Georgia: Private-Party Vehicle Title Transfer Requirements

Requirements one by one

The seller assigns the title; the buyer files at the county tag office

Georgia titles run through the Department of Revenue's Motor Vehicle Division,
but you transact at your county tag office. Under O.C.G.A. § 40-3-32(a), when an
owner sells the car the owner must "execute an assignment and warranty of title
to the transferee in the space provided therefor on the certificate of title"
and deliver it. This is a real duty with teeth: a seller who "willfully fails to
deliver the properly assigned certificate of title" is "guilty of a misdemeanor"
and is "civilly liable to the transferee for all damages, including reasonable
attorney's fees."

The buyer's job is separate. Section 40-3-32(b) requires the buyer to apply for
a new title at the county tag agent "so that the title application shall be
received within 30 days from the date of the transfer of the vehicle." The
Department of Revenue's casual-sale checklist lists what to bring: the assigned
title, Form MV-1, proof of insurance, and a Georgia driver's license or ID.

As between the buyer and seller, ownership can pass on delivery of the assigned
title, but § 40-3-32(d) is explicit that as to everyone else "no purchaser or
transferee shall acquire any right, title, or interest" in the vehicle "unless
and until he shall obtain from the transferor the certificate of title thereto,
duly transferred." That is why getting the properly assigned certificate — not
just a receipt — is what protects the buyer.

No notary, and no bill of sale for a titled vehicle

Georgia does not notarize its own titles. The Department of Revenue's casual-sale
document list requires only that the "Title assignment form on back [be]
completed and signed by buyer and seller" — no notary or witness. An out-of-state
title is notarized only if the issuing state required it.

A bill of sale is not the transfer instrument for a titled car. The Department of
Revenue requires one "if the vehicle is 1985 or older and does not require a
title." For a 1986-or-newer vehicle the assigned title controls; a bill of sale
(Form T-7) is useful evidence of price and date but does not replace the title,
MV-1, and tag-office filing.

Every owner signs, and liens must be released

Georgia "does not recognize 'or' as ownership." If two names appear on a Georgia
title, both must sign as seller. Before money changes hands, confirm any recorded
lien is cleared: the Department of Revenue requires that "all recorded liens
and/or security interests against the previous owner must be released in the
spaces provided on the title," or by an original lien release from the
lienholder.

Odometer entry is on the title

Section 40-3-25 requires that "[w]hen the owner of a motor vehicle sells or
transfers such motor vehicle, such owner shall enter on the certificate of title
the mileage as shown on the odometer ... at the time such owner executes the
assignment and warranty of title." Heavy vehicles over 16,000 pounds GVWR are
exempt. Odometer tampering is separately penalized under § 40-8-5.

The tax is TAVT, not sales tax

Georgia replaced sales and annual ad valorem tax on most vehicles with a
one-time Title Ad Valorem Tax. The Department of Revenue states "[t]he current
TAVT rate is 7.0% of the fair market value of the vehicle," paid "every time
vehicle ownership is transferred." It is based on the state's valuation manual,
so a low declared price does not reduce it. A qualifying immediate-family
transfer pays a reduced 0.5% rate. The title fee is $18 and the tag fee is $20.

What trips people up

• The plates go with the seller, not the car. In Georgia the license plate
  belongs to the owner. The seller removes it before delivery and may reuse a
  still-valid tag on another vehicle for a $5 transfer. The buyer needs their own
  tag, which the county issues at titling — a signed title is not permission to
  drive on the seller's plate.
• Thirty days, and the clock is statutory. Section 40-3-32(b) sets a 30-day
  deadline; filing late adds a $10 penalty to the title fee, and late TAVT adds
  10% plus 1% interest per month. If the tag office rejects your documents, you
  get 60 days to fix them before a second $10 penalty and loss of the plate.
• Never sign or accept a title left blank. Delivering or accepting "a
  certificate of title assigned in blank" is a misdemeanor under § 40-3-91. Fill
  in the buyer as transferee before signing.
• Emissions can be a registration gate in metro Atlanta. In 13 named counties,
  a gasoline car or light truck of a covered model year must pass an emissions
  test before it can be registered; the three newest model years and vehicles 25
  years or older are exempt, as are diesels, motorcycles, and RVs.

Common questions

How long does the buyer have to title the car?
The title application must be received within 30 days of the sale
(§ 40-3-32(b)). Missing that adds a $10 title penalty and late-TAVT charges.

Is a bill of sale required?
Not for a 1986-or-newer titled vehicle; the assigned title controls. A bill of
sale is required only for a 1985-or-older vehicle with no title, and is otherwise
just useful evidence.

Does the buyer keep the seller's license plate?
No. Plates belong to the owner. The seller takes the plate off; the buyer gets a
tag when they title and register at the county tag office.

What is TAVT and who pays it?
The Title Ad Valorem Tax is a one-time tax — currently 7.0% of the vehicle's
state-assessed fair market value — paid by the buyer at titling. A qualifying
family transfer pays 0.5%.

Statutes and sources

• O.C.G.A. § 40-3-32 — owner's assignment and warranty of title, the
  misdemeanor and civil liability for failing to deliver it, the buyer's 30-day
  application deadline, the $10 late penalty, the 60-day resubmission rule, and
  when a transfer is effective.
  https://unicourt.github.io/cic-code-ga/transforms/ga/ocga/r86/gov.ga.ocga.title.40.html (accessed 2026-07-23)
• O.C.G.A. § 40-3-25 — entry of the odometer reading on the title and the
  heavy-vehicle exemption.
  https://unicourt.github.io/cic-code-ga/transforms/ga/ocga/r86/gov.ga.ocga.title.40.html (accessed 2026-07-23)
• O.C.G.A. § 40-3-91 — misdemeanor for delivering or accepting a title
  assigned in blank.
  https://unicourt.github.io/cic-code-ga/transforms/ga/ocga/r86/gov.ga.ocga.title.40.html (accessed 2026-07-23)
• O.C.G.A. § 40-6-10 — minimum liability insurance requirement and the
  penalty for operating without it or its proof.
  https://unicourt.github.io/cic-code-ga/transforms/ga/ocga/r86/gov.ga.ocga.title.40.html (accessed 2026-07-23)
• Georgia Department of Revenue — Title and Register a Vehicle Purchased in a
  Casual Sale — required documents, MV-1, insurance, emissions, and fees.
  https://dor.georgia.gov/motor-vehicles/title-motor-vehicles/title-and-register-vehicle-purchased-casual-sale (accessed 2026-07-23)
• Georgia Department of Revenue — Vehicle Taxes: Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT)
  — the current 7.0% rate, one-time-at-titling nature, and the 0.5% family rate.
  https://dor.georgia.gov/motor-vehicles/vehicle-registration-license-plates/vehicle-taxes-title-ad-valorem-tax-tavt-and (accessed 2026-07-23)
• Glynn County Tax Commissioner — Types of Title Transfer — co-owner
  signatures, plate removal and reuse, and the TAVT late-penalty schedule.
  https://glynntaxoffice.org/motor_vehicles/title_a_vehicle/title_transfers.php (accessed 2026-07-23)
• Georgia's Clean Air Force — Before You Test — the 13 covered counties,
  covered model years, and exemptions.
  https://cleanairforce.com/motorists/before-you-test (accessed 2026-07-23)