How to register a car in Georgia
All vehicles must be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles of Georgia (MVD). If you have just moved to the state, you have 30 days from the date you became a resident to make sure your vehicle is registered. Before registering your car, you must have auto insurance, a Georgian driver's license and pass a vehicle inspection.
Registration of a new resident
If you are a new resident of Georgia and would like to register your vehicle, you will need to provide the following:
- Completed name/tag application
- proof of insurance
- Driver's license or Georgian identity card
- Proof of residence, such as a lease or utility bill.
- Proof of vehicle ownership
- Vehicle Inspection Proof
- Registration fee
For residents of Georgia, after buying or purchasing a vehicle, you have seven days to register the vehicle. Before traveling to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, be sure to check the car and take out insurance.
If you buy a car from a dealer, they will give you tags that are valid for 30 days. In addition, the dealer will apply for your ownership but will not receive a transfer of ownership for you.
Vehicle Registration
To register a vehicle in Georgia, you must provide the following:
- Driver's license or Georgian identity card
- Proof of auto insurance
- Ownership or certificate of ownership of the vehicle
- Proof of residence in Georgia
- Inspection Proof
- Registration and Title Fees and Sales Tax
Emissions verification is required in some districts of Georgia. The following counties are included:
- Paulding or Rockdale County
- Henry
- Gwinnett
- Fulton
- Forsyte
- Lafayette
- Douglas
- DeKalb
- Cowherd
- Cobb
- Clayton
- Cherokee
military
Members of the armed forces who are residents of Georgia and are stationed out of state must contact their local tax officer before registering their vehicle. If you haven't received a response from them, please contact the Interior Ministry for more information on how to register a vehicle from your current location.
Military personnel stationed in Georgia, but who are not residents, are not required to register vehicles with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Vehicle registration, insurance, and license plates must be current in the home state to remain legal. If you decide to become a resident of Georgia, you can register your vehicle by following the steps above.
Vehicle registration must be done in person at the local Ministry of Internal Affairs. In addition, VIN verification must be done by a state law enforcement officer or your county's tag agent.
Visit the Georgia DMV website to learn more about what you can expect from this process.
