For the third straight year, Georgia broke the all-time record for total business registrations filed during annual registration season running January 1 to April 2, 2018. Today Secretary of State Brian Kemp announced that the office handled an all-time high of 623,313 registrations, breaking last year’s record of 588,427 filings and 2016’s 532,062 filings. Kemp attributes this success to Georgia’s business-friendly climate and streamlined filing interface – eCorp – rolled out in mid-2015.

“We are shattering records across every division in the Secretary of State’s office because I have prioritized innovation, technology, and customer service in all of our operations,” stated Secretary Kemp. “As a small business owner for over thirty years, I know firsthand how frustrating it is to be tied up with paperwork or bureaucratic red tape. Especially when your sole focus should be growing your company and increasing profits. I brought this frustration and business owner’s mindset to the table once I took office, and have implemented comprehensive change. I am confident that Georgians will reap the benefits long after I leave.”

Kemp added, “It was no simple feat overhauling this agency – every single division – to make it work better for our constituents. Now, the numbers clearly indicate the success of this approach. For three years running, more businesses have filed their registrations during annual renewal season than ever before. Our filing system is easy to use; it serves as a model for other states; and, most importantly, it gets government out of your way.”

Annual registration season runs from January 1 to April 1 each year unless the Secretary of State specifically grants an extension. During annual registration season, officers and registered agents of for-profit corporations, non-profit corporations, professional corporations, limited liability companies, and limited partnerships must file up-to-date registrations with the Secretary of State’s Corporations Division.

During the annual registration period each year, officers and registered agents can visit the website and select One Click Annual Registration if there are no changes to be made to existing filings or Express Annual Registration to edit business filings.

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.