Georgia Foreign Qualification

Why You Need To Do It – In order to stay compliant, all businesses must foreign qualify when branching out into a new state. This protects the company from fees and fines and also gives the business legal protection if needed.

When Should You Do It? – Your company should begin the process of foreign qualification as soon as it decides that it will branch out into Georgia. Otherwise you may end up facing various delays that can impact your plans. Starting as soon as possible is always the best option. Generally, you will need Georgia foreign qualification if your company falls under any of the following criteria:

• Has a physical presence in Georgia
• Buying a property there
• Have remote employees
• Accepts orders in Georgia
• Owns a bank account in Georgia

There are several basic steps that must be taken in order to obtain Georgia foreign qualification. These include the following.

1. Obtain Certificates – To foreign qualify, you’ll need to file an Application for a Certificate of Authority. This form is available online under the name Application for a Certificate of Authority for Foreign Limited Liability Company or Application for a Certificate of Authority for Foreign Profit or Nonprofit Corporation. You can download a copy and file the completed form with the Corporations Division of the Georgia Secretary of State. You can submit the said document in person or by mail. Corporations will also have to submit a Certificate of Good Standing or Existence.

2. Collect And Submit Information – The forms will require some information regarding your company.

LLC

• LLC name as registered in your company’s home state
• Name reservation number (optional)
• An alternate name, if necessary
• Date when the LLC began or will begin doing business in Georgia
• The name, address, and contact information of the authorized person filing the registration
• The name of the home state
• The original date of formation
• Period of duration
• The principal office address
• Registered agent information
• The name and address of the LLC’s manager
• The address where you keep all records of your LLC
• The effective date of the application
• An authorized signature

Corporation

• Name of corporation
• Name reservation number (optional)
• Date when the corporation began or will begin doing business in Georgia
• The name, address, and contact information of the authorized person filing the registration
• The principal office address
• Registered agent information
• Corporation’s name in home state
• Verify if corporation is profit or nonprofit
• Jurisdiction of the original incorporation
• The original date of formation
• Names and addresses of officers (CEO, CFO, and Secretary)
• The date the corporation will start transacting business in Georgia

3. Appoint Registered Agent – Your registered agent will be responsible for receiving documents from Georgia and providing them to the business. They also are the initial point of contact when the business is sued. Most businesses elect to use a third party like DoMyLLC to serve as their registered agent in order to keep things simple for themselves.

4. File The Application – Once you complete the forms, you’ll need to submit them along with the $225 online filing fee or $235 paper filing fee.

5. Ongoing Maintenance – Georgia requires that all corporations and LLCs go through the process of filing an annual report to stay compliant. This must be filed between January 1 and April 1 of each year and includes a $50 filing fee.

We know that business leaders have a lot of different things to worry about. That’s why we work hard to take the pressure and stress of filing for foreign qualification in Georgia off your shoulders. We offer:

•     Dedicated account managers
•     Unlimited and ongoing customer support
•     Name availability checks
•     Full filing and registration for your business

If you’re thinking of expanding into Georgia, we can help. Contact us today and let us handle the Georgia foreign qualification process for you.