Georgia: business records and regulators
Where to look a business up in Georgia, where to search the UCC filings against it, and the offices that regulate banks, lenders and securities there.
Last checked: November 1, 2026Links only: nothing you search for reaches us
Each link opens the state's own site in a new tab, so what you type there goes to that site, not to us. Some state searches charge a fee or ask you to make an account. Privacy
Georgia records and regulators
Business search
Look a business up in the state's register of businesses.
Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division: Business Search (opens in a new tab)
The search takes a business name, control number, registered agent or officer name.
UCC search
Find the UCC filings against a business: the financing statements lenders file to record a lien on its assets, such as a blanket lien.
Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA): UCC Index (opens in a new tab)
In Georgia, financing statements are indexed statewide by the clerks of the superior courts' cooperative authority, not by the Secretary of State. Name searches are online; certified searches need an account.
Banking and lending regulator
Oversees the banks the state charters. Check its site for the lender and broker licenses the state requires.
Securities regulator
The state office for securities offerings, brokers and investment advisers.
Find a lender in Georgia
Official lists of the lenders that work in Georgia. Each opens on its own site, filtered to Georgia where the list allows it.
SBA 504 lenders (Certified Development Companies) (opens in a new tab)
The nonprofit lenders that make SBA 504 loans for property and big equipment, from the SBA's own list, filtered to the state.
SBA microloan lenders (opens in a new tab)
Nonprofit lenders that make SBA microloans of up to $50,000, from the SBA's own list, filtered to the state.
SBA Lender Match (opens in a new tab)
The SBA's own matching tool: you answer a few questions about your business on its site, and two business days later it gives you a list of the lenders interested; some may contact you. It is not a loan application. What you type goes to the SBA and those lenders, not to us.
Certified CDFIs (community lenders) (opens in a new tab)
The CDFI Fund's list of every certified community development financial institution (CDFI): loan funds, banks and credit unions. Download the list and sort it by the State column.
The FDIC's BankFind: search for the banks with offices in the state.
Credit unions (opens in a new tab)
The NCUA's credit union locator. Credit unions lend to their members, so check who can join.
Before you sign with any lender, check it is licensed: see the banking and lending regulator above, and Check a lender or platform. A few national lenders and platforms are named, with how they were chosen, in the provider directory.
State rules for Georgia on our route pages
- Accounts receivable financing: Since January 1, 2024 in Georgia and July 1, 2024 in Kansas, a lender that makes more than five commercial financing deals a year in the state must disclose, before or when you sign a deal of $500,000 or less, the funds provided, the amount actually paid out, the total you will pay, the total dollar cost, the payments and any prepayment costs. No APR is required. Banks and credit unions are not covered. Brokers may not charge you an upfront fee. The state attorney general enforces the law; it gives you no right to sue. (Georgia SB 90 (2023), as passed (Act 78): commercial financing disclosures, O.C.G.A. 10-1-393.18; Kansas Statutes 75-784: required disclosures (2024); Kansas Statutes 75-785 to 75-787: exceptions, brokers and penalties (2024))
- Business line of credit: Since January 1, 2024 in Georgia and July 1, 2024 in Kansas, a lender that makes more than five commercial financing deals a year in the state must disclose, before or when you sign a line of credit of $500,000 or less, the funds provided, the amount actually paid out, the total you will pay, the total dollar cost, the payments and any prepayment costs. No APR is required. Banks and credit unions, and financing secured by real property, are not covered. Brokers may not charge you an upfront fee. The state attorney general enforces the law; it gives you no right to sue. (Georgia SB 90 (2023), as passed (Act 78): commercial financing disclosures, O.C.G.A. 10-1-393.18; Georgia General Assembly: SB 90 (2023-2024 session), status history (Act 78, effective January 1, 2024); Kansas Statutes 75-783: Commercial Financing Disclosure Act, definitions (2024); Kansas Statutes 75-784: required disclosures (2024); Kansas Statutes 75-785 to 75-787: exceptions, brokers and penalties (2024))
- Business line of credit: Georgia's legal rate is 7% when no rate is written down. On a loan of more than $3,000 and less than $250,000, the parties can agree in writing any rate, stated as simple interest; at $250,000 or more, any rate on any terms. At $3,000 or less the limit is 16% a year, unless the loan is made under another law. Whatever the size, charging more than 5% a month is a crime (a misdemeanor). A lender needs an installment lender license from the Department of Banking and Finance to lend $3,000 or less to an individual, whatever the money is for and whatever the rate, so small credit lines to sole proprietors are covered and lines to companies are not. Banks, trust companies, savings associations, credit unions and pawnbrokers are left out. A loan broker that has no office regularly open to the public, paid to arrange or help you get a loan, credit card or line of credit, may not take any fee before the loan closes (you can still pay an independent third party directly for a credit check or an appraisal), or mislead you. Regulated lenders, people soliciting for them under a written contract, and approved mortgage bankers and brokers are left out. You can sue for at least what you paid the broker, plus attorney's fees, and breaking the law is a felony. (Official Code of Georgia Annotated, free public access (Georgia Code Revision Commission, through LexisNexis), current through the 2026 special session: sections 7-4-2, 7-4-18 and 7-7-1 to 7-7-6; Office of the Governor of Georgia: 2020 signed legislation, SB 462 (Georgia Installment Loan Act), Code Sections 7-3-3, 7-3-4 and 7-3-6 as amended; Georgia General Assembly: summary of general statutes enacted at the 2020 session (SB 462, effective June 30, 2020, for loans made on and after July 1, 2020))
- Commercial real estate loans: The state's commercial financing disclosure law does not cover financing secured by real property, so a commercial real estate loan comes without its cost disclosure. Ask the lender for the rate, fees and total cost in writing. (California Financial Code, Division 9.5: Commercial Financing Disclosures (sections 22800 to 22807); New York Financial Services Law section 802: exemptions; Utah Code 7-27-102: application of the Commercial Financing Registration and Disclosure Act; Florida Statutes 559.9612: scope of the Florida Commercial Financing Disclosure Law; Georgia SB 90 (2023), as passed (Act 78): O.C.G.A. 10-1-393.18(b); Kansas Statutes 75-785: exceptions to the Commercial Financing Disclosure Act (2024); Revised Statutes of Missouri 427.300: Commercial Financing Disclosure Law)
- E-commerce and payment platform finance: Since January 1, 2024 in Georgia and July 1, 2024 in Kansas, a provider that makes more than five commercial financing deals a year in the state must disclose, before or when you sign a deal of $500,000 or less, the funds provided, the amount actually paid out, the total you will pay, the total dollar cost, the payments and any prepayment costs. No APR is required. The law covers purchases of a business's receivables as well as loans. Banks and credit unions, and financing secured by real property, are not covered. Brokers may not charge you an upfront fee. The state attorney general enforces the law; it gives you no right to sue. (Georgia SB 90 (2023), as passed (Act 78): commercial financing disclosures, O.C.G.A. 10-1-393.18; Georgia General Assembly: SB 90 (2023-2024 session), status history (Act 78, effective January 1, 2024); Kansas Statutes 75-783: Commercial Financing Disclosure Act, definitions (2024); Kansas Statutes 75-784: required disclosures (2024); Kansas Statutes 75-785 to 75-787: exceptions, brokers and penalties (2024))
- Equipment loans and finance agreements: These states' commercial financing disclosure laws do not cover leases, or loans used to buy the equipment that secures them (purchase money loans), so equipment finance is usually outside them. (Florida Statutes 559.9612: scope of the Florida Commercial Financing Disclosure Law; Georgia SB 90 (2023), as passed (Act 78): O.C.G.A. 10-1-393.18(b); Kansas Statutes 75-785: exceptions to the Commercial Financing Disclosure Act (2024); Revised Statutes of Missouri 427.300: Commercial Financing Disclosure Law)
- Equipment loans and finance agreements: Georgia's legal rate is 7% when no rate is written down. On a loan of more than $3,000 and less than $250,000, the parties can agree in writing any rate, stated as simple interest; at $250,000 or more, any rate on any terms. At $3,000 or less the limit is 16% a year, unless the loan is made under another law. Whatever the size, charging more than 5% a month is a crime (a misdemeanor). A lender needs an installment lender license from the Department of Banking and Finance to make loans of $3,000 or less to an individual, whatever the loan is for and whatever the rate, so small equipment loans to sole proprietors are covered and loans to companies are not. Banks, trust companies, savings associations, credit unions and pawnbrokers are left out. A loan broker that has no office regularly open to the public, paid to arrange or help you get a loan, credit card or line of credit, may not take any fee before the loan closes (you can still pay an independent third party directly for a credit check or an appraisal), or mislead you. Regulated lenders, people soliciting for them under a written contract, and approved mortgage bankers and brokers are left out. You can sue for at least what you paid the broker, plus attorney's fees, and breaking the law is a felony. (Official Code of Georgia Annotated, free public access (Georgia Code Revision Commission, through LexisNexis), current through the 2026 special session: sections 7-4-2, 7-4-18 and 7-7-1 to 7-7-6; Office of the Governor of Georgia: 2020 signed legislation, SB 462 (Georgia Installment Loan Act), Code Sections 7-3-3, 7-3-4 and 7-3-6 as amended; Georgia General Assembly: summary of general statutes enacted at the 2020 session (SB 462, effective June 30, 2020, for loans made on and after July 1, 2020))
- Equipment leasing and sale-leaseback: These states' commercial financing disclosure laws do not cover leases, so equipment leases come without a state cost disclosure. Ask for the total of all payments in writing. (Florida Statutes 559.9612: scope of the Florida Commercial Financing Disclosure Law; Utah Code 7-27-102: application of the Commercial Financing Registration and Disclosure Act; Georgia SB 90 (2023), as passed (Act 78): O.C.G.A. 10-1-393.18(b); Kansas Statutes 75-785: exceptions to the Commercial Financing Disclosure Act (2024); Revised Statutes of Missouri 427.300: Commercial Financing Disclosure Law)
- Invoice factoring: Since January 1, 2024 in Georgia and July 1, 2024 in Kansas, a factor that makes more than five commercial financing deals a year in the state must disclose, before or when you sign a deal of $500,000 or less, the funds provided, the amount actually paid out, the total you will pay, the total dollar cost, the payments and any prepayment costs. No APR is required. The law covers buying invoices as well as loans. Banks and credit unions, and financing secured by real property, are not covered. Brokers may not charge you an upfront fee. The state attorney general enforces the law; it gives you no right to sue. (Georgia SB 90 (2023), as passed (Act 78): commercial financing disclosures, O.C.G.A. 10-1-393.18; Georgia General Assembly: SB 90 (2023-2024 session), status history (Act 78, effective January 1, 2024); Kansas Statutes 75-783: Commercial Financing Disclosure Act, definitions (2024); Kansas Statutes 75-784: required disclosures (2024); Kansas Statutes 75-785 to 75-787: exceptions, brokers and penalties (2024))
- Merchant cash advance: Since January 1, 2024 in Georgia and July 1, 2024 in Kansas, a provider that makes more than five commercial financing deals a year in the state must disclose, before or when you sign an advance of $500,000 or less, the funds provided, the amount actually paid out, the total you will pay, the total dollar cost, the payments and any prepayment costs. No APR is required. The law covers purchases of a business's receivables as well as loans. Banks and credit unions, and financing secured by real property, are not covered. Brokers may not charge you an upfront fee. The state attorney general enforces the law; it gives you no right to sue. (Georgia SB 90 (2023), as passed (Act 78): commercial financing disclosures, O.C.G.A. 10-1-393.18; Georgia General Assembly: SB 90 (2023-2024 session), status history (Act 78, effective January 1, 2024); Kansas Statutes 75-783: Commercial Financing Disclosure Act, definitions (2024); Kansas Statutes 75-784: required disclosures (2024); Kansas Statutes 75-785 to 75-787: exceptions, brokers and penalties (2024))
- Online business loans: Since January 1, 2024 in Georgia and July 1, 2024 in Kansas, a lender that makes more than five commercial financing deals a year in the state must disclose, before or when you sign a deal of $500,000 or less, the funds provided, the amount actually paid out, the total you will repay, the total dollar cost, the payments and any prepayment costs. No APR is required. An online platform that arranges loans from a partner bank counts as a provider, even though banks and credit unions themselves are exempt. Financing secured by real property is not covered. Brokers may not charge you an upfront fee. The state attorney general enforces the law; it gives you no right to sue. (Georgia SB 90 (2023), as passed (Act 78): commercial financing disclosures, O.C.G.A. 10-1-393.18; Georgia General Assembly: SB 90 (2023-2024 session), status history (Act 78, effective January 1, 2024); Kansas Statutes 75-783: Commercial Financing Disclosure Act, definitions (2024); Kansas Statutes 75-784: required disclosures (2024); Kansas Statutes 75-785 to 75-787: exceptions, brokers and penalties (2024))
- Online business loans: Georgia's legal rate is 7% when no rate is written down. On a loan of more than $3,000 and less than $250,000, the parties can agree in writing any rate, stated as simple interest; at $250,000 or more, any rate on any terms. At $3,000 or less the limit is 16% a year, unless the loan is made under another law. Whatever the size, charging more than 5% a month is a crime (a misdemeanor). A lender needs an installment lender license from the Department of Banking and Finance to make loans of $3,000 or less to an individual, whatever the loan is for and whatever the rate, so small loans to sole proprietors are covered and loans to companies are not. Banks, trust companies, savings associations, credit unions and pawnbrokers are left out. A loan broker that has no office regularly open to the public, paid to arrange or help you get a loan, credit card or line of credit, may not take any fee before the loan closes (you can still pay an independent third party directly for a credit check or an appraisal), or mislead you. Regulated lenders, people soliciting for them under a written contract, and approved mortgage bankers and brokers are left out. You can sue for at least what you paid the broker, plus attorney's fees, and breaking the law is a felony. (Official Code of Georgia Annotated, free public access (Georgia Code Revision Commission, through LexisNexis), current through the 2026 special session: sections 7-4-2, 7-4-18 and 7-7-1 to 7-7-6; Office of the Governor of Georgia: 2020 signed legislation, SB 462 (Georgia Installment Loan Act), Code Sections 7-3-3, 7-3-4 and 7-3-6 as amended; Georgia General Assembly: summary of general statutes enacted at the 2020 session (SB 462, effective June 30, 2020, for loans made on and after July 1, 2020))
- Revenue-based finance: Since January 1, 2024 in Georgia and July 1, 2024 in Kansas, a provider that makes more than five commercial financing deals a year in the state must disclose, before or when you sign a deal of $500,000 or less, the funds provided, the amount actually paid out, the total you will pay, the total dollar cost, the payments and any prepayment costs. No APR is required. The law covers purchases of a business's receivables as well as loans. Banks and credit unions, and financing secured by real property, are not covered. Brokers may not charge you an upfront fee. The state attorney general enforces the law; it gives you no right to sue. (Georgia SB 90 (2023), as passed (Act 78): commercial financing disclosures, O.C.G.A. 10-1-393.18; Georgia General Assembly: SB 90 (2023-2024 session), status history (Act 78, effective January 1, 2024); Kansas Statutes 75-783: Commercial Financing Disclosure Act, definitions (2024); Kansas Statutes 75-784: required disclosures (2024); Kansas Statutes 75-785 to 75-787: exceptions, brokers and penalties (2024))
- Spot factoring (single invoices): A factor that makes more than five commercial financing deals a year in the state, and is not a bank or credit union, must disclose before or when you sign the funds you get, the total you will pay, the total dollar cost, the payments and any prepayment costs, for deals of up to $1 million in Utah and $500,000 in the other states. No APR is required. Utah also requires the factor to register with the state. (Utah Code Title 7, Chapter 27: Commercial Financing Registration and Disclosure Act; Florida Statutes, chapter 559, part XIII: Florida Commercial Financing Disclosure Law (559.961 to 559.9615); Georgia SB 90 (2023), as passed (Act 78): commercial financing disclosures, O.C.G.A. 10-1-393.18; Kansas Statutes 75-784: required disclosures (2024); Revised Statutes of Missouri 427.300: Commercial Financing Disclosure Law)
Sources
- Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division: Business Search · checked November 1, 2026
- GSCCCA: UCC Index (search the Georgia UCC indexes by name, file number, date and county, or secured party) · checked October 20, 2026
- Georgia Department of Banking and Finance: home page (the Depository division supervises state-chartered banks, holding companies and credit unions) · checked October 20, 2026
- Georgia Secretary of State: About the Securities Division (the Georgia Uniform Securities Act of 2008; registration, oversight of firms and advisers, complaints) · checked November 1, 2026