All vehicles must be registered through Georgia’s Motor Vehicle Division (MVD). If you have just moved to the state, you have 30 days from the time you become a resident to make sure your vehicle is registered. Before registering your vehicle, you must have auto insurance, a Georgia driver’s license, and complete a vehicle inspection.
New Resident registration
If you are a new resident in the state of Georgia and you wish to register you vehicle, you will need to provide the following:
- Completed title/tag application
- Proof of insurance
- Georgia driver’s license or ID card
- Proof of residency, such as a lease or utility bill
- Proof of vehicle ownership
- Vehicle inspection proof
- Registration fees
For residents of Georgia, once a vehicle is purchased or acquired, you have seven days to register the vehicle. Make sure to have the vehicle inspected and purchase insurance before going to the MVD.
If you purchase a vehicle from a dealership, they will provide you with tags that are good for 30 days. In addition, the dealer will apply for your title, but does not obtain your title transfer for you.
Registering a vehicle
To register a vehicle in Georgia you must provide the following:
- Georgia driver’s license or ID card
- Auto insurance proof
- Title or proof of ownership of vehicle
- Proof of Georgia residency
- Proof of inspection
- Registration and title fees, and sales tax
There are certain counties in Georgia that require emissions inspections. The following counties are included:
- Paulding or Rockdale County
- Henry
- Gwinnett
- Fulton
- Forsyth
- Fayette
- Douglas
- DeKalb
- Coweta
- Cobb
- Clayton
- Cherokee
Military
Military members who are residents of Georgia and stationed out-of-state should contact their local Tax Commissioner before registering their vehicle. If you do not get answers with them, contact the MVD for more details on how to register a vehicle from your current location.
Military members who are stationed in Georgia, but are not residents, do not have to register vehicles with the MVD. The vehicle’s registration, insurance, and license plates needs to stay up to date in the home state in order to stay legal. If you decide to become a Georgia resident, you can register your vehicle by following the steps above.
Vehicle registration must be done in person at the local MVD. Furthermore, a VIN inspection must be completed by a state law enforcement officer or your county tag agent.
Visit the Georgia DMV website to find out more about what you can expect from this process.
