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 owners. “Legal organ” refers to a newspaper or journal that has been chosen 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.
Do I need to provide registered agent information to submit my Notice of Incorporation?
Yes. You are required to provide the name and address of your registered agent on the Notice of Incorporation. You can hire us to provide registered agent service and incorporate your company.
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 a 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 submission requirements
The Notice of Incorporation must be sent to your county’s legal organ or other local newspaper one business day after your Articles of Incorporation have been processed. You’ll also need to include a $40 check or money order (cash payments are not encouraged) for the publication fee. Your notice must be published for two consecutive weeks.
Here is a sample of what is an acceptable Notice of Publication taken from the corporation filing procedures document issued by the GA Secretary of State:
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
| Georgia County | Legal Organ | Phone number |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Bleckly | 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 | South Fulton Neighbor | (470) 990-4415 |
| Glimer | 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 |
| Whitefield | Daily Citizen News | (706) 278-1011 |
| Wilcox | Cordele Dispatch | (229) 273-2277 |
| Wilkes | The News-Reporter | (706) 678-2636 |
| Wilkinson | Wilkinson County Post | (478) 946-7272 |
| Worth | Sylvester Local News | (229) 776-3991 |