How long does it take to change a registered agent in Georgia?

Georgia's Corporations Division says processing times vary with its workload: online filings are generally processed within 7 to 10 business days of receipt, and paper filings within 15 business days, with longer turnarounds at busy times of year. You make the change by filing an annual registration or, if this year's registration is already filed, an amended annual registration, which costs $30 ($20 plus a $10 service charge). Until the filing is processed, your current registered agent remains the agent on record, so file well before your intended changeover date and coordinate with both agents. Have your LLC's name and both the old and new agent information ready when you file online.

What does it cost to change a registered agent in Georgia?

Changing your registered agent in Georgia costs $30 if you file an amended annual registration with the Georgia Secretary of State's Corporations Division ($20 plus a $10 service charge, online or on paper). If your annual registration for the year is still due, you can make the change on that filing and pay only the $60 annual registration fee. However, your total cost depends on your choice of registered agent. If you appoint an individual, such as yourself, you pay only the state fee. If you hire a professional registered agent service, expect to pay an annual fee. This distinction matters because Georgia requires you to maintain a registered agent at a Georgia street address at all times. Failing to maintain one is a ground for administrative dissolution of your LLC. To proceed, file the amended annual registration with your new agent's information through the Corporations Division's online filing system.

Can I be my own registered agent in Georgia?

Yes, you can serve as your own registered agent in Georgia if you live in Georgia, keep a physical street address (not a PO box) in the state, and are consistently available during business hours to receive legal documents and service of process. However, this creates a practical challenge: you must be personally available to accept lawsuits, subpoenas, and regulatory notices during standard business hours, every business day. Missing a single document can result in a default judgment against your LLC without your knowledge. Your registered agent is named in your Articles of Organization (form CD 030), and you change it later by filing an annual registration or an amended annual registration ($30 for the amended registration, including the $10 service charge). Most Georgia LLC owners delegate this responsibility to a professional registered agent service to ensure documents never go unnoticed and to keep their home address out of the registered agent entry. Contact the Georgia Secretary of State's Corporations Division to discuss your options.

Will changing my registered agent affect my LLC's good standing?

No, properly changing your registered agent won't affect your LLC's good standing status with the Georgia Secretary of State. However, failing to maintain a registered agent or registered office is a ground for administrative dissolution. To change your registered agent in Georgia, file an annual registration or, if this year's registration is already filed, an amended annual registration with the Corporations Division. The amended annual registration costs $30 ($20 plus a $10 service charge). The Division says online filings are generally processed within 7 to 10 business days of receipt and paper filings within 15 business days. The practical implication: if your LLC goes without a registered agent, the Secretary of State can start administrative dissolution. The Division mails a notice first, and the LLC has 60 days from that notice to fix the problem. A dissolved LLC can apply for reinstatement within five years for $260, including the $10 service charge. Ensure your new registered agent (an individual who lives in Georgia, or a qualifying corporation or LLC) has a physical Georgia street address and has agreed to serve. File the change as soon as you switch agents to maintain continuous compliance.

Can I file the registered agent change online or do I need to mail it?

Georgia lets you file the registered agent change online or on paper. The change is made by filing an annual registration or an amended annual registration, and the amended annual registration costs $30 either way ($20 plus a $10 service charge). The Corporations Division says online filings are generally processed within 7 to 10 business days of receipt, while paper filings submitted by mail or hand delivery are generally processed within 15 business days. Filing online avoids mail delays, protecting your LLC from missing legal notices. For an LLC, your new registered agent must be an individual who lives in Georgia, a Georgia corporation or LLC, or an out-of-state corporation or LLC authorized to do business in Georgia, located at a Georgia street address. Complete the filing with your LLC name and your new agent's name and Georgia address through the Corporations Division's online filing system.

How to Change Your Registered Agent in Georgia

Complete guide to updating your LLC's registered agent with the Georgia Secretary of State, including required forms, fees, and filing procedures.

By Edmond Hui · Last updated: October 2026

Affiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Get registered agent service from NorthwestRegistered agent service is $125/yr. The included first year applies only when you form a new LLC with them ($39 plus your state's filing fee), so it does not apply to an LLC you already have. Registered agent customers are enrolled by default in annual report filing at $100 plus state fees, charged automatically to your saved payment method and cancellable any time.

Not sure which service is right? Compare formation services →

Step diagram for changing an LLC's registered agent in Georgia, showing the 6 filing steps required by the Georgia Secretary of State. — The 6 steps to change your registered agent in Georgia. Source: Georgia Secretary of State.

How to File

1
Obtain consent from your new registered agent
Before filing any paperwork, ensure your new registered agent agrees to serve and has a physical Georgia address. If using a professional service, they'll typically provide written acceptance.
2
File an annual registration or amended annual registration
Georgia changes a registered agent through the annual registration. If this year's annual registration is already filed, file an amended annual registration with the Georgia Secretary of State's Corporations Division; otherwise make the change on your annual registration.
3
Include required information
The filing must include your LLC's exact legal name and the new registered agent's name and complete Georgia street address, and be signed by an authorized member or manager.
4
Submit the filing and fee
An amended annual registration costs $30 ($20 plus a $10 service charge), online or on paper. Filing online through the Corporations Division's online filing system is the simplest route; check the Division's website for its current mailing address if you file on paper.
5
Notify your old registered agent
Inform your previous registered agent in writing that they're no longer serving in this capacity. This prevents confusion and ensures they don't accept service on your behalf.
6
Update internal records
Update your LLC's internal records, operating agreement if applicable, and notify banks, vendors, and other business contacts of the registered agent change.

Need the Georgia Secretary of State?

Go directly to the Georgia Secretary of State website.

File with the Georgia Secretary of State →

When Should You Change Your Registered Agent?

Your current registered agent is moving out of Georgia or closing their business
You want to switch from being your own registered agent to a professional service
Your registered agent has failed to forward important legal documents or state notices
You're relocating your business and need a registered agent in a different Georgia location

Hiring a service is optional. You can name yourself or another individual with a street address in Georgia, and the FAQ below gives Georgia's own rule.

Registered agent services for Georgia LLCs, by renewal price

Affiliate disclosure: Northwest Registered Agent, Bizee, ZenBusiness and LegalZoom pay us a commission if you sign up through our link, at no extra cost to you. We list only the registered agent services we have an affiliate relationship with, so this is not a survey of the whole market.

This table is not scored. The four are listed cheapest annual renewal first, and the rows below it say which one fits which situation. The scored ranking, and the formula behind it, is on the formation services review, which orders them on three-year cost, BBB rating and Trustpilot score.

Service	With formation, year 1	Annual renewal	BBB	Trustpilot	Privacy
Northwest Registered Agent	Included with $39 formation	$125/yr	A	4.1/5 (297)	Says it does not sell your information; runs its own servers
Bizee	Free year one (some visitors are being shown shorter free periods, so confirm at checkout)	$149/yr	C (unaccredited)	4.8/5 (26,100+)	No data-sharing commitment
ZenBusiness	$99, not included in any plan	$199/yr	A	4.8/5 (32,500+)	Partial
LegalZoom	Not included, $249 extra	$249/yr	A+	4.6/5 (32,900+)	Partial

Note: Bizee holds a C rating from the BBB and is not accredited. BBB's profile carries a live alert describing a pattern of complaints about unexpected charges, difficulty canceling and filing delays, and Bizee has posted a response to it. We flag this so you can make an informed choice.

Prices are each provider's standard published rates; year-one pricing applies when you form your LLC through the same service. BBB and Trustpilot figures as recorded September 15, 2026, not re-checked since, and both sources update continuously. These are the dates the figures were last written to our dataset, which is the most we can show: they are not verification dates. See how we evaluate these companies in our full formation services review →

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It reports what each state publishes about filing deadlines, fees, and the consequences of missing them, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you what your own company owes: the date turns on when and where you formed, states change these rules between our reviews, and in several states an entity-level tax falls due in a year when no report does. Confirm your own dates with the filing office named on this page before you rely on one here, because missing a deadline can cost the company its good standing or, in many states, its existence.

Read this guide for another state:

Frequently Asked Questions

: Georgia's Corporations Division says processing times vary with its workload: online filings are generally processed within 7 to 10 business days of receipt, and paper filings within 15 business days, with longer turnarounds at busy times of year. You make the change by filing an annual registration or, if this year's registration is already filed, an amended annual registration, which costs $30 ($20 plus a $10 service charge). Until the filing is processed, your current registered agent remains the agent on record, so file well before your intended changeover date and coordinate with both agents. Have your LLC's name and both the old and new agent information ready when you file online.
: Changing your registered agent in Georgia costs $30 if you file an amended annual registration with the Georgia Secretary of State's Corporations Division ($20 plus a $10 service charge, online or on paper). If your annual registration for the year is still due, you can make the change on that filing and pay only the $60 annual registration fee. However, your total cost depends on your choice of registered agent. If you appoint an individual, such as yourself, you pay only the state fee. If you hire a professional registered agent service, expect to pay an annual fee. This distinction matters because Georgia requires you to maintain a registered agent at a Georgia street address at all times. Failing to maintain one is a ground for administrative dissolution of your LLC. To proceed, file the amended annual registration with your new agent's information through the Corporations Division's online filing system.
: Yes, you can serve as your own registered agent in Georgia if you live in Georgia, keep a physical street address (not a PO box) in the state, and are consistently available during business hours to receive legal documents and service of process. However, this creates a practical challenge: you must be personally available to accept lawsuits, subpoenas, and regulatory notices during standard business hours, every business day. Missing a single document can result in a default judgment against your LLC without your knowledge. Your registered agent is named in your Articles of Organization (form CD 030), and you change it later by filing an annual registration or an amended annual registration ($30 for the amended registration, including the $10 service charge). Most Georgia LLC owners delegate this responsibility to a professional registered agent service to ensure documents never go unnoticed and to keep their home address out of the registered agent entry. Contact the Georgia Secretary of State's Corporations Division to discuss your options.
: No, properly changing your registered agent won't affect your LLC's good standing status with the Georgia Secretary of State. However, failing to maintain a registered agent or registered office is a ground for administrative dissolution. To change your registered agent in Georgia, file an annual registration or, if this year's registration is already filed, an amended annual registration with the Corporations Division. The amended annual registration costs $30 ($20 plus a $10 service charge). The Division says online filings are generally processed within 7 to 10 business days of receipt and paper filings within 15 business days. The practical implication: if your LLC goes without a registered agent, the Secretary of State can start administrative dissolution. The Division mails a notice first, and the LLC has 60 days from that notice to fix the problem. A dissolved LLC can apply for reinstatement within five years for $260, including the $10 service charge. Ensure your new registered agent (an individual who lives in Georgia, or a qualifying corporation or LLC) has a physical Georgia street address and has agreed to serve. File the change as soon as you switch agents to maintain continuous compliance.
: Georgia lets you file the registered agent change online or on paper. The change is made by filing an annual registration or an amended annual registration, and the amended annual registration costs $30 either way ($20 plus a $10 service charge). The Corporations Division says online filings are generally processed within 7 to 10 business days of receipt, while paper filings submitted by mail or hand delivery are generally processed within 15 business days. Filing online avoids mail delays, protecting your LLC from missing legal notices. For an LLC, your new registered agent must be an individual who lives in Georgia, a Georgia corporation or LLC, or an out-of-state corporation or LLC authorized to do business in Georgia, located at a Georgia street address. Complete the filing with your LLC name and your new agent's name and Georgia address through the Corporations Division's online filing system.

Sources

8 documents

Each entry below is a document recorded in our verified Georgia sources, and each entry says what the document is. Some statutory text is read from an accurate mirror rather than from the state's own host, and those say so. Where we hold the citation but no stable public link, the citation is printed on its own rather than pointed at a guessed address.

Georgia statute: O.C.G.A. 14-11-209 (registered agent)
Georgia statute: O.C.G.A. 14-11-603 (administrative dissolution and reinstatement)
sos.ga.gov/sites/default/files/forms/Reference%20-%20Filing%20Fees%20(Effective%209.6.2025).pdfGeorgia Corporations Division: Filing Fees (effective September 6, 2025)
sos.ga.gov/page/business-division-faqGeorgia Secretary of State: Business Division FAQ
sos.ga.gov/how-to-guide/filing-fees-and-expedited-processing-document-filingsGeorgia Secretary of State: business entity filings
rules.sos.ga.gov/gac/590-7-22Georgia statute: Annual Registration
law.onecle.com/georgia/title-14/14-11-1103.htmlGeorgia statutory text, unofficial mirror: Annual Registration
ecorp.sos.ga.gov/oneClickARGeorgia Secretary of State: file the Annual Registration

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Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC

Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.

How we check facts

How to File

Obtain consent from your new registered agent

File an annual registration or amended annual registration

Include required information

Submit the filing and fee

Notify your old registered agent

Update internal records