No.1
Our top pick in Georgia
1. Mainstay Filing: best for businesses active in several states
Service charge $199, with the state fee separate ($434 due at checkout in all); the agent costs $149 a year from the second year
Score9.3out of 10
First place: Mainstay Filing. $199 covers the Georgia registration and the registered agent role is free the first year, then $149 annually.
After the free first year, the agent is $149 annually, whichever state the company chooses.
Its three-year total exceeds GA Registered Agent.org's by $100; the broader coverage outweighs that difference in our scoring.
In the price
- Registration paperwork handled for you
- Registered agent service is free in year one
- Same-business-day scanning of legal papers served, free of charge
Why pick it
- One price in each of the fifty states
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
- Year-one registered agent service costs nothing
- A $199 service charge, with the state's fee added
Weak spots
- The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 more than GA Registered Agent.org
No.2
Low renewal
2. GA Registered Agent.org: best for companies that only add Georgia
$199 for the service, state fee on top; from year two the agent bills $99 annually
Score9.0out of 10
Second place: GA Registered Agent.org. $199 over the state fee registers the company in Georgia, and the agent renews at $99.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
In the price
- Registration prepared and filed
- The first year of registered agent service
Why pick it
- Registration at $199, with the state fee extra
- Second-year agent charge: $99
- The first year as registered agent is free
Weak spots
- Serves Georgia only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
No.3
Best value here
3. Georgia Registered Agent.co: best for Georgia registrations only
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $99 yearly after year one
Score8.9out of 10
Third place: Georgia Registered Agent.co. $199 over the state fee registers the company in Georgia, and the agent renews at $99.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The published prices and features of GA Registered Agent.org and Georgia Registered Agent.co are identical, which makes the order between them close.
In the price
- Registration prepared and filed
- A first year as your registered agent
Why pick it
- Includes your registered agent for the first year
- The agent renews at $99 annually
- Registers the company for $199 and the state's fee
Weak spots
- Serves Georgia only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
The 3 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Service charge | Year two | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | 9.3 | $199 | $149/yr | Businesses spread over several states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 2 | GA Registered Agent.org | 9.0 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit GA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 3 | Georgia Registered Agent.co | 8.9 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit Georgia Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
The Startup Judge assigns each score out of 10 itself, applying the criteria on
How we rank; no customer ratings are used.
Georgia foreign registration service charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Agent covered in year one |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149 | $149 | $497 | Free |
|---|
| GA Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
| Georgia Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Georgia's $235 registration fee is payable in addition to every row below and is not in the totals.
Why Mainstay Filing is placed first
The Startup Judge weighs charge over three years at 31% and work taken off the founder at 31%; renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight divide the remaining 38%. In Georgia, work taken off the founder was the criterion that tipped it.
A second-state registration involves two jurisdictions. One provider at one price in both earned the higher coverage score, ahead of GA Registered Agent.org.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
Foreign LLC registration in Georgia: the form, the office and the fee
Registration is lodged with the Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division using the Application for Certificate of Authority for Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form CD 241). The state fee is $235.
Once registered, the company's recurring filing is the annual registration, priced at $60, with a due date of between January 1 and April 1.
Items to gather before filing
- The exact legal name registered in the home state, along with the date it was formed.
- A registered agent whose street address is in the state. Any provider on this page can fill the role.
- The $235 state fee, remitted with the application.
- A date in your calendar for the annual registration, which carries a $60 fee.
Consequences of operating in Georgia unregistered
Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC may not sue in Georgia courts (O.C.G.A. 14-2-1502).
Questions on Georgia foreign registration services
Is an out-of-state LLC required to register in Georgia?
Yes, as soon as it conducts business there. Until it registers, it has no standing to sue in that state's courts.
What will foreign registration in Georgia run in total?
The state fee is $235; service charges run $199.
What does Georgia call its foreign registration form?
The Application for Certificate of Authority for Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form CD 241), lodged with the Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division.
Is a registered agent still needed after the company is registered?
Yes. A registered agent with a street address in the state stays on file for as long as the registration lasts.
Which foreign registration services were heard in this ranking?
Mainstay Filing ($199), GA Registered Agent.org ($199) and Georgia Registered Agent.co ($199), ruled upon in that order.
Which foreign registration service does the record favor in Georgia?
Mainstay Filing, since $199 is added to the state fee in any state, and the first year as registered agent is included.
The record
- Georgia Secretary of State fee schedule Rev. 8/2025 and annual registration guide, on the record as of October 2026
- Georgia report due date, on the record as of August 2026
- Georgia Secretary of State Corporations Division fee schedule Rev. 8/2025, effective September 6, 2025, on the record as of October 2026
- Georgia registered agent statute, on the record as of October 2026
- Georgia Secretary of State, how to register a foreign entity, on the record as of October 2026
- Form CD 241, application for certificate of authority, on the record as of October 2026
- Form CD 555, application for withdrawal, on the record as of October 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Georgia service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: GA Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Georgia Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026