under the heading Profit Corporation Articles of Incorporation. Download the file, open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader rather than a browser preview, and use the fillable fields rather than handwriting your answers. Browser previews often fail to save typed entries, and the agency will reject the form if any field is illegible.
Most filers skip the PDF entirely and use the Georgia eCorp online filing system, which mirrors the same fields and produces a cleaner submission. Online filing also provides instant filing receipts, faster processing, and a $10 fee discount over the paper version. The portal requires you to create a free account with an email address and password, and you can save a draft and return to it within 30 days.
If you prefer paper, print the form on plain white 8.5” x 11” paper, single-sided, and pair it with a completed Transmittal Form 227. The transmittal form collects payment, contact, and processing-speed information separately, and a missing transmittal is the second most common reason paper filings are returned without action.
In-person filers can hand-deliver the package to the Atlanta office during business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The counter staff will date-stamp your copy on the spot, which is useful evidence if you need to prove the filing date for a tax election or contract.
Step-by-Step: How to Fill Out Form CD 030 Line by Line
The form has seven numbered articles, plus a transmittal information block and an incorporator signature block. Work through them in order, because later boxes reference earlier ones, and skipping ahead is the fastest way to misalign your shares and your incorporator entries.
Article 1: Corporate Name
This box asks for the exact legal name your corporation will carry on every contract, tax return, and bank account from the moment the form is approved. Type the name in capital letters exactly as you want it to appear, including the required corporate ending. Aisha Patel writes PATEL MARKETING STRATEGIES, INC. in this box for her one-woman consultancy.
The nuance most filers miss is that capitalization, punctuation, and spacing all become part of the legal record. PATEL MARKETING STRATEGIES, INC. and Patel Marketing Strategies Inc are treated as the same name for availability purposes but will appear differently on every certificate the state issues. The most common mistake here is leaving off the corporate ending entirely, and the consequence is automatic rejection under O.C.G.A. § 14-2-401, forcing you to refile and pay again.
A widespread misconception is that filing the Articles of Incorporation also reserves the trade name or trademark. It does not. The corporate name only protects you from another Georgia entity using the same name, and you still need a separate trademark filing with the USPTO for nationwide protection.
Article 2: Number of Authorized Shares
This article asks how many shares of stock the corporation is allowed to issue over its lifetime. Enter a single whole number, and if you plan to issue multiple classes of stock, list each class with its share count and rights. Marcus Lin enters 10,000,000 shares of common stock, no par value for his startup, leaving room for future investor rounds without amending the articles.
The how-to step here is to think ahead. If you authorize only 100 shares now and later want to bring in a venture investor who needs 2 million shares, you will have to file Articles of Amendment for $20 plus delay the funding round. The edge case is multi-class structures, where you must list voting versus non-voting, common versus preferred, and any conversion rights, ideally drafted with a corporate attorney.
The most common mistake on this field is authorizing too few shares and the consequence is a forced amendment before any later financing. The misconception is that more authorized shares mean higher taxes, but Georgia does not impose a franchise tax based on share count, unlike Delaware, so authorizing 10 million shares costs the same as authorizing 1,000.
Article 3: Principal Mailing Address
This box collects the principal mailing address of the corporation, which is the address the agency uses for official correspondence and where the public will be directed if they look you up in the business search. Enter the full street address, suite number, city, state, and ZIP code on one or two lines. The Nguyen family enters 4421 Buford Highway NE, Suite 12, Atlanta, GA 30341 for their restaurant.
You may use a P.O. Box for the mailing address only if you also list a separate physical address for the principal office in the eCorp system. The form’s plain text says mailing, but the agency’s instructions clarify that a true street address must exist somewhere in the filing. The most common mistake is using only a P.O. Box, and the consequence is the form is returned for a missing principal office address.
A misconception filers carry into this field is that the address is permanent. It is not. You may change it any time for free by filing an updated annual registration on the eCorp portal, so do not panic if you plan to move offices in six months.
Article 4: Registered Agent and Registered Office
This article names the person or company that will accept lawsuits, tax notices, and official mail on behalf of the corporation, and it lists the Georgia street address where that agent sits during business hours. The name and address must match exactly, and the address must be a real Georgia street address, not a P.O. Box, virtual office, or out-of-state location. Marcus Lin lists Priya Shah, 1234 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 500, Atlanta, GA 30309 as his registered agent.
The how-to step is to either appoint a co-founder who lives in Georgia or hire a commercial registered agent service for $50–$200 per year. The edge case is when a founder works from home and does not want their home address on the public record, which is when a paid agent service makes sense. The most common mistake is naming a registered agent without their written consent, and the consequence under O.C.G.A. § 14-2-501 is that service of process may still be valid against the corporation, but the agent can resign immediately and leave you scrambling.
The misconception is that the registered agent must be a lawyer. They do not. Any Georgia resident over 18 or any business entity authorized to do business in Georgia can serve as the registered agent.
Article 5: Incorporator Information
This box requires the name and address of every incorporator who is signing the form. An incorporator is the person who signs the Articles into existence; they do not need to own stock or hold an officer role afterward. Aisha Patel lists herself as the sole incorporator and writes Aisha N. Patel, 882 Highland Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30312.
The how-to is simple: list the legal name and street address of each incorporator, and have each one sign in the signature block on page 2. The nuance is that an attorney can serve as the sole incorporator on behalf of the founders, which is common when a law firm forms the company on a Friday afternoon. The most common mistake here is using a nickname or initials that do not match the signature, and the consequence is a rejection note asking you to re-sign.
A frequent misconception is that the incorporator becomes liable for the corporation’s debts. They do not. Incorporator liability ends the moment the form is filed and the first board of directors is named.
Article 6: Optional Provisions
This is a free-text box where you can add provisions allowed but not required by O.C.G.A. § 14-2-202(b), such as director liability limits, indemnification language, preemptive rights, or a statement of corporate purpose narrower than any lawful business. Most small filers leave this blank or write None. Marcus Lin writes To the fullest extent permitted by Georgia law, no director shall be personally liable to the corporation or its shareholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director.
The how-to is to either leave it blank, write None, or paste in counsel-drafted language. The edge case is when you want preemptive rights for early shareholders, which Georgia presumes off unless you opt in here. The most common mistake is pasting in Delaware-style provisions that conflict with Georgia law, and the consequence is the provision is unenforceable while still binding the rest of the form.
The misconception is that this section is mandatory. It is not. You can amend the articles later under O.C.G.A. § 14-2-1006 for $20.
Article 7: Effective Date
This article asks when the incorporation should take legal effect. Leave it blank to make the filing effective immediately upon acceptance, or enter a future date up to 90 days out. The Nguyen family leaves the box blank because they want the liability shield active the moment the agency stamps the form.
The how-to is a simple date in MM/DD/YYYY format, no later than 90 days after filing. The edge case is filing in late December with a future January 1 effective date, which lets you start a clean tax year without two short years on your books. The most common mistake is entering a date more than 90 days out, and the consequence is the entire form is rejected because the effective date is invalid under O.C.G.A. § 14-2-123.
The misconception is that a future effective date delays the publication notice. It does not. The notice must still publish within one business day of filing, regardless of effective date.
Incorporator Signature Block
Every incorporator listed in Article 5 must sign and date this block. Print or type the name underneath each signature, and add a title only if the incorporator is signing on behalf of an entity. Aisha Patel signs her name, prints Aisha N. Patel, Incorporator, and dates it 03/14/2026.
The nuance is that the eCorp portal allows a typed name as a verified e-signature, but the paper form requires a wet ink signature. The most common mistake is forgetting to date the signature, and the consequence is rejection because the agency cannot determine when the incorporator authorized the filing. The misconception is that all directors must sign; only incorporators sign Form CD 030.
Transmittal Information Block
The top of the form, or the separate Transmittal Form 227 for paper filings, collects the filer’s contact information for return correspondence. Enter a daytime phone, email, and return mailing address. Priya Shah enters her own contact info because she is the operations co-founder handling all paperwork.
The how-to is to use the email you check daily, because rejection notices arrive by email within 1–3 business days. The most common mistake is using a generic info@ address that nobody checks, and the consequence is missing the rejection email and losing your filing date. The misconception is that this contact becomes part of the public record. It does not; only the registered agent and principal address are public.
Three Filled-Out Examples Using Real Scenarios
These three full walkthroughs show how the same form looks for three different filers. Use them as templates, not as legal advice for your exact situation.
Scenario 1: Aisha, Solo Marketing Consultant
| Form Section | What Aisha Enters |
|---|---|
| Corporate Name | PATEL MARKETING STRATEGIES, INC. |
| Authorized Shares | 1,000 shares of common stock, no par value |
| Principal Mailing Address | 882 Highland Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30312 |
| Registered Agent Name | Aisha N. Patel |
| Registered Office Address | 882 Highland Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30312 |
| Incorporator | Aisha N. Patel, 882 Highland Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30312 |
| Optional Provisions | None |
| Effective Date | Blank — effective on filing |
| Signature & Date | Aisha N. Patel, 03/14/2026 |
Scenario 2: Marcus and Priya, Tech Startup Co-Founders
| Form Section | What Marcus and Priya Enter |
|---|---|
| Corporate Name | LINSHAH LABS, INC. |
| Authorized Shares | 10,000,000 common, no par value; 2,000,000 preferred |
| Principal Mailing Address | 1234 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 500, Atlanta, GA 30309 |
| Registered Agent Name | Priya R. Shah |
| Registered Office Address | 1234 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 500, Atlanta, GA 30309 |
| Incorporators | Marcus J. Lin and Priya R. Shah, same address as above |
| Optional Provisions | Director liability limit per O.C.G.A. § 14-2-202(b)(4) |
| Effective Date | 01/01/2027 for clean tax year |
| Signature & Date | Marcus J. Lin and Priya R. Shah, 12/15/2026 |
Scenario 3: The Nguyen Family Restaurant
| Form Section | What the Nguyens Enter |
|---|---|
| Corporate Name | NGUYEN FAMILY KITCHEN, INC. |
| Authorized Shares | 5,000 shares of common stock, $1.00 par value |
| Principal Mailing Address | 4421 Buford Highway NE, Suite 12, Atlanta, GA 30341 |
| Registered Agent Name | Linh T. Nguyen |
| Registered Office Address | 4421 Buford Highway NE, Suite 12, Atlanta, GA 30341 |
| Incorporators | Linh T. Nguyen and Hieu V. Nguyen |
| Optional Provisions | None |
| Effective Date | Blank |
| Signature & Date | Linh T. Nguyen and Hieu V. Nguyen, 04/02/2026 |
How to File the Completed Form
Georgia accepts Form CD 030 through three filing channels, and each channel has its own fee, processing time, and proof-of-filing. Pick the channel that matches your launch timeline and budget.
Online via eCorp. File at the eCorp filing portal for a $100 filing fee paid by credit card or eCheck. Standard processing takes 5–7 business days, while expedited 2-day service costs an extra $100 and same-day service costs $250 more. Your proof of filing is the email confirmation and downloadable Certificate of Incorporation.
By Mail. Send the completed CD 030, Transmittal Form 227, and a check for $110 made out to Secretary of State to Office of Secretary of State, Corporations Division, 2 MLK Jr. Drive SE, Suite 313 West Tower, Atlanta, GA 30334. Standard mail processing runs 12–15 business days. Keep your green Certified Mail receipt and the cancelled check as proof of filing.
In Person. Walk into the Atlanta office at 2 MLK Jr. Drive SE during 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays, hand the staff your CD 030, transmittal, and check or money order for $110. They date-stamp your copy on the spot, which becomes your same-day proof of filing while the formal certificate ships in 7–10 business days.
After any channel, you must publish a Notice of Incorporation in the official legal organ newspaper of the county where the registered office sits, no later than the next business day after filing. The publication runs once a week for two consecutive weeks and typically costs $40, paid directly to the newspaper. Keep the affidavit of publication in your corporate records book.
What Happens After You File
The Corporations Division reviews your filing in the order received, checks for the corporate name ending, registered agent address, and signature, and either accepts or rejects within the standard window. An accepted filing produces a Certificate of Incorporation with a control number, which you can download immediately from your eCorp dashboard or receive by mail.
Once accepted, your corporation legally exists and the liability shield begins. You should hold an organizational meeting, adopt bylaws, issue stock certificates, appoint officers, and apply for an Employer Identification Number through the IRS EIN application. Skipping any of these post-filing steps weakens the corporate veil and exposes shareholders to personal liability under the alter-ego doctrine.
You then have until April 1 of the following calendar year to file your first Annual Registration with the Corporations Division for $50. Missing the April 1 deadline triggers a $25 late fee, and continued non-filing leads to administrative dissolution of the corporation under O.C.G.A. § 14-2-1421.
If your filing is rejected, you receive an email or letter listing the specific defect, and you have 60 days to correct and refile without paying a second fee. After 60 days, you must start over with a new fee. Most rejections involve missing corporate endings, P.O. Box registered offices, or unsigned incorporator blocks.
Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out the Form
- Leaving off the corporate ending. The state rejects any name without Inc., Corp., or another approved ending under O.C.G.A. § 14-2-401, costing a refile.
- Using a P.O. Box for the registered office. The form is rejected on its face, and you lose 5–7 days of processing time.
- Naming a registered agent who has not consented. The agent can resign immediately, leaving the corporation without service of process.
- Authorizing too few shares. A later amendment costs $20 and delays funding rounds by weeks.
- Forgetting to sign or date the incorporator block. Automatic rejection because the agency cannot verify authorization.
- Skipping the newspaper publication. Violates O.C.G.A. § 14-2-201.1(b) and weakens the corporate shield in litigation.
- Mismatched names between Article 1 and the signature block. The state flags this for review and the filing sits in pending status.
- Pasting Delaware boilerplate into Article 6. Provisions that conflict with Georgia law are unenforceable but slow review.
- Using a virtual office for the registered office address. Most virtual offices fail the physical street address test.
- Choosing an effective date more than 90 days out. Entire form rejected under O.C.G.A. § 14-2-123.
- Forgetting Transmittal Form 227 with paper filings. Filing returned without action and you must resend.
- Listing a registered agent address outside Georgia. Automatic rejection, no exceptions.
Do’s and Don’ts
- Do run a free name search on the Georgia business search before you start, because rejected name conflicts cost time and money.
- Do authorize more shares than you think you need, since extra authorized shares carry no Georgia tax cost.
- Do use a commercial registered agent if you work from home, to keep your home address off the public record.
- Do save a PDF copy of every page after filing, because the eCorp dashboard purges old documents after seven years.
- Do calendar your April 1 annual registration deadline the same day you file, to prevent administrative dissolution.
- Do publish the Notice of Incorporation within one business day, because late publication is the most common audit finding in piercing-the-veil cases.
- Don’t use a P.O. Box for the registered office, because the form will be rejected on its face.
- Don’t name a registered agent without their written consent, because the agent can resign and leave you exposed.
- Don’t hand-write the form unless every letter is unmistakable, because illegible entries are treated as missing.
- Don’t use Delaware-style boilerplate without a Georgia attorney’s review, because conflicting provisions are unenforceable.
- Don’t skip the EIN application after filing, because banks will not open a corporate account without it.
- Don’t treat the corporate name as a trademark, because federal trademark protection requires a separate USPTO filing.
Pros and Cons of Filing on Your Own vs. With Help
| Filing Pro Se | Hiring an Attorney or Service |
|---|---|
| Costs only the $100 state fee, saving $300–$1,500 | Attorney drafts custom Article 6 provisions for future fundraising |
| Forces you to learn the basics of Georgia corporate law | Service handles registered agent role, keeping your address private |
| Same-day completion if you have all info ready | Attorney coordinates EIN, S-corp election, and bylaws as a package |
| Direct control over every entry | Reduced risk of rejection because filers know the agency’s quirks |
| Builds confidence for future filings like annual registration | Built-in calendar reminders for April 1 annual registration |
- Pro of filing pro se. You learn the corporate code firsthand, which helps when you later sign contracts that reference these provisions.
- Pro of filing pro se. You save $300 to $1,500 in attorney fees, which matters for a bootstrapped founder.
- Con of filing pro se. A single rejection costs another $110 and 7–14 days, often more than an attorney would have charged.
- Con of filing pro se. You may miss optional provisions that protect directors and shareholders down the line.
- Pro of professional help. Attorneys spot issues like multi-class stock structures and indemnification clauses that pro se filers overlook.
- Pro of professional help. Many services include the registered agent role, the EIN application, and the operating bylaws as a flat fee package.
- Con of professional help. Costs $300–$1,500 on top of the state fee, which can be a meaningful percentage of seed capital.
- Con of professional help. You learn less about the underlying compliance calendar, which can hurt later if you skip a renewal.
Form CD 030 vs. Other Common Georgia Filings
| Form | When You Use It |
|---|---|
| CD 030 Profit Corporation | Domestic for-profit corporation issuing stock |
| CD 100 Articles of Organization | Georgia limited liability company, see LLC guide |
| CD 040 Nonprofit Corporation | 501(c) charitable, religious, or educational entity |
| CD 230 Foreign Profit | Out-of-state corporation registering in Georgia |
| CD 110 Foreign LLC | Out-of-state LLC registering in Georgia |
FAQs
Can I be my own registered agent in Georgia?
Yes. Any Georgia resident over 18 with a physical Georgia street address can serve as their own registered agent under O.C.G.A. § 14-2-501, but your address becomes public record.
Do I need a lawyer to file Form CD 030?
No. Georgia allows any incorporator to file pro se on the eCorp portal, though counsel helps with multi-class stock or complex Article 6 provisions.
How much does it cost to file Form CD 030 in 2026?
Yes, there is a fee. Online filing costs $100, paper filing costs $110, expedited 2-day service adds $100, and same-day service adds $250 to the base fee.
How long does processing take?
Yes, times vary. Online standard runs 5–7 business days, paper standard runs 12–15 business days, and expedited service drops it to 1–2 business days.
Do I write my full legal name or my nickname in the incorporator box?
Yes, use your full legal name. Nicknames and initials that do not match your signature trigger rejections, so write the name exactly as it appears on your government ID.
Can I list a P.O. Box in Article 3 for the principal mailing address?
No. A P.O. Box may serve as a mailing address only if a real street address is also on file in the eCorp system, otherwise the form is rejected.
Do I have to list initial directors in the Articles?
No. Georgia does not require initial directors in Form CD 030, but listing them now saves a separate organizational filing later.
What happens if I forget to publish the Notice of Incorporation?
No, nothing immediate, but skipping publication violates O.C.G.A. § 14-2-201.1(b) and weakens the corporate veil if you are ever sued.
Can I change my registered agent after filing?
Yes. File a Statement of Change of Registered Agent on the eCorp portal for $20, and the change takes effect on filing.
Does Georgia tax my corporation based on authorized shares?
No. Unlike Delaware, Georgia charges a flat $50 annual registration regardless of how many shares you authorize, so over-authorizing is safe.
Can I file a future effective date in Article 7?
Yes, up to 90 days out. Many founders use a January 1 effective date for a clean tax year, but anything past 90 days causes rejection.
Do I need an EIN before I file Form CD 030?
No. You apply for an EIN only after the corporation is formed, because the IRS needs your control number from the Certificate of Incorporation.
What if my corporate name is similar to an existing name?
No, similar is not always blocked. The state rejects only names that are not distinguishable under O.C.G.A. § 14-2-401, and small differences like punctuation may still pass.
Can I sign the form electronically?
Yes, on the eCorp portal. A typed name in the signature field counts as a verified e-signature, but paper filings require a wet ink signature.
Related reading
- How to Fill Out Georgia Corp/LLC Annual Registration + 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 405 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Georgia Form CD 410 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Georgia Form CD 510 (w/Examples) + FAQs