Georgia Secretary of State

Corporations and LLC filings are handled by the Corporations Division , Secretary of State, whose address is 2 Martin Luther King Drive, Suite 315, West Tower, Atlanta, GA 30334.

Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division

Georgia differs from most states in that corporations are required to publish their articles in a newspaper in the county where the registered office is located. It is the responsibility of those forming a corporation to determine the proper county and to take into account the cost of publication in calculating the total cost of forming the new company.

For matters not unique to Georgia, but common to many states, see common concerns.

Georgia has statutes relating to the sale of corporate and llc securities (commonly referred to as the "blue sky law"). Under these statutes, prior to offering or selling corporate or llc securities, such securities must either be registered or exempt from registration under the state blue sky law. Failure to qualify under such laws has civil (and sometimes criminal) penalties.

The Division cautions that "the information provided on its Web site should aid in the process of forming a business entity. While simple to form, the question of whether or not a particular entity should be formed is complex. The decision to establish a corporation, limited liability company or limited partnership should only be made after consultation with an attorney and an accountant. As a "legal entity," the entity will have certain responsibilities under the law. Failure to live up to those responsibilities could result in a court of law disregarding the legal entity."

"... corporation (profit and nonprofit), limited liability companies, limited partnerships, and many foreign (out of state) entities are formed by filing with the Division. As an administrative filing agency, the Division serves as custodian of these records and provides copies and/or certifications of filed documents. The Division does not have authority to intervene in disputes between consumers and businesses, disputes between businesses, or disputes between shareholders, members, officers or other persons involved in an enterprise.

The Division does not handle Uniform Commercial Code filings or register DBAs (doing business as, or trade names.) These filings are made with the Clerk of Superior Court's office in the county where the property or business is located.