Registered Agents and Service of Process

O.C.G.A. tit. 14, ch. 2, art. 5, pt. 1

in effect

O.C.G.A. § 14-2-501 Registered office and registered agent.

14-2-501. Registered office and registered agent. Each corporation must continuously maintain in this state: (1) A registered office that may be the same as any of its places of business; and (2) A registered agent, who may be: (A) A person who resides in this state and whose business office is identical with the registered office; (B) A domestic corporation, nonprofit domestic corporation, or domestic limited liability company whose business office is identical with the registered office; or (C) A foreign corporation, nonprofit foreign corporation, or foreign limited liability company authorized to transact business in this state whose business office is identical with the registered office. (Code 1981, § 14-2-501, enacted by Ga. L. 1988, p. 1070, § 1; Ga. L. 1999, p. 405, § 5; Ga. L. 2016, p. 225, § 3-1/SB 128.)

O.C.G.A. § 14-2-502 Change of registered office or registered agent.

14-2-502. Change of registered office or registered agent. (a) A corporation may change its registered office or registered agent by delivering to the Secretary of State for filing an amendment to its annual registration that sets forth: (1) The name of the corporation; (2) The street address of its current registered office; (3) If the current registered office is to be changed, the street address of the new registered office; (4) The name of its current registered agent; (5) If the current registered agent is to be changed, the name of the new registered agent; and (6) That after the change or changes are made, the street addresses of its registered office and the business office of its registered agent will be identical. (b) If a registered agent changes the street address of his business office, he may change the street address of the registered office of any corporation for which he is the registered agent by notifying the corporation in writing of the change and signing, either manually or in facsimile, and delivering to the Secretary of State for filing a statement of change setting forth the new address and all corporations for which he is the registered agent. (Code 1981, § 14-2-502, enacted by Ga. L. 1988, p. 1070, § 1.)

O.C.G.A. § 14-2-503 Resignation of registered agent.

14-2-503. Resignation of registered agent. (a) A registered agent may resign his agency appointment by signing and delivering to the Secretary of State for filing a statement of resignation. The statement may include a statement that the registered office is also discontinued. (b) On or before the date of the filing of the statement of resignation, the registered agent shall deliver or mail a written notice of the agent's intention to resign to the chief executive officer, chief financial officer, secretary of the corporation, or a person holding a position comparable to any of the foregoing, as named and at the address shown in the annual registration, or in the articles of incorporation if no annual registration has been filed. (c) The agency appointment is terminated, and the registered office discontinued if so provided, on the earlier of the filing by the corporation of an amendment to its annual registration designating a new registered agent and registered office if also discontinued or the thirty-first day after the date on which the statement was filed. (Code 1981, § 14-2-503, enacted by Ga. L. 1988, p. 1070, § 1.)

O.C.G.A. § 14-2-504 Service on corporation.

14-2-504. Service on corporation. (a) A corporation's registered agent is the corporation's agent for service of process, notice, or demand required or permitted by law to be served on the corporation. (b) If a corporation has no registered agent or the agent cannot with reasonable diligence be served, the corporation may be served by registered or certified mail or statutory overnight delivery, return receipt requested, addressed to the secretary of the corporation at its principal office. Service is perfected under this subsection at the earliest of: (1) The date the corporation receives the mail; (2) The date shown on the return receipt, if signed on behalf of the corporation; or (3) Five days after its deposit in the mail, as evidenced by the postmark, if mailed postage prepaid and correctly addressed. (c) This Code section does not prescribe the only means, or necessarily the required means, of serving a corporation. (Code 1981, § 14-2-504, enacted by Ga. L. 1988, p. 1070, § 1; Ga. L. 2000, p. 1589, § 3.)

Source: Official Code of Georgia (Legislative Counsel's copy via Public.Resource.Org) + acts (legis.ga.gov)URL: https://archive.org/download/gov.ga.ocga.2024/T14%20%28V12%29%202017.txtFetched: 10/24/2026