Motor Vehicles Fees, Fines, and Penalties

On this page find information on the various motor vehicle fees, fines, and penalties. 

Contact your local County Tag Office for acceptable methods of payments.

  • Standard Fees

    Standard Fees

    Amount

    Comments
    Original Title Application Fee $18 If vehicle requires a Georgia title, owners have 30 days from the date the vehicle was purchased or transferred to apply for a title at the buyer’s County Tag Office.

    Title Application Fee for State or Federal agency

    		 No Charge Must provide documentation that the owner is a state or federal agency.

    Title fee for change of ownership or Lien/Security interest added or deleted

    		 $18 Original title must be provided.

    License Plate Registration or Renewal Fee

    		 $20 Regular passenger car or lightweight pick-up truck, other vehicle vary according to the MV schedule.

    Replacement Title Fee when lost or stolen

    		 $8 The replacement title will have a legend/brand showing that it is a replacement title.

    Replacement title when lost in the mail, if mailed by MVD and owner did not receive – must be applied for within 60 days of issue date of lost title

    $18

    		 A completed and signed Form T-216 Report of a Lost Title in the Mail must be submitted. This option cannot be used for titles mailed by MVD to the recorded security interest or lien holders.

    Title Application perfecting child support lien

    		 No Charge  

    Replacement License Plate or Decal

    		 $8  

    Replacement Prestige License plates

    		 $43 $8 replacement fee plus $35 manufacturing fee.

    Replacement Specialty License plates

    		 Varies $8 replacement fee plus manufacturing fees ranging from $25 to $35.

    Sales Tax or Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT)

    Varies

    		 Subject to the price/value of the vehicle.

    Mailing fee

    		 $1  

    Special handling fee – for expedited title processing (In-Person replacement titles and title corrections only)

    		 $10

    Submit title application, supporting documents and fees due, including $10 special handling fee in person at:

    DOR/Motor Vehicle Division
    4125 Welcome All Rd
    Atlanta, Georgia 30349

    Special handling fee for state or federal agency

    $10

    		 For expedited title process.
    Emission Inspections Varies For counties requiring emission inspection (metro Atlanta) See Appendix A – Emissions Inspection Requirements, Georgia
  • Research Fees
    Research Fees Amount Comments

    License Plate/Title/Lien Vehicle Information Printout

    $1

    Completed Form MV-20 Request for Motor Vehicle Data

    License Plate and Title Computer Printout

    $1

    Required to purchase a current license plate.

    License Plate information computer printout

    $1

    Each vehicle

    Search of records by name

    $1

    Each vehicle – If a record is found, you will be provided a printout of motor vehicle title and lien information

    Salvage Letter/Certification

    $14

    Must be requested seven days prior to court date. Completed Form MV-20 Request for Motor Vehicle Data. This letter cannot be picked up in person. It will be mailed

    Certified Transcript of Title

    $14

    Must be requested seven days prior to court date.  Completed Form MV-20 Request for Motor Vehicle Data

    Certified Transcript of License Plate

    $14

    Must be requested seven days prior to court date.  Completed Form MV-20 Request for Motor Vehicle Data

    Certified Transcript of Lien

    $14

    Must be requested seven days prior to court date.  Completed Form MV-20 Request for Motor Vehicle Data

    Abandoned Vehicle

    $2

    Completed Form MV-603 Notice of an Abandoned Vehicle and Request for Information

    Title History

    $5

    Completed Form MV-20 Request for Motor Vehicle Data

    Letter of Verification

    $5

    Completed Form MV-20 Request for Motor Vehicle Data
  • Penalties
    Penalties Amount Comments

    Title Penalty for failure to apply for Georgia Title within 30 days of the vehicle’s purchase or transfer date

    $10

     

    Title Penalty for changed or altered purchase or transfer date on the back of the title or document transferring ownership

    $10

     

    Title Penalty for failure to respond within 60 days of the date of a letter asking for additional information

    $10

    If previously applied for and additional action was required

    Title Penalty for failure to apply for title within 30 days of purchase or transfer of ownership for title issued to a State or Federal Agency

    No charge

     

    Failure to renew vehicle’s Georgia License Plate Registration during your county’s established registration period

    10% of Ad Valorem Tax due + 25% of License Plate Fees

    Ad valorem Penalty has a $5 minimum

    Dealer Title Ad Valorem Tax penalty for not submitting TAVT within 30 days of purchase

    5% of TAVT due after day 30 and 5% additional every month thereafter

    Contact your local County Tag Office for details

    Casual sale Title Ad Valorem Tax penalty for not submitting TAVT within 30 days of purchase

    10% of TAVT after day 30 and 1% additional every month thereafter

    Contact your local County Tag Office for details
  • Insurance Fines

    Insurance Fines

    		 Amount Comments

    Insurance Lapse

    $25

    Failure to maintain continuous insurance liability coverage on a vehicle with a current registration

    Insurance Reinstatement – First Offense

    $60

    Reinstate registration once the registration is cancelled due to failure to pay insurance lapse fee

    Insurance Reinstatement – Second Offense

    $60

    Reinstate registration once the registration is cancelled for the second time due to failure to pay insurance lapse fee

    Insurance Reinstatement – more than 2 offenses in a 5-year period

    $160

    Reinstate registration once the registration is cancelled for more than two offenses in a 5-year period due to failure to pay insurance lapse fee
  • Unlawful Acts/Criminal Offenses
    • Giving or accepting a title where the assignment has been signed without the buyer’s name entered is a criminal offense. Georgia Code 40-3-91(c) states: “Any person, firm, or corporation which delivers or accepts a certificate of title assigned in blank shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $100 or imprisoned for a period not to exceed 30 days for the acceptance or delivery of each certificate of title assigned in blank.”
    • Any person who makes a false statement in any application for the registration of a vehicle in this state shall be guilty of false swearing, whether or not an oath is actually administered.
    • It is illegal to remove or transfer a license plate from the vehicle for which such license plate was issued.

    Note:  The vehicle owner may transfer their valid Georgia license plate from a vehicle they no longer own to another vehicle they purchase/acquire (both requiring the same class of license plate) after the license plate has been properly transferred at their County Tag Office. 

    • Any person who mutilates, obliterates, defaces, alters, changes or conceals any numeral, letter, character, county name decal or other marking of any license plate issued under the motor vehicle registration laws of this state shall be guilty of a criminal offense.
    • Any person who knowingly operates a vehicle bearing a license plate on which any numeral, letter, character, county name decal, or other marking has been willfully mutilated, obliterated, defaced, altered, changed or concealed shall be guilty of a criminal offense.
    • Any person who knowingly operates a vehicle bearing a license plate issued for another vehicle and not transferred as required by law shall be guilty of a criminal offense.
    • Any person who removes a license plate from a vehicle or affixes to a vehicle, a license plate not authorized by law for use on it with intent to conceal or misrepresent the identity of the vehicle or its owners, is guilty of a criminal offense.
    • Any person owning or operating any vehicle on the public highways and streets of this state without registering and obtaining a license plate to operate the vehicle in the timeframe required or without renewing the registration and license plate during their registration period shall be guilty of a criminal offense.
    • It is a criminal offense to operate any vehicle required to be registered in this state without a valid county name decal affixed to the license plate when a county name decal is required by law and a space is provided on the license plate for the county name decal.
    • Every motor vehicle shall at all times have the license plate issued to it firmly attached to it in such a manner that it will not swing and that is plainly visible. The license plate shall be attached to the rear of the vehicle.

    Exception:  A license plate issued for a tractor used as a traveling power plant for drawing carrying loads independently, shall display the license plate issued to it on the front of the vehicle.  It shall be the duty of the operator of any vehicle to keep the license plate legible at all times. No license plate shall be covered with any material unless the material is colorless and transparent. No apparatus that obstructs or hinders the clear display and legibility of a license plate shall be attached to the rear of any motor vehicle required to be registered in the state. Any person who violates these provisions of law shall be guilty of a criminal offense.

    • No person shall display on the rear of a motor vehicle any temporary or permanent license plate not issued by the State of Georgia which is intended to resemble a license plate which is issued by the State of Georgia