Georgia
Vehicle Resource Center
Georgia is well-known for its stunning natural beauty and its historical locations. Exploring all the things that make Georgia great is best accomplished with access to a car. That's why there are more than 7 million licensed drivers in the state, many of whom have their own vehicles. Each driver must follow the state's laws, and vehicle owners are expected to complete regular maintenance requirements, maintain insurance, and more.
Ownership and Maintenance
For most Georgians, vehicle maintenance is the most important part of car ownership. Staying up-to-date with the registration, driver's license, insurance, and all the other extras that drivers must have is vital to keep moving down the road legally.
Throughout much of Georgia, there are emissions inspection requirements for the vehicles. Anyone who lives in one of the 13 metro counties that require an emissions inspection must have the check performed annually to certify the vehicle isn't producing too many harmful pollutants during operation.
Which Vehicles Must Be Tested?
Currently, vehicles with model years between 2000 and 2021 must submit to an emissions inspection test. As new vehicles age, they will also be required to submit to emissions testing.
13 Metro Counties that Require Testing
The following counties require their residents to submit to annual emissions testing:
Getting the Vehicle Tested
Any vehicle that needs testing can be taken to one of the local inspection stations. Testing comes with a small fee of up to $25, but it's a reasonably simple process that anyone can go through.
If the vehicle fails to pass inspection, it must receive the repairs required to make it eligible to pass the inspection.
To learn more about Georgia's emission inspection requirements, review the Georgia state page on emissions inspections.
In the event of an accident, it's essential to have liability insurance to cover any of the property damage or injuries the accident leads to. Since Georgia is a no-fault state, whoever is deemed at fault for the accident is liable for all the damage caused. With good liability insurance, that individual is protected and likely won't have to pay anything out-of-pocket for the accident other than an insurance deductible.
Minimum Liability Coverage Requirements:
In Georgia, the following minimum liability amounts are required to be legally protected.
When these coverage minimums are met, a driver in Georgia is safe from fines, tickets, and other legal repercussions of driving without insurance. The only remaining risk is that the insurance coverage is not high enough. Some residents opt for higher coverage amounts, and many get collision insurance coverage as well to ensure their vehicle gets repaired, even if they are the cause of the accident.
Get all the specifics about auto insurance rules in Georgia using this government insurance webpage.
Once all the documents listed above are assembled, it's time to renew the registration. Registration can be renewed at a self-service kiosk, online, in-person at a County Tag Office, over the phone, or through the mail. Each of these options is simple, but the kiosk and online options are the fastest overall.
Pay any associated fees with the registration renewal and receive a sticker to certify the registration is renewed and the vehicle is legal to drive for another year.
Every year, a vehicle's registration expires in Georgia. The solution is to go through the renewal process and pay a small fee to restore the registration. Residents receive a notice in the mail and then have a simple renewal process to go through with that notice.
The Process
To renew registration in Georgia, the following documents are required:
Estimate the Registration Fees
Everyone's registration fee is different, which is why the state provides a fee estimator tool. Go to the estimator page and input the VIN or license plate number to see the estimated renewal fees. The standard registration renewal fee is $20, but there will be additional taxes added to that cost based on the type of vehicle and location.
Emissions Inspection Fees
Having a vehicle inspected at one of the emissions inspection stations comes with a maximum fee of $25 and sometimes costs a bit less. The fee varies based on the location where the testing is performed.
License Renewal
A standard license renewal comes with a $32 fee, but there are other renewal fees to be aware of as well. Get access to all the license-related fees using this Georgia License Fee Chart.
See more specific fees related to Georgia vehicles using the state's vehicle services fees summary page.
By staying up-to-date with all the renewals and regulations listed in the maintenance section, it's easy to keep legal vehicles ready for use in Georgia.
Buying & Selling
Purchasing or selling a vehicle in Georgia is a complicated matter that requires the use of several different documents and a careful procedure to make it legally binding. Whether residents are buying or selling vehicles, they should know the legal process well and understand all the documents that should be involved.
As the seller, there are many steps to complete when selling a vehicle:
Make a Bill of Sale
The first step is to craft a Bill of Sale for the vehicle so there is proof it was sold. Form T-7 can be used for this purpose, or a homemade form will work as well.
Fill Out the Title
While completing the transaction with the buyer, it's essential to fill the back of the vehicle's title underneath the seller section to legally sell the vehicle to the buyer. Include all requested information when filling out the title and get a signature from the buyer while signing it yourself.
Cancel Insurance and Registration
The last step is to call and cancel the liability insurance on the vehicle and to cancel its registration. The registration can be canceled online in a moment using the DRIVES e-Services tool.
Once the title is complete, a Bill of Sale is crafted, registration and insurance are canceled, and all the seller's obligations are met.
Research the Vehicle
Before buying any vehicle, it's essential to verify that it's worth purchasing. The best way to do this is by conducting a VIN search or a License Plate search. These search techniques through GoodCar provide the accident history, previous owners, odometer readings, the features and specifications of the vehicle as well as any title brands on the vehicle. With all this data, it's easier to decide if the vehicle is worth purchasing.
Gather the Documents
As a buyer, it's essential to have a Bill of Sale as well as a fully completed original title when selling the vehicle. Be sure to get documentation for the cost of the purchased vehicle as well as its odometer reading. With these details, it's possible to title and register the vehicle.
Title and Register the Vehicle
Buyers that wish to title and register a vehicle must fill out and submit form MV-1. This form gathers all the required information to effectively title and tag a vehicle. Submit the completed form along with the required fees to the state to title and register the new vehicle.
As the buyer, there are several different fees to be aware of. These fees are essential for titling and tagging a new vehicle.
Title Application
Applying for an original title comes with a fee of $18. This is on top of the registration fee and taxes that must be paid when titling and registering a vehicle.
Registration Costs
When registering a vehicle, buyers must pay a set $20 fee and 7% of the purchase price in sales tax. These two fees together create the standard registration fee.
It's important to note that there may be some additional administration fees required when titling and registering a vehicle. See the Georgia government's fee overview page for more details.
Laws and Regulations
There are many rules in Georgia that drivers and vehicle passengers must abide by. Knowing the most popular laws and most commonly broken laws helps protect everyone.
In Georgia, everyone in a vehicle is expected to wear a proper safety restraint, but young children must be seated in specialized seats for added protection. Knowing the restrictions and requirements surrounding these seats is important for protecting the child and avoiding fines.
Children Under 8
Any child under eight must be sitting in a booster seat or car seat that's designed specifically for their weight and height. This means very young children should be in rear-facing car seats, slightly older children can ride in forward-facing car seats, and eventually, booster seats should be relied upon.
Children should be kept in the rear seats of a vehicle whenever possible, but a child over 40 lbs. may be permitted to ride in front as long as the airbag in that seat is turned off and the child is in the proper safety seat.
More specific child safety seat rules and restrictions can be found on the Georgia government website.
Many residents in Georgia apply tint to their windows to keep their vehicles cooler, protect the interior from fading, and increase passenger privacy. Georgia has strict window tint laws that must be adhered to to avoid citations from law-enforcement professionals. The law states the following according to Georgia's window tint legislation:
Tint levels may not be lower than 68% VLT on the rear window or the front passenger side windows. It's also essential to know that no tint can be applied to the windshield and that out-of-state drivers in Georgia are expected to follow these tint requirements as well.
Impaired driving is a serious offense in Georgia and is described as having a BAC (blood alcohol content) level of 0.08 as a driver over 21 or a BAC of 0.02 as a driver under 21. The law imposes strict fines on drivers who are found with enough alcohol in their systems to surpass these limits.
First-time impaired driver offenders will be fined between $300 and $1,000, and their license can be suspended for up to one year while also facing jail time for up to a full year. There is a $210 fee to have the license reinstated after a driving while impaired charge, and drivers will be given a minimum of 40 hours of community service as well. Repeat offenders are hit with much more serious penalties than first-time offenders receive.
To learn all the details about driving while impaired or driving while under the influence of drugs, visit Georgia's driving while impaired information page.
New car buyers are protected by the Georgia Lemon Law. If a new passenger vehicle under 12,000 lbs is purchased with a manufacturer's defect, and the defect is reported by certified mail to the manufacturer within 24,000 miles or 24 months of the purchase period, the manufacturer is required to repair the issue.
The manufacturer gets three attempts to fix the problem, and if it isn't corrected within those attempts, the vehicle is deemed a lemon. A vehicle can also be deemed a lemon if it is in a shop for repairs by the manufacturer for 30 or more days altogether. In either case, the manufacturer is legally obligated to refund the purchase price of the vehicle or replace the vehicle with another of the same value.
Get more information about the Georgia Lemon Law via this Consumer Protection Division page.
Useful Things to Know
Any drivers or vehicle owners based in Georgia have a lot of information they are expected to know. Learn some of that vital information by reviewing this guide.
Georgia Department of Driver's Services Manuals
Learn the latest information about drug and alcohol awareness, the latest driver's rules, get access to different commercial driving manuals, and much more from this hub of driver's manuals for Georgia residents: Georgia Department of Driver's Services Manuals
Georgia EV Search Tool
Some Georgia vehicle owners have opted for electric vehicles or EVs instead of the standard internal combustion engine vehicles. These vehicles can be charged at home, but they sometimes must be charged in public as well. Learn where the closest charging stations are with this map: Georgia EV Charge State Search
Georgia Crash Trend Statistics
Georgia has a reputation as an unsafe state for drivers, and that's because it suffers from more car-accident-based fatalities than the country's average. In 2021, according to the IIHS, Georgia drivers were involved in 1,670 fatal crashes that resulted in 1,797 deaths. There were 1.48 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, putting Georgia in the top 15 most dangerous states within the country. To see the full picture, check Georgia car crash statistics on GoodCar.
Find a County Tag Office
Registration needs and license tag needs can be met at a County Tag Office in Georgia. Use this locator to find the closest tag office and get help reliably: Locate a Georgia County Tag Office
Find a Self Service Kiosk
Locate a Georgia Motor Vehicle express kiosk with a simple search tool that makes finding the nearest location simple: Georgia Motor Vehicle Kiosk Search Tool
Get the Latest Georgia Vehicle Information with GoodCar
Georgia vehicle owners owe it to themselves to have the most up-to-date information about state laws, maintenance requirements, recalls, and more. Refer to this useful resource for residents looking for help and GoodCar's VIN Check and license plate lookup tools for help getting additional information about specific vehicles.