---
title: O.C.G.A. § 14-3-1502. Transacting business without certificate of authority.
collection: code
id: 14-3-1502
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 14-3-1502 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/14-3-1502
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/14-3-1502.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/14-3-1502/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t14-(v12)-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=82868bd8_0#page=201
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/14-3.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/14-3-1501.md
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: CORPORATIONS, PARTNERSHIPS, AND ASSOCIATIONS / NONPROFIT CORPORATIONS / FOREIGN CORPORATIONS / CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORITY
---

# O.C.G.A. § 14-3-1502. Transacting business without certificate of authority.

(a) A foreign corporation transacting business in this state without a certificate of authority may not maintain a proceeding in any court in this state until it obtains a certificate of authority.

(b) The successor to a foreign corporation that transacted business in this state without a certificate of authority and the assignee of a cause of action arising out of that business may not maintain a proceeding based on that cause of action in any court in this state unless before the commencement of the proceeding the foreign corporation or its successor obtains a certificate of authority.

(c) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b) of this Code section, the failure of a foreign corporation to obtain a certificate of authority does not impair the validity of its corporate acts or prevent it from defending any proceeding in this state.

## History

Code 1981, § 14-3-1502, enacted by Ga. L. 1991, p. 465, § 1; Ga. L. 2023, p. 419, § 1-1/SB 148, effective July 1, 2023.

## Editor's Notes

Ga. L. 2023, p. 419, § 1-1/SB 148, reenacted this Code section without change.