Search Georgia LLC & Corporation Records
Georgia’s official Corporations Division search can find LLCs, corporations, nonprofits, limited partnerships and foreign entities using a business name, control number, registered agent, officer or designated agent.
For most users, the best workflow is simple: search broadly by name, open the correct entity, save its control number, review status and agent information, then use annual registration, certificates or document services only if needed.
Fastest lookup: use the official eCorp Business Search and start with Contains when you are not certain of the complete legal business name.
Best exact identifier: once you find the business, save the Georgia control number. It is more reliable than repeatedly matching similar company names.
Important: Georgia explicitly states that its Business Search is not intended to serve as a name-availability search.
How to Search Georgia Business Records
The live Georgia eCorp search gives you three name-matching choices: Starts With, Contains and Exact Match. Use them deliberately instead of assuming the first search proves that a business does or does not exist.
- Open the official Georgia Business Search.
- Select Contains if you know only part of the legal name.
- Enter the strongest distinctive words from the business name.
- Review close matches instead of relying on the first result.
- Open the likely entity and compare its control number, status, type, formation date and address.
- Check registered-agent and officer information where available.
- Save the control number before ordering records or filing an annual registration.
Image description: visual reference to the Georgia Corporations Division search screen where users can search by business name, control number, registered agent, officer or designated agent. This website is not the official Georgia Secretary of State website.
Georgia Business Search Fields Explained
| Search field | Best use | Practical tip |
|---|---|---|
| Business Name | Normal LLC, corporation, nonprofit or partnership lookup. | Use Contains first when exact wording is uncertain. |
| Control Number | Exact record lookup when you already have Georgia’s state identifier. | Save it from the entity detail page for later filings. |
| Registered Agent Name | Finding businesses associated with a known registered agent. | Commercial agents may appear on many unrelated entities. |
| Officer Name | Finding corporations connected with a known CEO, CFO or secretary. | Compare addresses and control numbers before deciding two records are related. |
| Designated Agent Name | When that agent category is your strongest known clue. | Use it as a record-search field, not proof of business ownership. |
What to Check on a Georgia Business Record
Entity identity
- Exact legal business name
- Control number
- Business type
- Business status
- Date of formation or Georgia registration
- State or country of formation
People and addresses
- Principal office address
- Registered agent name
- Registered-agent physical address
- Registered-office county
- Officer information for corporations where available
- Last annual-registration year
Georgia Business Name Search Is Not Final Name Approval
The official eCorp page specifically states that Business Search is not intended to serve as a name-availability search.
That means a clear search result is useful screening, but it is not an official promise that the Secretary of State will accept the proposed name.
- Search the complete proposed legal name.
- Search the strongest unique words separately.
- Try Starts With and Contains.
- Check singular, plural, spelling and abbreviation variations.
- Search without LLC, Inc., Corp., punctuation and capitalization differences.
- Use Georgia’s formal filing or optional name-reservation process for the actual state decision.
Georgia’s current name-reservation fee is $35, including the current service charge. A reservation generally lasts 30 days.
Open Georgia’s official name-reservation guide.
- Review the name-availability and restricted-word rules.
- You may submit up to three name preferences in order.
- Create or use your eCorp account for online filing.
- Select name reservation.
- Submit the request and retain the reservation number if approved.
Georgia Annual Registration: January 1–April 1
Georgia requires registered business entities to file an annual registration when due. The filing window generally opens January 1 and ends April 1.
| Entity type | Initial / regular timing | Current annual fee |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic LLC | First annual registration is generally January 1–April 1 of the year after formation; then when due in later years. | $60 |
| Domestic profit / professional / benefit corporation | Initial registration generally within 90 days of incorporation; later registrations are due January 1–April 1 when due. Special timing applies to late-year formations. | $60 |
| Nonprofit corporation | Follow the current annual-registration cycle shown by Georgia eCorp. | $40 |
| LP / LLLP and covered entities | January 1–April 1 in a year when registration is due. | $60 |
| Foreign LLP | Use Georgia’s annual-registration process. | $35 |
Georgia allows eligible entities to file annual registrations for up to three calendar years in advance.
Open Georgia annual-registration instructions.
- Search the entity and confirm its control number and current registration year.
- Use One Click Annual Registration if the business is current and no changes are needed.
- Use logged-in Online Services if you need to make changes.
- Review the principal office, registered agent and registered office before submitting.
- Corporations should also verify CEO, CFO and Secretary information.
- Save the receipt and confirmation after payment.
Georgia Status Meanings and Reinstatement
| Status issue | What it usually means | Best next step |
|---|---|---|
| Active / Compliance | The entity appears current in the Georgia Corporations Division record. | Still verify licences, taxes or other requirements separately if they matter. |
| Active / Noncompliance | The entity has a compliance issue such as overdue annual registration and may face administrative action. | Check annual-registration history and file outstanding requirements promptly. |
| Administratively Dissolved | A domestic entity was dissolved through an administrative process. | Review reinstatement eligibility instead of automatically forming a new business. |
| Revoked | A foreign entity’s Georgia authority has been revoked. | Foreign entities do not use domestic reinstatement; they must re-qualify for authority. |
Georgia currently gives an administratively dissolved domestic corporation or LLC up to 5 years from the effective dissolution date to apply for reinstatement.
The current reinstatement total is $260 under the SOS filing guide.
Open Georgia reinstatement instructions.
- Confirm that the entity is domestic and within the 5-year reinstatement period.
- Open Georgia eCorp Online Services.
- Log in or create an account.
- Select reinstate an entity.
- Complete outstanding compliance steps and submit the reinstatement filing.
Certificate of Existence and Certified Copies
A Georgia Certificate of Existence is official state proof commonly requested by lenders, banks, vendors, licensing authorities or another state.
Under Georgia’s current published fee schedule, a standard Certificate of Existence is $20 total, consisting of the certificate fee plus applicable service charge.
Certificate of Existence
Use this when a third party needs official confirmation from the Corporations Division rather than a printed search result.
Certified copies
Use a certified copy when the receiving party specifically needs a certified version of a filed document such as formation or amendment records.
- Search the entity first.
- Confirm its legal name and control number.
- Ask the recipient whether it wants a Certificate of Existence or a certified document copy.
- Use Georgia eCorp for online certificate and certified-copy requests.
- Download and retain the completed document and receipt.
What Georgia Registered-Agent Information Means
Georgia requires the registered office to be a physical street address in Georgia where the registered agent can be personally served. A standalone P.O. box or mail drop does not satisfy the registered-office requirement.
The registered office can be different from the company’s principal place of business.
Georgia’s rules also state that an entity may not serve as its own registered agent, although a qualifying individual or another eligible entity may be appointed.
Agent or registered-office information can be changed through the annual registration or an amended annual registration.
Use Georgia E-Notification to Watch for Record Changes
Georgia’s Corporations Division offers an E-Notification system that can email subscribers when changes are made to a selected entity’s filing history.
This is particularly useful for business owners who want an early warning about unauthorized changes to addresses, officers or other corporate information.
- Enter the email address that should receive alerts.
- Select Subscribe.
- Search for the business by name or control number.
- Select the correct entity.
- Save the subscription.
Georgia Has a Separate Service of Process Search
If your question concerns substituted service of process rather than ordinary corporation records, use Georgia’s separate Service of Process Search.
The system can search by:
- Defendant Name
- Plaintiff Name
- Civil Action Number
- Control Number
Open Georgia Service of Process Search.
Common Georgia Corporations Division Fees
Georgia’s current Corporations Division fee schedule includes a $10 service charge in many filing totals. Check the live eCorp checkout or current official fee schedule before paying.
| Service | Current listed total | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Business Search | Free | Use before ordering certificates or filing changes. |
| Domestic LLC formation | $110 | Articles of Organization plus current service charge. |
| Domestic corporation formation | $110 | Articles of Incorporation plus current service charge. |
| Annual registration — profit corp / LLC / LP / LLLP and covered entities | $60 | Generally due January 1–April 1 when registration is due. |
| Nonprofit annual registration | $40 | Different fee from profit corporations and LLCs. |
| Late annual-registration penalty | $25 | Added when applicable. |
| Name reservation — 30 days | $35 | Optional before many formations. |
| Foreign corporation / LLC / LP / LLLP authority | $235 | Late foreign registration can carry additional penalties. |
| Certificate of Existence | $20 | Order only when formal status proof is required. |
| Certified copy / certificate service | Generally $20 plus page charges when applicable | Longer documents can add per-page costs. |
| Domestic reinstatement | $260 | Domestic corporations and LLCs generally have a 5-year reinstatement window. |
Open Georgia filing fees and expedited-processing guidance.
- Find the exact filing or document type.
- Check whether the total includes a service charge.
- Confirm whether expedited processing is actually necessary.
- Remember that Georgia filing fees are generally non-refundable.
Common Georgia Business Search Problems
| Problem | Likely reason | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| No entity appears | Exact Match is too restrictive or the legal name differs from the public-facing name. | Switch to Contains and search the distinctive name words. |
| Too many businesses appear | The business name is common. | Compare entity type, status, control number, agent and address. |
| Only an officer is known | Business-name search is not the best field. | Use Officer Name search. |
| Only a registered agent is known | You need an agent-based search. | Use Registered Agent Name and compare each result. |
| Status says Active/Noncompliance | Annual registration or another compliance requirement may be outstanding. | Check annual-registration history and outstanding fees before administrative dissolution occurs. |
| Business is administratively dissolved | The domestic entity lost compliance. | Check whether it is still within Georgia’s 5-year reinstatement period. |
| You need official proof | A printed search screen is not enough for the recipient. | Order a Certificate of Existence or certified copy after confirming the control number. |
Georgia Corporations Division Contact Information
Corporations Division
Georgia Secretary of State
Corporations Division
2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE
Suite 313, Floyd West Tower
Atlanta, GA 30334-1530
Before contacting the office
Have the legal business name and Georgia control number ready.
Also identify whether the question concerns annual registration, a certificate, a copy, reinstatement, name reservation or another filing.
Open the official Georgia Corporations Division contact page.
Official Georgia Business Resources
Search by business name, control number, registered agent, officer or designated agent.
Annual registration, business search, Online Services, certificates and other corporate filings.
January 1–April 1 filing window, required information, fees and multi-year registration options.
Georgia name-reservation procedure, availability standards and current fee.
Official online certificate ordering after you confirm the exact Georgia entity.
Domestic corporation and LLC reinstatement instructions and 5-year time limit.
Email alerts when changes are made to a selected entity’s filing history.
Separate search by defendant, plaintiff, civil action number or control number.
Current processing options, payment methods and certificate expedite rules.
Georgia Business Entity Search FAQ
1. Is the Georgia business entity search free?
Yes. Georgia eCorp provides a free public business search. Fees apply to annual registrations, certificates, certified copies, formations, reinstatements and other filings.
2. Where do I search for a Georgia LLC or corporation?
Use the Georgia Secretary of State Corporations Division Business Search at ecorp.sos.ga.gov/BusinessSearch. The main search supports business name, control number, registered agent, officer and designated-agent fields.
3. What is a Georgia control number?
It is the state identifier tied to the entity’s Corporations Division record. Save it after finding the correct business because it is useful for exact lookup, annual registration, certificates, copies and support questions.
4. Can I search Georgia businesses by registered agent or officer?
Yes. Georgia eCorp includes separate Registered Agent Name and Officer Name search fields, as well as a Designated Agent Name field.
5. Does the Georgia business search prove that a new business name is available?
No. The official search page specifically states that Business Search is not intended to serve as a name-availability search. Use it for screening, then rely on the Secretary of State’s filing or name-reservation decision.
6. When is a Georgia annual registration due?
Annual registrations are generally due between January 1 and April 1 in a year when the registration is due. Domestic corporations have a special initial-registration rule that generally requires filing within 90 days of incorporation, subject to the state’s late-year formation rule.
7. How much is a Georgia LLC or profit-corporation annual registration?
The current Georgia Corporations Division annual-registration guide lists $60 for profit corporations, professional corporations, benefit corporations, LLCs, LPs, LLLPs and certain other covered entities. A $25 late penalty applies when required.
8. How much is a Georgia Certificate of Existence?
Georgia’s current published fee schedule lists a $20 total for a standard Certificate of Existence, including the applicable service charge. Online certificate requests are processed immediately according to the Corporations Division.
9. How long does a dissolved Georgia corporation or LLC have to reinstate?
An administratively dissolved domestic corporation or LLC generally has five years from the effective dissolution date to seek reinstatement. Foreign entities whose authority was revoked must re-qualify rather than use domestic reinstatement.
10. Can the Georgia SOS search tell me whether a company is an S corporation?
No. S-corporation and C-corporation treatment are federal tax classifications handled through the IRS. Georgia’s Secretary of State record shows the state legal entity and filing information, not the entity’s federal S-election status.