Issuance of a Honorary Consul (HC) License Plate

Honorary Consuls are representatives that safeguard the interest and promote trade of their native countries and Georgia as well as its citizens.  These Honorary Consuls may operate within their countries’ consul offices or an independent trade office.  The Honorary Consul and their office is listed on Georgia’s Department of Economic Development Consular Offices website.

The U.S. Department of State neither registers vehicles for Honorary Consuls nor provides Honorary Consul license plates.  However, under Georgia law, up to two sets of special Honorary Consul (HC) vehicle license plates may be issued for each country having an honorary consular office in Georgia.  A set consists of duplicate license plates for use on the front and back of a vehicle.

Honorary Consuls with special HC license plates designed for the current tag year are provided with annual renewal decal(s) from the applicable county tag office.  The renewal decal is to be placed on the lower right corner of the license plate covering the previous year’s decal.

For Honorary Consuls who currently have no vehicles with special HC license plates or for Honorary Consuls who currently have special HC license plates for one vehicle and wish to have special HC license plates for a second (or new) vehicle, the following procedures should be followed: 

  1. The Honorary Consul contacts the Office of Protocol at the Office of the Chief of Protocol of the State of Georgia, 75 Fifth Street, NW, Suite 1200, Atlanta, Georgia 30308, to request an authorization letter addressed to the Tax Commissioner for the county in which he/she resides. The letter will be issued by the State of Georgia’s Protocol Office to the Honorary Consul once verification of honorary consular status in Georgia has been received from the U.S. Department of State.  
  2. The Honorary Consul takes the letter of authorization to the local county tag office of his/her residence and submits the letter when requesting the tag. Please note: that only two (2) HC plates can be issued for each country having an honorary consular post in Georgia.
  3. The local county tag office then issues the Honorary Consul a temporary permit (TOP) and notes the request for the HC tag in the system. The license plates (for the front and back of the vehicle) will be mailed to the registered address within 7-10 business days. 

The State Office of Protocol Services will provide the Special Tags Division of the Georgia Department of Revenue Motor Vehicle Division with a current list of Honorary Consuls in Georgia.  Verification of accreditation of Honorary Consuls at the time of renewal must be completed. The list is published and updated periodically on the Georgia’s Department of Economic Development Consular Offices website.

Fees for Vehicle Registration

Registration/Plate Fee
New Registration: $20.00
Renewal Registration: $20.00


Specialty Tag Fee
New Registration: $25.00
Renewal Registration: $25.00


Plate Manufacturing Fee
New Registration: $25.00
Renewal Registration: N/A

Note: Title ad valorem tax is usually assessed unless otherwise exempted.