Notice of Incorporation

How to Submit a Notice of Incorporation

In Georgia, all domestic profit and not-for-profit corporations are required to publish a Notice of Incorporation in the “legal organ” of the county in which the registered agent is located.

What is a legal organ?

The term “legal organ” is unique to Georgia and, if you don’t already know what it is, can be quite confusing for first time business-formers. “Legal organ” refers to a newspaper or journal that has been chose by the county-specific Judge of Probate Court, Sheriff, and Clerk of Superior Court.

What are the requirements to be the official legal organ of a Georgia County?

There are several requirements a publication must meet before they can be elected the official legal organ of the county they operate in. The qualifications are as follows:

The legal organ of the county must be a printed document with multiple pages.
The amount of paid advertising must be equal to or less than 75% in half or less of its issues in the past year. This rule does not include advertising supplements.
The newspaper must be published weekly.
The newspaper must be in continuous publication for at least two years.
For two years prior to becoming the legal organ of the county, and for two years following appointment, the publication must make sure that at least 75% of its subscriptions are paid.

More Information

Who is required to send a Notice of Incorporation?

All domestic profit corporations and not-for-profit corporations are required to submit a Notice of Incorporation. However, LLCs and other business entities are not. Additionally foreign corporations registering to do business in Georgia are not required to submit a notice.

In Georgia, depending on the county, if you are filing “Doing Business As” documentation, you may also be required to also submit a Notice of Incorporation.

What happens after you send your Notice of Incorporation?

Once the notice has been published for two consecutive weeks, you will receive an affidavit from the publication. File this document with your official business paperwork.

Who is required to sign the Notice of Incorporation?

Any authorized person is required to sign the Notice of Incorporation. An authorized person can be any member of the board of directors, an approved legal personnel, or your registered agent.

Notice of Incorporation Requirements

The Notice of Publication must be sent, along with a $40 fee paid by check or money order (it is not advisable to send cash) one business day after the Articles of Incorporation have been processed by the Georgia Secretary of State. The notice must be published for two consecutive weeks. The Notice of Publication is a straightforward document that includes the name of your corporation and the name and address of your registered agent. Here is a sample of what is an acceptable Notice of Publication taken from the corporation filing procedures document issued by the GA SOS:

NOTICE OF INCORPORATION

Dear Publisher:

Please publish once a week for two consecutive weeks a notice in the following form:

Notice is given that articles of incorporation that will incorporate (Name of Corporation) have been delivered to the Secretary of State for filing in accordance with the Georgia Business Corporation Code. The initial registered office of the corporation is located at (Address of Registered Office) and its initial registered agent at such address is (Name of Registered Agent).

Enclosed is (check, draft or money order) in the amount of $40.00 in payment of the cost of publishing this notice.

Sincerely,
(Authorized Signature)

Legal Organ in Each Georgia County

Appling

Baxley News Banner
(912) 367-2468

Atkinson

Atkinson County Citizen
(912) 422-3824

Bacon

Alma Times
(912) 632-7201

Baker

Camilla Enterprise
(229) 336-5265

Baldwin

The Union Recorder
(478) 453-1450

Banks

Banks County News
(706) 677-3491

Barrow

Barrow Journal
(770) 867-6397

Ben Hill

Herald Leader
(229) 423-9331

Berrien

The Berrien Press
(229) 686-3523

Bibb

Macon Telegraph
(478) 744-4200

Bleckley

The Cochran Journal
(478) 934-6303

Brantley

The Brantley Express
(912) 462-8140

Brooks

Quitman Free Express
(229) 263-4615

Bryan

Bryan Co. News
(912) 653-4570

Bulloch

Statesboro Herald
(912) 764-9031

Burke

The True Citizen
(706) 554-2111

Butts

The Jackson Progress Argus
(770) 775-3107

Calhoun

The Citizen Times
(229) 732-2308

Candler

Metter Advertiser
(912) 685-6566

Carroll

Times Georgian
(770) 834-6631

Catoosa

Catoosa County News
(706) 935-2621

Charlton

Charlton County Herald
(912) 496-3585

Chatham

Savannah Morning News
(912) 236-9511

Chattahoochee

Tri-County Journal
(229) 649-6397

Chattooga

The Summerville News
(706) 857-2494

Cherokee

The Cherokee Tribune
(770) 479-1441

Clarke

Athens Banner Herald
(706) 549-0123

Clay

Cuthbert Southern Tribune
(912) 732-6016

Clayton

News Daily
(770) 478-5753

Clinch

Clinch County News
(912) 487-5337

Cobb

Marietta Daily Journal
(770) 428-9411

Coffee

The Douglas Enterprise
(912) 384-2323

Colquitt

Moltrie Observer
(229) 985-4545

Columbia

Columbia-News Times
(706) 863-6165

Cook

Adel News Tribune
(229) 896-2233

Coweta

Newnan Times-Herald
(770) 253-1576

Crawford

The Georgia Post
(478) 836-3195

Crisp

Cordele Dispatch
(229) 273-2277

Dade

Dade County Sentinel
(706) 657-6182

Dawson

Dawson County News
(706) 265-3384

Decatur

The Post Searchlight
(229) 246-2827

DeKalb

The Champion Newspaper
(404) 373-7779

Dodge

Dodge County News
(478) 374-6397

Dooly

Vienna News-Observer
(229) 268-2096

Dougherty

Albany Herald
(912) 888-9300

Douglas

Douglas County Sentinel
(770) 942-6571

Early

Early County News
(229) 723-4376

Echols

The Valdosta Daily Times
(229) 244-1880

Effingham

The Effingham Herald
(912) 826-5012

Elbert

The Elberton Star
(706) 283-8500

Evans

Claxton Enterprise
(912) 739-2132

Fannin

News Observer
(706) 632-2019

Fayette

Fayette County News
(770) 461-6317

Floyd

Rome News Tribune
(706) 291-6397

Forsyth

Forsyth County News
(770) 887-3126

Franklin

Franklin County Citizen
(706) 356-8557

Fulton

Fulton County Daily Report
(404) 521-1227

Gilmer

Times-Courier
(706) 635-4313

Glascock

Jefferson Reporter
(478) 625-7722

Glynn

Brunswick News
(912) 265-8320

Gordon

Calhoun Times
(706) 629-2231

Grady

Cairo Messenger
(229) 377-2032

Greene

Herald Journal
(706) 453-7988

Gwinnett

Gwinett Daily Post
(770) 963-9205

Habersham

Northeast Georgian
(706) 778-4215

Hall

Gainesville Times
(770) 532-1234

Hancock

Sparta Ishmaelite
(706) 444-5330

Haralson

The Haralson Gateway-Beacon
(770) 537-2434

Harris

Harris County Journal
(706) 846-3188

Hart

Hartwell Sun
(706) 376-8025

Heard

The News & Banner
(706) 675-3374

Henry

The Henry Herald
(770) 957-9161

Houston

Houston Home Journal
(912) 987-1823

Irwin

Ocilla Star
(229) 468-5433

Jackson

Jackson Herald
(706) 367-5233

Jasper

The Monticello News
(706) 468-6511

Jeff Davis

Jeff Davis Ledger
(912) 375-4225

Jefferson

News & Farmer
(478) 625-7722

Jenkins

The Millen News
(478) 982-5460

Johnson

The Johnson Journal
(478) 864-0007

Jones

Jones County News
(478) 986-3929

Lamar

The Herald Gazette
(770) 358-0754

Lanier

Lanier County News
(229) 482-8230

Laurens

Dublin Courier Herald
(478) 272-5522

Lee

Lee County Ledger
(229) 759-2413

Liberty

Coastal Courier
(912) 876-0156

Lincoln

The Lincoln Journal
(706) 359-3229

Long

The Coastal Courier
(912) 876-0156

Lowndes

Valdosta Daily Times
(229) 244-1880

Lumpkin

The Dahlongega Nugget
(706) 864-3613

Macon

Citizen & Georgian
(478) 472-0189

Madison

Madison County Journal
(706) 795-2567

Marion

The Journal
(229) 649-6397

McDuffie

The McDuffie Progress
(706) 595-1601

McIntosh

Darien News
(912) 437-4251

Meriwether

Meriwether Vindicator
(706) 846-3188

Miller

Miller County Liberal
(229) 758-5549

Mitchell

The Camilla Enterprise
(229) 336-5265

Monroe

Monroe Reporter
(478) 994-2358

Montgomery

Montgomery Monitor
(912) 529-6624

Morgan

Morgan County Citizen
(706) 342-7440

Murray

The Chatsworth Times
(706) 695-4646

Muscogee

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
(706) 324-5526

Newton

Covington News
(770) 787-6397

Oconee

Oconee Enterprise
(706) 769-5175

Oglethorpe

Oglethorpe Echo
(706) 743-3111

Paulding

The Dallas New Era
(770) 445-3379

Peach

The Leader Tribune
(478) 825-2432

Pickens

Pickens County Progress
(706) 253-2457

Pierce

Blackshear Times
(912) 449-6693

Polk

Cedartown Standard
(770) 748-1520

Pulaski

Hawkinsville Dispatch & News
(478) 783-1291

Putnam

Eatonton Messenger
(706) 485-3501

Quitman

The Eufaula Tribune
(334) 687-3506

Rabun

Clayton Tribune
(706) 782-3312

Randolph

The Cuthbert Southern Tribune
(229) 732-6016

Richmond

Augusta Chronicle
(706) 724-0851

Rockdale

Rockdale Citizen
(770) 483-7108

Shley

The Journal
(229) 649-6397

Screven

Sylvania Telephone
(912) 564-2045

Seminole

Donalsonville News
(912) 524-2343

Spalding

Griffing Daily News
(770) 227-3276

Stephens

The Toccoa Record
(706) 886-9476

Stewart

Stewart Webster Journal
(229) 887-3674

Sumter

Americus Times Recorder
(229) 924-2751

Talbot

Talbotton New Era
(706) 846-3189

Taliaferro

The Advocate Democrat
(706) 453-7988

Tattnall

The Journal Sentinel
(912) 557-6761

Taylor

Taylor County News
(478) 862-5101

Telfair

Telfair Enterprise
(229) 868-6015

Terrell

Dawson News
(229) 995-2175

Thomas

Thomasville Times Enterprise
(229) 226-2400

Tift

The Tifton Gazette
(229) 382-4321

Toombs

The Advance
(912) 537-3131

Towns

Towns County Herald
(706) 896-4454

Treutlen

Soperton News
(912) 529-6624

Troup

LaGrange Daily News
(706) 884-7311

Turner

Wiregrass Farmer
(912) 567-3655

Twiggs

Twiggs Times/New Era
(478) 945-6037

Union

North Georgia News
(706) 745-6343

Upson

Upson Beacon
(706) 646-2382

Walker

Walker County Messenger
(706) 638-1859

Walton

The Walton Times
(770) 267-8371

Ware

Waycross Journal-Herald
(912) 283-2244

Washington

The Sandersville Progress
(478) 552-3161

Wayne

The Press Sentinel
(912) 427-3757

Webster

The Stewart-Webster Journal
(229) 887-3674

Wheeler

The Wheeler County Eagle
(912) 529-6624

White

White County News * Telegraph
(706) 865-4718

Whitfield

Daily Citizen News
(706) 278-1011

Wilcox