Georgia Registered Agents: How, Why, and When to Get One

Follow this guide to learn what a registered agent does, when you need one, and how to get a registered agent in Georgia. 

What is a registered agent and what do they do?

A registered agent (also known as an RA or a statutory agent) is an individual or entity that receives service of process and other important mail on behalf of a business. A registered agent provides a physical address and functions as a point of contact for businesses. Many businesses hire a registered agent to save time, avoid having to directly receive service of process, and ensure that urgent mail is handled without delay. 

Having a registered agent is essential in complying with Georgia laws and ensuring any legal issues are promptly addressed. 

Extra services offered by professional registered agents

Many businesses choose to hire an attorney or a registered agent service to free up time and protect their privacy.

Hiring a professional registered agent is often preferable to serving as your own registered agent, as it eliminates the need for you to be available during normal business hours to receive service of process and other legal notices.

In addition, the best registered agents often provide extra services, including the following:

• Document scanning. Many Georgia registered agent services scan and upload important documents for easy digital access. 
• Time-sensitive mail alerts. Registered agent services will notify you as soon as they receive any mail that requires a timely response, helping to ensure you don’t miss important deadlines.  
•  Digital mail solutions. Virtual mail services enable you to view your mail from any digital device, and can include junk mail filtering, shredding, and storage services.  
• Filtering junk mail. Sorting through unwanted mail is one of the many time-saving services registered agent services can provide. 

What are the legal requirements for a Georgia registered agent?

Here are the legal requirements for a Georgia registered agent:

1. The individual or entity designated as a Georgia registered agent must be available during normal business hours to receive service of process for the business.
2. Registered agents must provide a Georgia street address to receive notices on behalf of the entity.
3. A post office box cannot be used as the registered agent address.
4. The registered agent address must be the same as the registered office address. 
5. An entity can’t serve as its own registered agent. However, business owners, shareholders, or officers are allowed to act as a registered agent for their company. 
6. Foreign entities must be authorized to do business in Georgia in order to act as an RA for another entity. 

Here’s who can be an RA for the following types of business entities in Georgia.

• Foreign profit or nonprofit corporation: An individual resident of Georgia whose business office is the same as the registered office, a domestic profit or nonprofit corporation or LLC, or a foreign profit or nonprofit corporation or LLC authorized to do business in Georgia. 
• Domestic limited partnership (LP) or domestic limited liability limited partnership (LLLP): An individual resident of Georgia, a domestic corporation, professional corporation, or LLC, or a foreign corporation or LLC authorized to conduct business in Georgia.
• Foreign limited liability partnership (LLP) or LLLP: An individual resident of Georgia, a domestic corporation, professional corporation, or LLC, or a foreign corporation or LLC authorized to do business in Georgia. 
• Domestic LLC: An individual resident of Georgia, a domestic corporation or LLC, or a foreign corporation or LLC with a certificate of authority to do business in Georgia.
• Foreign LLC: An individual resident of Georgia, a domestic corporation or LLC, or a foreign corporation or LLC with a certificate of authority to conduct business in Georgia. 
• Foreign LLP: An individual resident of Georgia, a domestic corporation, professional corporation, or LLC, or a foreign corporation or LLC authorized to transact business in Georgia. 

Why should you hire a Georgia registered agent?

Hiring a Georgia registered agent service can help you comply with the law, protect your privacy, and maintain separation between your personal and professional affairs.

Legal compliance

Professional registered agents understand how to fulfill their responsibilities and ensure your business remains in compliance with Georgia law. 

Extra service for your business

If you use LegalZoom's Virtual Mail service, you can view and manage your mail remotely with a business address of your choice.  

Privacy

A registered agent’s address is public record. Hiring a registered agent can help keep your personal address private. 

Separation between your business and personal life

A professional registered agent can save you from having to deal with receiving service of process or other documents concerning your business at your home address. 

Extra services

Many professional registered agents offer additional services, such as document scanning, virtual mailboxes, and time-sensitive mail notifications.

Who should hire a professional registered agent?

Business owners who prioritize privacy, convenience, and professionalism should consider hiring a professional registered agent. You may also want to hire a professional registered agent if you don’t live in Georgia but want to operate a business in the state, travel a lot, or want to take advantage of the extra services many professional registered agents offer. 

Using a registered agent’s address as your business address can boost your business’ perceived legitimacy and make it easier to keep your personal and business lives separate. A professional registered agent can help reduce the risk of missing important legal communications and ensure that you receive notifications in a timely manner. 

How to hire a Georgia registered agent

Getting a professional Georgia registered agent is simple with LegalZoom’s registered agent services. Tell us your business name and answer a few questions and we’ll complete your paperwork and file it with the state. 

Our comprehensive registered agent services include alerts as soon as we receive important mail, reminders so you don’t miss annual report deadlines, document scanning, digital access to essential documents, and unlimited cloud storage for all of your business documents. If you already have a registered agent and want to switch to LegalZoom, we’ll cover the costs of changing agents. 

FAQs

Can you change registered agents?

You can change the name of your registered agent in Georgia by filing an annual registration or an amended annual registration with the Corporation Division of the Georgia Secretary of State. 

Should you be your own registered agent?

Whether you should be your own registered agent or use a professional registered agent depends on your unique situation. 

As long as you are located in Georgia, willing and able to commit to being available to receive mail for your business during regular business hours, and are ok with using your physical street address as your registered office address, you can be your own registered agent. 

However, if keeping regular business hours is too much of a hassle for you, you have any privacy concerns, or you aren’t physically located in Georgia, hiring a commercial registered agent is a better option.

Should you hire a registered agent before forming your LLC?

You should hire a registered agent before forming your Georgia LLC. You will need registered agent information (including the agent’s name and address) to create and file your LLC registration. 

How do I find a registered agent in Georgia?

Your registered agent should be located in Georgia and be willing and able to receive service of process and forward urgent notifications. You can serve as your own registered agent, ask an employee or spouse to serve as a registered agent, or use an online registered agent service. 

What happens if my registered agent quits?

In certain situations, the Georgia Secretary of State may serve as a statutory agent to accept service of process on behalf of a business.

For instance, if an LLC fails to appoint or maintain a registered agent, or if a registered agent can’t be found at the registered office, the Georgia Secretary of State will serve as the default agent. 

However, if your registered agent quits, it’s important to quickly find a replacement agent. You need to have a registered agent to file your annual registration for your business. If you don’t file the registration, you may face a civil suit, or your business can be administratively dissolved or revoked by the Georgia Secretary of State.