Georgia business entity search and name check

What the Georgia search covers

Corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships (including LLLPs), nonprofits, professional corporations and out-of-state entities registered with the Corporations Division, including inactive records. Trade names (DBAs) are not included; they are filed with the county Clerk of Superior Court.

Each record has a Control Number. Search by number on the eCorp.

How to read Georgia results

Georgia does not publish definitions for its status labels in one place. We show the official wording exactly as the registry gives it.

A status describes the registry filing only. It isn’t evidence of a license, tax compliance or reputation, and a record with the same name as a company you know may be a different business. More on statuses.

Georgia business name rules

An LLC name must include one of: limited liability company, limited company, LLC, L.L.C., LC, L.C., Ltd. (for 'limited'), Co. (for 'company').

Your name must be distinguishable from the names of existing Georgia entities and active name reservations, and the Secretary of State can reject a name as too similar on other grounds as well. Names can be at most 80 characters, use only standard keyboard characters, may not contain "DBA", and may not suggest a different type of entity. (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 590-7-20-.01, -.04) Source: rules.sos.ga.gov

When comparing names, Georgia disregards: articles (a, an, the); plural and possessive forms; phonetic spellings (Boyz vs Boys); conjunctions (and, &, or); abbreviations; suffixes and word derivatives; punctuation, symbols and spacing; symbol substitutions (@ for at); digits vs spelled-out numbers; entity-type words. Our name check applies these same rules.

Words that need approval or are restricted

Using a similar name with consent

Only in limited cases. You can use a name close to another registered entity's with its written consent only if the names are otherwise distinguishable, or if that entity changes its own name (Rule 590-7-20-.06). Adding a place name can make otherwise identical names distinguishable (Rules 590-7-20-.07 and -.08).

Reserving a name in Georgia

Georgia lets you reserve a name before you form the business for $35, held for 30 days. It cannot be renewed (Rule 590-7-20-.03).

Reserve online through eCorp, or by mail or in person with the Name Reservation Request form. The paper total is $35 (a $25 filing fee plus a $10 service charge); the online total may be $30.

Georgia name reservation Source: sos.ga.gov

Searching on this site doesn’t reserve anything. Only Corporations Division can.

Forming an LLC in Georgia

Document

Articles of Organization (Form CD 030)

State filing fee

$100
$100 when you file online; $110 on paper (the $100 filing fee plus a $10 service charge).

File online

Corporations Division filing

Processing

Standard processing is included in the filing fee. You can pay extra to expedite: $120 for two business days, $275 for same day (request in by noon), or $1,200 for one hour, under the fee schedule effective September 6, 2025. Expediting isn't available for some filings, such as trademarks.

Registered agent

You need a registered agent with a registered office at a street address in Georgia.

Out-of-state LLC registering here

$225 (Application for Certificate of Authority for Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form CD 241))

Fees change. Confirm them on the official Georgia fee schedule before you file.

Keeping a Georgia LLC in good standing

Annual Registration: $60. Due between January 1 and April 1 each year, starting the calendar year after you form. You can file up to three years in advance. Late fee: $25. Source: sos.ga.gov

The Secretary of State charges no franchise tax. Georgia Department of Revenue taxes are separate and aren't covered here.

A $25 late penalty applies after April 1. An entity that doesn't file can be administratively dissolved; reinstatement costs $260 ($250 plus a $10 service charge). The current fee schedule lists the annual registration at $60 for both online and paper filing (older guidance described it as $50 plus a $10 service charge). Fees are nonrefundable. Sources: https://sos.ga.gov/how-to-guide/how-file-annual-registration ; https://sos.ga.gov/sites/default/files/forms/Reference%20-%20Filing%20Fees_0.pdf

Proof of status: Certificate of Existence ($10). Source: sos.ga.gov

Assumed names (DBAs)

Trade names are registered with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county of your principal place of business, and they don't appear in eCorp. Registering an entity name with the Secretary of State doesn't by itself give you commercial rights to the name. Source: sos.ga.gov

Good to know about Georgia

• New corporations (not LLCs) must publish a Notice of Intent to Incorporate in the county's legal newspaper and send the paper a $40 publication fee. Source: sos.ga.gov
• Every entity files its annual registration in the same window, January 1 to April 1, and can prepay up to three years ahead. Source: sos.ga.gov
• A name reservation lasts only 30 days and can't be renewed. Source: rules.sos.ga.gov
• Georgia's similarity rule treats phonetic spellings (Boyz/Boys), '@' for 'at', and digits versus spelled-out numbers as the same, so these tweaks won't make a name available. Source: rules.sos.ga.gov
• Entity names are capped at 80 characters and cannot include 'DBA'. Source: rules.sos.ga.gov
• The full corporations database is sold through the Georgia Technology Authority: $1,000 for a one-time copy, or $500 a month (plus $100 setup) for an FTP subscription. Source: georgia.gov

Sources and accuracy

We checked this page against official Georgia sources on October 30, 2026. Our monitor rechecks the official search, filing portal and fee pages daily and flags changes for review.

See something wrong? Tell us. We can fix how we present information, but only Corporations Division can change an official record.