A limited liability company (LLC for short) is a way to legally structure a business. It combines the limited liability of a corporation with the flexibility and lack of formalities provided by a partnership or sole proprietorship. Any business owner who seeks to limit his or her personal liability for business debts and lawsuits should consider forming an LLC. For more information on how to form an LLC in any state, see Nolo's article How to Form an LLC.

1. Choose a Name for Your LLC

Under Georgia law, an LLC name must contain one of the following: "Limited Liability Company," "LLC," "L.L.C.," "Limited Company," "LC," or "L.C." The term "Limited" is allowed to be abbreviated as "Ltd." and "Company" may be abbreviated as "Co." The complete name must be 80 characters or less, including any spaces and/or punctuation.

Your LLC's name must be recognizably different from the names of other business entities already on file with the Georgia Secretary of State Corporations Division. Names may be checked for availability by searching the Corporations Division business name database. You may reserve a name for 30 days online or by filing a Name Reservation Request form. The reservation fee is $25.

2. Appoint a Registered Agent

Every Georgia LLC must have an agent for service of process in the state. This is an individual or business entity that agrees to accept legal papers on the LLC's behalf if it is sued. A registered agent may be either an individual resident or business entity that is authorized to do business in Georgia. The registered agent must have a physical street address in Georgia.

3. File Articles of Organization and Transmittal Form

A Georgia LLC is created by filing Articles of Organization with the Georgia Secretary of State Corporations Division Corporations. The articles must include:

• the LLC's name, and
• the signature of an organizer, member, manager, or an attorney-in-fact.

The filing fee is $100. The articles of organization can be be filed online or by postal mail.

If you file by mail, you must also file a completed Transmittal Information Form Georgia Limited Liability Company (Form 231). The form must include:

• the LLC's email address
• LLC's name and name reservation number (if any)
• name and address of the person filing the articles
• LLC's principal mailing address
• name and address of LLC's registered agent, and
• all the organizers' names and addresses.

4. Prepare an Operating Agreement

An LLC operating agreement is not required in Georgia, but is highly advisable. This is an internal document that establishes how your LLC will be run. It sets out the rights and responsibilities of the members and managers, including how the LLC will be managed. It can also help preserve your limited liability by showing that your LLC is truly a separate business entity. In the absence of an operating agreement, state LLC law will govern how your LLC operates.

5. Obtain an EIN

If your LLC has more than one member, it must obtain its own IRS Employer Identification Number (EIN), even if it has no employees. If you form a one-member LLC, you must obtain an EIN for it only if it will have employees or you elect to have it taxed as a corporation instead of a sole proprietorship (disregarded entity). You may obtain an EIN by completing an online application on the IRS website. There is no filing fee.

6. File Annual Registrations

All LLCs doing business in Georgia must file an annual registration with the Secretary of State and pay a $50 filing fee. The initial registration is due between January 1 and April 1 of the year following the calendar year in which the LLC was formed. The registration should be filed online. For more information on Georgia LLC annual reports, see Nolo's article Georgia LLC Annual Filing Requirements.