What Is the Cost of a Registered Agent in Georgia?
Keeping a registered agent in Georgia involves two distinct cost categories: state filing fees paid to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Corporations Division and commercial service fees paid to a private registered agent provider. Distinguishing between these two categories is essential for accurate budgeting at every stage of an entity’s life, from formation through annual maintenance to any mid-year agent changes.
State filing fees are fixed amounts set by the Corporations Division and are owed only when a filing is submitted. Georgia charges a $110 formation fee for all domestic entity types and a $30 amended annual registration fee to change a registered agent, among other transaction-specific charges. The state does not impose a separate recurring annual fee solely for maintaining a registered agent. Fee amounts for each filing type are published on the Corporations Division’s annual registration filing page and the domestic entity registration guide.
Commercial service fees are the annual charges paid to a professional registered agent company for providing a physical Georgia address, receiving service of process, and forwarding legal documents. These fees vary by provider and typically range from $25 to $300 per year. An entity that designates an individual Georgia resident — such as a member, officer, or director — as its own registered agent pays no commercial service fee.
Georgia law does not require any entity to hire a commercial registered agent service. Under the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.) § 14-2-501, a corporation must continuously maintain a registered agent at a registered office in Georgia, but the agent may be any qualifying individual or entity, including a person affiliated with the business itself. The same requirement applies to LLCs under O.C.G.A. § 14-11-209, limited partnerships under O.C.G.A. § 14-9-104, and nonprofit corporations under O.C.G.A. § 14-3-501, as described in the Corporations Division FAQ.
Georgia State Filing Fees for Registered Agent Appointments
The registered agent designation in Georgia is set forth in the entity’s articles of incorporation, articles of organization, or certificate of limited partnership at the time of formation. There is no separate state filing fee charged solely for the registered agent designation — the appointment is part of the formation document submitted with the standard formation filing fee.
Every domestic entity type filed with the Corporations Division carries a $110 formation filing fee, which includes the $100 base filing fee plus a $10 service charge. Foreign entities registering for a certificate of authority pay $230 online or $235 by mail. The table below shows the formation or registration fee for every entity type the Corporations Division accepts.
| Entity Type | Form | Filing Fee |
| Domestic For-Profit Corporation | Articles of Incorporation / Transmittal Form – Corporation (CD 227) | $110 |
| Domestic Professional Corporation | Articles of Incorporation / Transmittal Form – Corporation (CD 227) | $110 |
| Domestic Benefit Corporation | Articles of Incorporation / Transmittal Form – Corporation (CD 227) | $110 |
| Domestic Nonprofit Corporation | Articles of Incorporation / Transmittal Form – Corporation (CD 227) | $110 |
| Domestic LLC | Articles of Organization (CD 030) / Transmittal Form – LLC (CD 231) | $110 |
| Domestic Limited Partnership (LP/LLLP) | Certificate of Limited Partnership / Transmittal Form – LP (CD 246) | $110 |
| Foreign For-Profit Corporation | Application – Certificate of Authority for Profit or Nonprofit Corporation (CD 236) | $230 online / $235 paper |
| Foreign Nonprofit Corporation | Application – Certificate of Authority for Profit or Nonprofit Corporation (CD 236) | $230 online / $235 paper |
| Foreign Professional Corporation | Application – Certificate of Authority for Professional Corporation (CD 238) | $230 online / $235 paper |
| Foreign LLC | Application – Certificate of Authority for LLC (CD 241) | $230 online / $235 paper |
| Foreign LP / LLLP | Application – Certificate of Authority for LP (CD 251) | $230 online / $235 paper |
| Foreign LLP | Application – Certificate of Authority for LLP (CD 2000) | $230 online / $235 paper |
Domestic entity formation fees can be verified on the domestic entity registration guide, and foreign entity fees are published on the foreign entity registration guide. Domestic LLPs in Georgia are formed by recording a statement of qualification with the clerk of the superior court rather than filing with the Corporations Division, so they do not appear in the table above.
The Corporations Division accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover credit cards for online and hand-delivered filings. Mail filings require payment by check, certified bank check, or money order. Cash is not accepted. No separate credit-card surcharge is assessed beyond the service charge already included in the fees listed above.
State Filing Fee to Change a Registered Agent
When a Georgia entity needs to replace its registered agent or update the registered office address after formation, it files an amended annual registration with the Corporations Division. The fee for an amended annual registration is $30, regardless of entity type. Georgia does not use a standalone “statement of change” form filed by the entity itself; agent and address changes are made through the annual registration system.
The Corporations Division also provides two separate forms for actions initiated by the registered agent: Form RA-2 for an agent-initiated address change covering multiple entities, and Form RA-1 for the agent’s resignation.
| Action | Form | Filing Fee |
| Change registered agent and/or registered office (any entity type) | Amended Annual Registration (CD 900 / CD 920 / CD 910 / CD 930) | $30 |
| Agent-initiated change of registered office address | Statement of Change of Address of Registered Office (RA-2) | $5 per entity (minimum $20) |
| Resignation of registered agent (online) | Statement of Resignation of Registered Agent (RA-1) | $0 |
| Resignation of registered agent (paper) | Statement of Resignation of Registered Agent (RA-1) | $10 |
The amended annual registration fee is the same $30 for for-profit corporations, nonprofit corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, and all foreign entity types. This fee is confirmed on the annual registration filing page. The agent-initiated RA-2 form carries a $5 fee per entity listed, with a $20 minimum — a structure designed for commercial agents representing multiple entities who relocate their office. Forms are available for download on the Georgia Business Forms page.
Note: When a registered agent resigns by filing Form RA-1, the resignation becomes effective on the 31st day after the statement is filed with the Secretary of State or on the date the entity files an annual registration designating a new agent, whichever comes first. The entity must appoint a replacement agent before the resignation takes effect to avoid a gap in compliance.
Online filings, including amended annual registrations and agent resignations, are submitted through the eCorp portal. Paper filings are mailed to:
Office of the Secretary of State, Corporations Division, 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SE, Suite 313 West Tower, Atlanta, Georgia 30334
What Is Included in a Registered Agent Service Fee?
A commercial registered agent service fee covers the provider’s ongoing obligation to accept legal and government documents on the entity’s behalf throughout the year. Specific inclusions vary by provider and pricing tier, but the following breakdown reflects industry norms.
Core services (generally included at all price levels):
- A physical street address in Georgia to serve as the entity’s registered office on file with the Corporations Division, satisfying the requirement that the registered office “may not be a post office box or mail drop,” as stated in the Corporations Division FAQ.
- Receipt of service of process, legal notices, tax correspondence, and other official state communications during normal business hours.
- Same-day or next-day scanning and uploading of received documents to a secure online account.
- Email notification alerts when a document is received on behalf of the entity.
Additional services (included by some providers or at higher tiers):
- Compliance reminders for annual registration deadlines and other filing obligations.
- Use of the registered agent’s address on formation documents to keep the owner’s personal address off the public record.
- Mail forwarding for general business correspondence beyond legal and government documents.
- Pre-populated state forms accessible within the online account.
What is NOT included in a standard registered agent service fee:
- State filing fees (formation fees, amended annual registration fees, and annual registration fees) are paid separately to the Corporations Division.
- Preparation or filing of annual registrations or other periodic compliance documents (unless purchased as a separate add-on).
- Legal advice or representation.
- Expedited processing of state filings.
Registered Agent Cost When Forming a New Georgia Business
When forming a new entity in Georgia, the registered agent is designated within the formation document itself — articles of incorporation for a corporation, articles of organization for an LLC, or a certificate of limited partnership. No separate registered agent filing fee is charged beyond the standard formation fee. The total state cost at formation is therefore the formation filing fee alone: $110 for domestic entities, or $230 (online) for foreign entities obtaining a certificate of authority.
The table below shows the combined year-one cost of forming a Georgia entity and maintaining a registered agent, including both the state filing fee and the commercial registered agent service fee.
| Entity Type | State Formation Fee | Commercial RA (Year 1) | Total Year 1 Cost |
| Domestic For-Profit Corporation | $110 | $0–$300 | $110–$410 |
| Domestic Nonprofit Corporation | $110 | $0–$300 | $110–$410 |
| Domestic LLC | $110 | $0–$300 | $110–$410 |
| Domestic LP / LLLP | $110 | $0–$300 | $110–$410 |
| Foreign Corporation | $230 | $0–$300 | $230–$530 |
| Foreign LLC | $230 | $0–$300 | $230–$530 |
| Foreign LP / LLLP | $230 | $0–$300 | $230–$530 |
| Foreign LLP | $230 | $0–$300 | $230–$530 |
The $0 figure in the Commercial RA column reflects entities where an individual Georgia resident serves as the entity’s own registered agent, eliminating the commercial service fee entirely. Eligibility requirements for self-designation are described in the Corporations Division FAQ and vary slightly by entity type.
Many commercial registered agent services offer the first year of agent service as part of a formation package. Before purchasing a bundled package, confirm whether the quoted price includes the state filing fee, the registered agent service fee for year one, and the renewal price for subsequent years. Some providers advertise low introductory rates but charge significantly higher renewal fees beginning in year two.
Note: Georgia corporations must also file an initial annual registration within 90 days of incorporation (or between January 1 and April 1 of the following year for entities formed between October 2 and December 31). The initial annual registration fee is $60 for profit corporations, $50 for nonprofit corporations, and $60 for LLCs and LPs, as published on the annual registration filing page. This is a separate compliance cost to factor into year-one budgeting.
Cost of Serving as Your Own Registered Agent in Georgia
Under O.C.G.A. § 14-2-501, a corporation’s registered agent may be any individual who resides in Georgia and whose business office is identical to the registered office or any domestic or authorized foreign corporation or LLC. Similar eligibility rules apply to LLCs under O.C.G.A. § 14-11-209 and limited partnerships under O.C.G.A. § 14-9-104. An entity cannot serve as its own registered agent in Georgia, but an individual owner, officer, or member may do so.
Cost of self-designation:
- Commercial service fee: $0.
- State filing fee at formation: Included in the standard formation fee. No additional charge.
- State filing fee to update address: An amended annual registration must be filed at a cost of $30, as shown on the annual registration filing page.
Tradeoffs of self-designation:
| Factor | Self as Registered Agent | Commercial Service |
| Annual cost | $0 | $25–$300 per year |
| Privacy | A personal name and home address appear on the public record at the Corporations Division | The provider’s address appears on the public record instead of the owner’s |
| Business hours availability | Must be personally available at the registered office during normal business hours to accept service of process | Provider staffs its office during business hours to accept documents |
| Service of process delivery | Legal papers delivered directly to the individual, potentially at a personal residence | Documents received at the provider’s office are scanned and forwarded electronically |
| Address updates | Must file a $30 amended annual registration each time the address changes | The provider manages address continuity; no state filing is needed unless the provider changes |
| Compliance monitoring | The owner tracks all filing deadlines independently | Most providers include annual registration reminders and deadline alerts |
| Eligibility requirement | Must be an individual resident of Georgia with a physical street address in the state | Must be an authorized entity or individual meeting O.C.G.A. eligibility standards |
Frequently Asked Questions About Registered Agent Costs in Georgia
Is there a fee to designate a registered agent when forming a Georgia LLC or corporation?
No separate state filing fee is assessed solely for the registered agent designation at formation. The registered agent is named within the articles of organization (LLC) or articles of incorporation (corporation), and the entire formation document is filed for a single $110 fee. This fee applies equally to for-profit corporations, nonprofit corporations, professional corporations, benefit corporations, and LLCs. Foreign entities pay $230 online when filing an application for a certificate of authority. These amounts are confirmed on the domestic entity registration guide and the foreign entity registration guide.
How much does it cost to change a registered agent in Georgia?
Changing a registered agent in Georgia costs $30, which is the fee for filing an amended annual registration with the Corporations Division. This fee is the same for all entity types — corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, and foreign entities alike. The amended annual registration can be filed online through the eCorp portal or submitted by mail to the Office of the Secretary of State, Corporations Division, 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SE, Suite 313, West Tower, Atlanta, Georgia 30334. The Corporations Division accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover for online payments and checks or money orders for mail filings.
Can I designate myself as a registered agent to avoid the annual service fee?
Yes, provided the individual meets the eligibility requirements set by Georgia law. For corporations, the agent must be a person who resides in Georgia and whose business office is identical to the registered office or a domestic or authorized foreign entity, per O.C.G.A. § 14-2-501. For LLCs, the agent must be an individual Georgia resident or a qualifying entity. Self-designation eliminates the commercial service fee but places the individual’s name and address on the public record and requires personal availability at the registered office during normal business hours. If the individual’s address changes, an amended annual registration must be filed for $30 per the annual registration fee schedule.
What is the annual cost of Northwest Registered Agent in Georgia?
Northwest Registered Agent charges $125 per year for registered agent service in Georgia. This flat annual rate includes a physical Georgia street address as the registered office; receipt and forwarding of service of process and government correspondence; same-day document scanning; email alerts; and compliance deadline reminders. Northwest does not raise this rate upon renewal.
Does the registered agent service fee include the state filing fee?
No. The commercial registered agent service fee and the state filing fees are entirely separate charges. The service fee covers the provider’s ongoing document-handling and address services. State filing fees — such as the $110 formation fee, the $30 amended annual registration fee, or the $60 annual registration fee for profit entities — are paid directly to the Corporations Division. Providers may offer to file state documents on the entity’s behalf, but the state fee is always an additional charge unless the provider’s pricing explicitly bundles it in.
Is there a fee to file the consent of registered agent form?
Georgia does not require a standalone consent of registered agent form to be filed with the Corporations Division. The registered agent’s consent is reflected by the agent’s acceptance of the appointment within the formation document or the annual registration. O.C.G.A. § 14-2-501 requires that the agent have consented to serve, and the Corporations Division FAQ confirms that the registered agent’s name and address are designated on the entity’s filing. Because no separate consent document is filed with the state, there is no state filing fee for agent consent.
Is there a fee for the registered agent to resign?
Filing the Statement of Resignation of Registered Agent (Form RA-1) online through the eCorp portal costs $0; there is no filing fee for an online resignation. Submitting Form RA-1 by mail or hand delivery incurs a $10 paper filing service charge. Under O.C.G.A. § 14-2-503, the resignation becomes effective on the 31st day after the statement is filed, unless the entity files an annual registration designating a new agent before that date. The entity is responsible for appointing a replacement agent before the resignation takes effect to avoid administrative dissolution.
How does the cost compare for a nonprofit corporation versus a for-profit corporation?
Georgia charges the same formation filing fee for both entity types, but applies reduced annual registration fees for nonprofit corporations.
| Transaction | For-Profit Corporation | Nonprofit Corporation |
| Articles of Incorporation (formation) | $110 | $110 |
| Foreign Certificate of Authority (registration) | $230 online / $235 paper | $230 online / $235 paper |
| Change of Registered Agent (amended annual registration) | $30 | $30 |
| Resignation of Registered Agent (online) | $0 | $0 |
| Annual Registration | $60 | $40 |
The annual registration fee difference of $60 for for-profit corporations versus $40 for nonprofit corporations is the most meaningful cost distinction between the two entity types on a recurring basis. These amounts are published on the Corporations Division’s annual registration filing page. Commercial registered agent service fees do not differ based on whether the entity is for-profit or nonprofit.
Are there any hidden fees associated with registered agent services?
State filing fees charged by the Georgia Corporations Division are fixed, publicly available, and clearly published on the Secretary of State’s website. There are no hidden state costs for maintaining a registered agent. On the commercial side, however, several pricing practices can create unexpected charges: providers that advertise deeply discounted first-year rates but increase the renewal price by 50% or more in year two, formation packages that bundle add-on services the entity does not need, per-document surcharges for scanning more than a limited number of pages, and additional fees for mail forwarding or compliance filings that some providers include at no extra cost. Reviewing the full fee schedule and renewal terms before signing up helps avoid these surprises.
Does the cost change if I move my business to a new address in Georgia?
The cost impact of an address change depends on which address is changing and how the entity’s registered agent is configured.
- Entity’s principal office address only: If only the entity’s principal office or mailing address changes — but the registered agent and registered office stay the same — the change is reported on the next annual registration filed between January 1 and April 1 at the standard annual registration fee ($60 for most entities, $40 for nonprofits). If the annual registration has already been filed for the current year, an amended annual registration costs $30 per the annual registration fee schedule.
- Registered agent’s address change: If the registered agent (whether an individual or a commercial provider) relocates, the agent may file Form RA-2 at a cost of $5 per entity (minimum $20), available on the Georgia Business Forms page. Alternatively, the entity can file an amended annual registration for $30.
- Replacing the agent entirely: If the entity switches to a new registered agent at a different address, an amended annual registration must be filed for $30.
- Using a commercial service: If the entity uses a commercial registered agent and the entity’s own address changes, no state filing related to the registered agent is needed — the registered office address remains at the provider’s location. The entity still updates its principal office address via the annual registration process.