Registering and titling a vehicle in Georgia: new residents, purchases and renewals

How to title and register a vehicle in Georgia after buying from a dealer or private seller or moving from another state, including TAVT, insurance, emissions, renewals and plates, from the Georgia Department of Revenue.

Guide · Georgia · Vehicle registration · Titles · updated October 29, 2026

In Georgia, vehicle titles, registrations and license plates are handled by the Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR) Motor Vehicle Division, not by the Department of Driver Services. You apply at your county tag office, which DOR calls the best resource for most registration, plate and title questions. Many renewals can also be done online through DOR's DRIVES e-Services or at a self-service kiosk. This guide covers buying a vehicle, moving to Georgia, taxes, insurance, renewals and plates.

The basics

You title and register at the county tag office where you live. A business registers where it is located.

DOR's main form is the MV-1 Title/Tag Application, which you can print at home or have printed at the tag office.

DOR says titles are generally required for 1986 and newer vehicles. For 1985 and older vehicles that were titled before, a title is optional.

After you register, you get a license plate with a decal, and the registration must be renewed every year. DOR lists the fees as $20 for the plate or annual registration and $18 for the title.

DOR's own Motor Vehicle Division office on Welcome All Road in Atlanta takes appointments, but DOR says it is not a tag office. It does not do title transfers, tag issuance or vehicle registration.

Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT)

Most vehicles pay a one-time Title Ad Valorem Tax when they are titled. DOR says TAVT replaced sales tax and the annual vehicle tax for vehicles bought on or after March 1, 2013. It is paid every time ownership changes, and when a new resident registers a vehicle for the first time. Rates:

• Standard rate: 7.0% of the vehicle's fair market value
• New residents: 3%
• Some family transfers and inheritances: 0.5%

DOR's online TAVT Estimator gives an estimate.

Buying a vehicle

DOR suggests three checks before you buy:

• Confirm the seller's name is on the title.
• Run a VIN check.
• Never sign a title that has been left blank.

From a dealer

DOR says the dealer must file the title application for you, and you should get a receipt showing the vehicle is titled in your name. Dealers do not have to submit your registration, though some do as a courtesy. If yours does not, you have 30 days from the date of purchase to register at your county tag office. DOR notes this applies even though your temporary operating permit is valid for 45 days.

From a private seller (casual sale)

DOR says to register within 7 business days of the purchase. At your county tag office, bring:

• A valid Georgia driver license or ID card
• The original title, properly assigned to you. Any liens against the previous owner must be released on it, and buyer and seller both complete and sign the assignment on the back.
• Form MV-1
• Proof of insurance, filed electronically by your insurer or shown on an insurance binder
• An emissions inspection certificate, if your county requires one
• Payment for the plate fee, title fee, TAVT and any penalties

For a 1985 or older vehicle that needs no title, bring a bill of sale. If that vehicle was not registered in Georgia before, also bring a Form T-22B Certification of Inspection. The T-22B is also needed for a vehicle from a non-title state or country.

DOR says residents who miss the registration deadlines may be fined up to $100.

Moving to Georgia with a vehicle

DOR says new residents must register their vehicles within 30 days of moving to Georgia, at the county tag office. First get a Georgia driver license or ID card from DDS; DOR says you need one before you can register. See the Georgia driver license and ID card guide.

Then bring:

1. Form MV-1, completed and signed.
2. Proof of ownership: the original out-of-state title. A 1986 or newer vehicle from a state or country that does not title it can use its registration instead.
3. Form T-17, if a lender or leasing company holds your title.
4. An emissions inspection, if you live in one of the counties that require it (see below).
5. Proof of Georgia liability insurance.
6. The fees: a $20 registration fee, an $18 title fee and TAVT at the new-resident rate of 3% of fair market value.

DOR asks that names and spellings match across all your documents.

Emissions inspections

DOR says residents of these metro Atlanta counties must have an emissions inspection before registering:

• Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette
• Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Paulding, Rockdale

Online and kiosk renewals in those counties also require a passing inspection on file. DOR points to Georgia Clean Air Force for inspection locations.

Insurance

DOR says Georgia law requires owners and lessees to keep continuous Georgia automobile liability insurance on any vehicle with an active registration. Your insurer must send your coverage electronically to DOR's database. An insurance card on its own is not accepted as proof for registration, except for fleet, self-insured and IRP vehicles, though you must still carry the card in the vehicle.

For a newly bought vehicle, DOR accepts a bill of sale dated within 30 days plus an insurance binder from a Georgia-licensed insurer. DOR warns that a lapse in coverage brings fines and possible suspension of the registration. If a vehicle is off the road, cancel the registration before you cancel the insurance. You can check your insurance status in DRIVES e-Services.

Renewing your registration

DOR says you should get a renewal notice, by mail or email, by the start of your registration month. Penalties may apply if you do not renew in time, even if no notice arrives. You can renew:

• Online through DRIVES e-Services, in participating counties. You need your plate number or VIN, your driver license number or the Letter ID from the notice, and a debit card, credit card or electronic check. Convenience fees apply.
• At a self-service tag kiosk, in participating counties, if you have a valid Georgia driver license, the address on your renewal notice is correct, and your insurance and any emissions test are on file. DOR says kiosks take credit and debit cards, and cash where available, and print your registration and decal on the spot.
• At your county tag office, with your renewal notice, your Georgia license or ID, and payment. Ask your county about payment types.
• By mail, following the instructions on the renewal notice.

License plates

DOR lists three standard plates: the Peach plate, the Peach Orchard plate and the USA Semiquincentennial/America 250 plate. The America 250 plate became available on January 1, 2026, and DOR says it will be issued through 2030. You can switch to it at renewal for no extra charge. Outside your renewal window, DOR says the exchange costs $20. Specialty and prestige (vanity) plates are also available.

To visit a tag office, see the Georgia DDS and tag office visit guide.