Secretary of State Brian Kemp announced a new Georgia record in the Corporations Division. During this year’s annual registration season from January 1 to April 4, staff processed an all-time high of 588,427 annual business registrations, up from the previous record of 532,062 registrations in 2016, in the Peach State. Kemp attributes this success to the office’s eCorp platform, rolled out in 2015 as a user-friendly and easily navigable interface for electronic filings.

“By implementing a streamlined registration system for our constituents, we have slashed bureaucratic red tape for hundreds of thousands of businesses," Secretary Kemp said.  "Thanks to technology and innovation, Georgia businesses can focus on creating jobs instead of filing burdensome paperwork."

During the annual registration period each year, officers and registered agents of for-profit corporations, non-profit corporations, professional corporations, limited liability companies, and limited partnerships must file up-to-date business registrations with the Secretary of State’s Corporations Division. Since the eCorp system’s launch in June 2015, customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive due to the user-friendly and easily navigable interface to electronically process annual registrations. Customers can also log in to eCorp to view or download their business’s receipts, notices, and other correspondence in one convenient location.

“As I travel the state, it is clear that Georgia business owners are incredibly excited about the new filing system,” stated Secretary Kemp. “This exciting milestone is a testament not only to the impact of innovation but a reflection of Georgia's vibrant, growing economy."

During the annual registration period each year, officers and registered agents can visit the website without having to log into the system and select one of two options: “One Click Annual Registration” if there are no changes to be made to their business filings or “Express Annual Registration” to update contact information or make other changes.

The annual registration period re-opens on January 1, 2018 through April 1, 2018 for for-profit corporations, non-profit corporations, professional corporations, limited liability companies, and limited partnerships to file their annual registrations with the Corporations Division. Next year, the Corporations Division plans to offer a new feature for bulk annual registration processing where individuals can file and pay for multiple annual registrations at one time. This year, Kemp extended the annual registration period to April 4 to accommodate business officers and agents affected by the I-85 collapse.

Brian Kemp has been Secretary of State since January 2010. Among the office’s wide-ranging responsibilities, the Secretary of State is charged with conducting secure, accessible, and fair elections, the registration of corporations, and the regulation of securities, charities, and professional license holders.  For more information about the office, go to www.sos.ga.gov or follow Secretary Kemp on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube.