Title Transfers in Georgia

How to Complete a Georgia Vehicle Title Transfer
  • Submit the title signed over by the seller and the Motor Vehicle Title/Tag Application (Form MV-1).
  • Make sure the car passes an emissions inspection, if required by your county.
  • Pay the $18 title transfer fee plus registration fees and taxes.
  • Continue reading for more information about GA title transfers.

Buying or Selling a Vehicle

You must complete a vehicle title transfer with the Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR) when you buy or sell a vehicle.

Buying a Car

Buying from a Dealer

When you buy a vehicle from a car dealership, they'll handle the auto title transfer for you. You will be issued a temporary operating permit which is good for 30 days. This will give the dealer time to transfer the title.

Once you receive the title or proof of ownership you will need to register the vehicle at your local County Tax office.

Buying from a Private Seller

When you receive the title of a vehicle you're buying from the seller, you and any other joint buyers must sign in the appropriate section on the title to acknowledge the odometer reading UNLESS:

  • The vehicle is exempt from odometer disclosure.
  • The seller has not filled in the required information on the title.

NOTES:

  • DO NOT sign if the title is blank. It is against the law for the seller to give you a blank title and for you to accept it.
  • Be sure any liens listed on the title have an accompanying lien release. Otherwise, you will be responsible for paying the liens once you own the vehicle.
Do Your Research Before You Buy

Get a Vehicle History Report to learn everything you need to know about a vehicle's past, including accidents and damage.

To complete a car title transfer and register your vehicle, go in person to a GA DOR title office within 30 days of the sale date. Before your visit, you can pre-apply online to get your information into the MVD's system and save yourself some time and paperwork.

You'll need to take:

  • Your Georgia driver's license or identification card.
  • The Motor Vehicle Title/Tag Application (Form MV-1: Get Started Now).
    • If you've pre-applied online, this application should already be filled out for you.
  • The properly assigned title.
  • An Emission Inspection Certificate if required by your county. Learn more on our GA Car Inspections page.
  • Proof of your car insurance.
  • Payment for application fees:
    • Title transfer fee: $18.
    • Registration fee: $20.
    • Title ad valorem tax: Use the GA DOR tax calculator to estimate the tax on your vehicle.

You may also need additional documents to register your vehicle in Georgia. Visit our Car Registration in GA page to learn more.

Selling a Vehicle

If you have just sold your vehicle in Georgia, you must correctly fill out the title to assign it to your buyer.

Include the following information on the title:

  • Your name and address as it appears on your GA driver's license.
  • The sale date or the date you're transferring the title.
  • The odometer reading, UNLESS the vehicle is any of the following:
    • At least 20 model years old.
    • Over 16,000 lbs. gross weight.
    • A trailer or other vehicle that IS NOT self-propelled.
    • Transferred from one dealer to another.
    • Is transferred from a manufacturer to a government agency.
  • Your printed name and signature.

NOTE: If the vehicle's odometer DOES NOT show the car's correct mileage, check the appropriate box on the title.

You can also create a Bill of Sale as proof of the sale date and price for both you and the buyer.

New to Georgia

When you move to Georgia, you must apply for a GA auto title transfer and vehicle registration in person at a GA DOR title office. You can fill out your information online ahead of time, so that it's waiting for you when you visit the title office.

You must submit:

NOTE: Vehicles that are model year 1986 or later MUST have a title in GA. If your previous state does not issue DMV titles, contact the GA DOR for other required documents.

Remove a Lien from a GA Title

Once you pay off a lien on your car, the lienholder will release it from your title.

If you have an Electronic Lien on Title (ELT), you need to contact the lienholder to have it released.

For liens recorded on the title itself, the lienholder will:

You will keep the original title showing the lien and lien release until you complete a DMV title transfer when you sell or trade the vehicle.

You DO NOT need a lien release for a lien that has been on a title for:

  • At least 10 years from the title's date of issue IF the vehicle is no more than 11 years old based on model year.
  • At least 4 years from the title's date of issue IF the vehicle is at least 12 years old based on model year.

NOTE: If your title is ever lost or stolen after the lien is released, you will need to get a new Notice of Satisfaction of Security Interest or Lien Holder's Affidavit (Form T-4) in order to get a duplicate title.

Inherited Vehicle Title Transfers

If you inherit a vehicle in Georgia, you'll need to complete a DMV title transfer to put the title in your name or to sell it. First, to save time, consider pre-applying online so that your information is saved for your arrival.

You will need:

  • The Motor Vehicle Title/Tag Application (Form MV-1: Get Started Now).
    • If you filled out the pre-application, you likely don't need to fill this out again.
  • The original title, if available. The title must:
    • Be in the name of the deceased person.
      OR
    • Assigned to the deceased person.
  • A Notice of Satisfaction of Security Interest or Lien Holder's Affidavit (Form T-4) for any unreleased liens recorded on the title.
    • For an electronic lien (ELT), contact the lienholder for release.
  • A document that shows you've inherited the vehicle, such as:
    • A certified copy of the Letters of Testamentary/Administration.
    • An Affidavit of Inheritance of a Motor Vehicle (Form T-20).
    • A certified copy of the death certificate of the deceased person.
    • A copy of the will if it DOES NOT go through probate.
  • Payment for the title transfer fee: $18.

Submit the required documents and fees in person at your Georgia county tag office.

NOTE: See the GA DOR website for additional document requirements if:

  • You're buying a vehicle from an estate.
  • You're transferring the title of a vehicle owned by a company whose sole owner is deceased.
  • The estate executor is deceased.

Selling an Inherited Vehicle in GA

You can transfer ownership of an inherited vehicle from the deceased person directly to a new owner IF:

  • You present Letters of Testamentary/Administration.
    AND
  • You're a Georgia resident.

Otherwise, you must first complete a car title transfer to yourself before transferring ownership to someone else.

NOTE: If the vehicle doesn't have a GA title AND you are NOT a resident of Georgia, you must title the vehicle in your name in your home state BEFORE you can complete the car title transfer.

Gifted and Donated Vehicles

If you give your vehicle as a gift or donate it to a charity, contact the GA DOR for information about the auto title transfer process.

Get complete information about donating vehicles on our Car Donation page.

Fees for Georgia Title Transfers

The Georgia DOR charges the following fees when you apply for a vehicle title transfer or get a GA title for your out-of-state vehicle:

  • $18 title transfer fee.
  • $20 registration fee.
  • Title ad valorem tax based on the vehicle's value.

Other title fees include:

  • Duplicate title fee: $8.
  • Penalty for a late application (after 30 days): $10.

Change Your GA Vehicle Title

When you change your name or move to a new address, you must update your car title and vehicle registration with the Georgia DOR.

First, change the name or address on your GA driver's license or ID.

You can then change your title and vehicle registration information:

  • In person.
  • By mail.

In Person

To update your name and/or address in person, you'll need:

  • Your GA vehicle title.
  • Your updated Georgia driver's license or ID.
  • Proof of your name change (if applicable), such as your:
    • Marriage certificate.
    • Divorce decree.
    • Court order.
  • The appropriate vehicle titling fee:
    • $18 fee for a title in a new name.
    • This is free if you're ONLY changing your address.

Take all of the above to your local Georgia County Tag Office's tag office.

By Mail

To submit name and/or address changes for a motor vehicle title by mail, you will need:

  • The Motor Vehicle Title/Tag Application (Form MV-1: Get Started Now). Be sure any paid liens are:
    • Released on the title.
    • NOT included on the application.
  • Your current GA vehicle title.
  • A copy of your updated GA driver's license or ID card.
  • A court document proving your name change (if applicable), for example your:
    • Marriage certificate.
    • Court order.
    • Divorce decree.
  • The appropriate GA title fee:
    • Name change (with or without address change): $18.
    • Address change ONLY is free.

Mail your documents to your local County Tag Office office.

Replace a Vehicle Title

If your motor vehicle title is lost, stolen, or damaged, you need to order a replacement.

NOTE: If you're selling your car and don't have the title, be sure to get a duplicate title so that you can complete the DMV title transfer process.

To get a replacement car title in Georgia, you must submit:

Learn more about getting a duplicate vehicle title on our Replacing a Lost Title page.

Forms

MV-1
Motor Vehicle Title/Tag Application
Application to title AND register your car with the Georgia MVD.
T-4
Notice of Satisfaction of Security Interest or Lien Holder's Affidavit
Use this form to notify the MVD of a release a lien on a vehicle you're replacing OR transferring the title on.
T-22B
Certificate of Inspection by a Duly Constituted Georgia Law Enforcement Officer
Completed by a Georgia law enforcement officer when a VIN inspection is required for registration, usually for vehicles without titles.
T-20
Affidavit of Inheritance of a Motor Vehicle
Submit this affidavit to the Georgia MVD to transfer a title into your name when you inherit a vehicle. Must be verified by a notary public.
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