Before you form your LLC in Georgia, it needs a name. You should make sure the business name you want fits the requirements listed in Code of Georgia § 14-11-207. The name must:

• Include limited liability company, limited company, L.L.C., L.C.,  LLC, or LC.
• Be a unique business name in Georgia—distinguishable from any other business registered in the state.
• Not include restricted words like “insurance” or “university” without approval.
• Be no more than 80 characters long (including spaces and punctuation).

Already have a great name in mind? Use our free Georgia Business Name Search to check its availability. If your LLC name is unclaimed, but you’re not ready to file the paperwork, you can reserve that name for 30 days by submitting a Name Reservation Request and paying the $30 online filing fee ($35 for paper filings).

A website domain that matches your business name improves search engine visibility, which brings more customers to your business. Northwest makes it easy and can get you a domain instantly. In fact, all of our LLC customers get:

• One year of free domain registration.
• A customizable business website that’s kept safe with top-shelf SSL security.
• Up to 10 professional business email addresses.
• A business phone number with local area code.
• Friendly Corporate Guides®; have questions about a filing or form? We have answers!

You are legally required to appoint a registered agent for your Georgia LLC. Registered agents accept legal mail and service of process on behalf of a business. Your Georgia registered agent may be an individual or a registered agent company like Northwest, and must:

• Have a physical address (no P.O. Boxes) in Georgia.
• Accept legal notices for your business and get them to you fast.

Registered agents are expected to maintain regular business hours on weekdays to be available when service of process is delivered.

Why choose Northwest as your registered agent?

At Northwest, one of our main goals is to help LLC owners live more privately. As your Georgia registered agent, not only will we list our office address on your LLC formation paperwork, you’ll have the option of adding Georgia Virtual Office Service to your order.

With a virtual address, you’ll be able to run your business from home without worrying about putting your personal address on your business cards or website. Need a mail solution? Our Georgia Virtual Office Service allows you to choose between receiving same-day digital mail scans or weekly physical mail forwarding.

Want more? Our Virtual Office customers also get access to our feature-packed Phone Service. You’ll get a local Georgia phone number that you can use to keep your personal number away from the prying eyes of spammers and scammers.

The process of forming your Georgia LLC differs based on how you file its documentation. When filing a paper form, you’ll fill out a short Articles of Organization form with the Georgia Secretary of State’s Corporations Division, along with a Transmittal Form that asks for more detailed information.

When you file your Articles of Organization online, you’ll file a single long form that combines the information from the print versions of the Articles of Organization and the Transmittal Form, with the option of answering a few additional questions.

All information on these forms becomes part of the public record, with the exception of your LLC’s business email address.

To complete your Georgia Articles of Organization, provide the following information:

• Company name. Must include an indicator like LLC.
• Effective date. The date your Articles of Organization become effective, either when filed with the Secretary of State, or a date within 90 days of your filing date.
• Signature. The dated signature of the organizer, member, manager, or attorney-in-fact of the LLC who has filed this document.

The Transmittal Form requires this additional information:

• Primary email address. The email address where the Corporations Division can send your LLC’s Certificate of Approval.
• Name reservation number. If you’ve previously submitted a Name Reservation Request, list its identification number. Otherwise, leave this blank.
• Filer’s address, email and phone number. Contact information for the person that filed the Articles of Organization.
• LLC’s principle office mailing address. This address may be a P.O. Box.
• Registered agent. Whoever you designate to receive legal notices for your business.
• Registered office address. A physical street address in Georgia.
• Registered agent email address. The email address your registered agent can be reached at.
• Organizer info. Name and physical address of each organizer responsible for filing LLC paperwork with the state.

For online filers, the combined Articles of Organization and Transmittal Form form contains the above information, plus three optional questions:

• Name approval document. If your LLC’s name includes restricted words like “credit union” or “college,” attach an approval letter from the relevant agency. Most LLC names don’t need approval and can leave this blank.
• Business purpose. You can choose a NAICS Code that fits your business, or enter “unknown” or “any legal purpose” if you’d rather not specify.
• Optional provisions. If there is any additional information you want included (like member and manager details), add or attach it here.

An operating agreement is an internal document that helps govern your Georgia LLC’s operations. It’s where members decide on the LLC’s rules for things like voting, transferring membership interest, and what conditions will dissolve the business.

Use our free Georgia LLC Operating Agreement Template.

In most cases, your Georgia limited liability company will need its own bank account to keep its funds separate from those of members and help maintain its limited liability. Opening a business bank account means getting an EIN (unless you’re a single-member LLC and trust others with your social security number). An EIN is like a social security number for your business, which the IRS can use to identify your LLC on tax filings.

Once the LLC has a business bank account, you can fund it. Members make an initial contribution (usually money, but sometimes property or services) that determines their “membership interest,” or percentage of LLC ownership.

Georgia LLCs have certain tax and reporting obligations. Members should be aware of:

• Taxes: By default, Georgia LLCs are pass-through entities like sole proprietorships and general partnerships. Like those entities, LLC profits “pass through” the business to its members, and the LLC itself does not pay income taxes on those profits. However, the members must report their portion of the LLC’s profits on their own tax returns, where it becomes subject to the 15.3% federal self-employment tax rate.
• Annual Registration: Your Georgia LLC needs to submit an Annual Registration to Georgia’s Corporations Division. Your Georgia Annual Registration updates the state about changes to your LLC’s ownership and contact information. You also have the option of filing multi-year registration for two or three years at once. Worried you’ll forget? Keep things simple and hire Northwest to file for you.

*This is informational commentary, not advice. This information is intended strictly for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel. This information is not intended to create, nor does your receipt, viewing, or use of it constitute, an attorney-client relationship. More information is available in our Terms of Service.