Georgia Foreign Corporation Filing
Georgia state law, the OCGA, requires that any business that plans to conduct business
in Georgia (with the exception of certain business activities that do not carry
this requirement) first files as a Foreign Corporation with the Corporations Division
of Georgia, located in Atlanta. There are financial consequences for not doing so
that may interrupt your business dealings in the state.
Steps to Form a Georgia Foreign Corporation
In order to file as a Foreign Corporation in Georgia, you must fill out an Application
for Certificate of Authority for Foreign Corporation. The following information
must be provided when applying for Foreign Corporation status:
- Name: You must use the exact name of your corporation in your original state, if
it is available. If it is not (and only if it is not), you will choose a different
name for use in the state. If you'd like, ClickAndInc.com can perform a
business name search to help you determine if you'll need to file the paperwork
necessary to file for an alternate name for use in Georgia.
- Date: You must provide the date on which you commenced transacting business (or
propose to commence transacting business) in Georgia. If that date is more than
30 days from your Foreign Corporation filing, you must pay a $500 fine.
- Filer: The name and address of the person submitting the application for filing
should be included; the filed Certificate of Foreign Corporation will be returned
to this address.
- Principle Mailing Address: This address is allowed to be a PO Box.
- Registered Agent: You must appoint a registered agent with a physical address (not
a PO Box) in Georgia. If you don't have one, let ClickAndInc.com obtain a
registered agent in Georgia for you.
- You will indicate whether your corporation is for-profit or non-profit.
- Jurisdiction: This is the state in which you were originally incorporated.
- Filing Date: This is the date on which you were filed in your domestic state.
- Officer/CFO: Names and addresses of your officers should be set forth.
- Authorized Signature: The signature of an authorized person should be provided.
A Certificate of Existence or a Certificate of Good Standing, dated within 90 days
of applying for Foreign Corporation status, must be submitted along with the application.
ClickAndInc can obtain your
Certificate of Good Standing from your original state for you.
Additional Requirements for a Georgia Foreign Corporation
The Secretary of State must be alerted if any of the above information changes after
you have registered your Foreign Corporation in Georgia.
ClickAndInc can prepare and file your
Georgia Foreign Corporation for you.
Georgia Startup Quicklinks
For information on other types of businesses in Georgia, please explore the links
below.