Classic Car Dealers in Georgia

Georgia handles a classic differently from most states: whether you need a title depends on the model year, and the tax is a one-time Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT) paid at the county tag office rather than a sales tax. Check the car's model year first, because it decides whether there is a title at all.

Titling the car

Titles are applied for at the County Tag Office in the county where you live, and the Department of Revenue issues them. A Georgia title is required for 1986 and newer model years. For 1963 to 1985 cars a title is optional, and for 1962 and older cars Georgia does not issue a title, although since 2019 an owner can ask for an optional Conditional Title that carries a disclaimer that liens may not be shown. You have 30 days from the purchase to apply. After that the state adds a $10 penalty, and on a private sale the TAVT carries a 10% penalty plus 1% for each further month. The title fee is $18 and the plate is $20 a year. Plan to register the car within about a week: a purchase from anyone other than a dealer must be registered within seven days (the manual says seven business days in one place), and the county can issue a 30-day temporary permit.

Buying from a private seller, the seller must already hold the title in their own name, and the buyer's name must be filled in when it is signed over; giving or accepting a title assigned in blank is a misdemeanor. You take the title, your Georgia license, proof of Georgia insurance, the MV-1 application and the money to your county tag office. The seller's plate does not go with the car. Buying from a licensed Georgia dealer, the dealer must file the title and TAVT for you within 30 days and give you a temporary operating permit.

Cars from other states are titled in Georgia on the original out-of-state title assigned to you, and the TAVT is due even though you bought elsewhere. New residents have 30 days and pay TAVT at 3%. A law enforcement VIN check (Form T-22B) is required for a 1985 or older car that was not registered in Georgia, and for a newer car that comes only with a registration from a state that does not issue titles. A 1963 to 1985 car last registered in such a state cannot be titled in Georgia.

If the seller has no title on a 1986 or newer car, a Georgia resident can apply for a title on a surety bond, set at the greater of twice the car's value or $5,000, together with a law enforcement VIN check. Bonded titles are not available for 1985 and older cars. Those need proof of ownership, such as an out-of-state title and a chain of bills of sale, before the county will register them.

Antique and historical plates

• Hobby Antique plate: for a vehicle more than 25 years old, or one built to resemble an antique. It costs $80 the first year ($25 plate manufacturing, $35 special tag, $20 registration) and $55 a year after that. The statute describes collector use but says the car may be used for general transportation, so it is not a shows-only plate. Confirm current use rules with the tag office.
• Authentic Historical plate: an original Georgia plate dated 1989 or earlier can be registered on the car. You bring the plate and Form T-224 to the county tag office in person, and you still carry a current plate and registration in the car.
• A classic can also simply wear a standard plate at $20 a year.

Emissions and inspections

Emissions testing applies only in 13 metro Atlanta counties: Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Paulding and Rockdale. Vehicles 25 model years old or older are exempt, which for 2026 registration means model year 2001 and older, and the cutoff moves up each year.

Tax

• TAVT is 7% of the vehicle's fair market value, paid once when the car is titled, and it applies to private sales too. The value is the figure in the Department of Revenue's assessment manual, not your price. If the car is not listed, the value is the higher of the bill of sale or a used-car guide value. There is no trade-in reduction on a private sale, and the value can be appealed at the county.
• A titled 1963 to 1985 car pays a reduced 1% TAVT. A family transfer or inheritance of a Georgia-titled car on which TAVT was paid is 0.5%.
• A 1962 or older car has no title and no TAVT. It pays annual ad valorem tax at registration, and a dealer sale also carries sales tax.
• Nothing in Georgia's rules credits sales tax you paid to another state, so budget for the full TAVT on an out-of-state purchase. A nonresident who buys in Georgia and drives the car straight home to title it there can claim an exemption on Form ST-8.

Dealers and private sellers

Used car dealers in Georgia are registered with the State Board of Registration of Used Motor Vehicle Dealers. The Attorney General states that vehicles are sold "as is" unless a promise is in writing, that there is no cooling-off period or right to cancel a vehicle purchase, and that the lemon law does not cover used cars. A salvage vehicle cannot be driven on Georgia roads; once repaired and checked by a state-approved inspector it gets a rebuilt title, so read the brand on any title before you buy.

Sources: Georgia Department of Revenue Motor Vehicle Division (Motor Vehicle Online Manual, TAVT page, fees and penalties, title requirements, plate details, authentic historical plates), Georgia Attorney General Consumer Protection Division (buying a vehicle, lemon law), Georgia's Clean Air Force, and the Official Code of Georgia (titles 40 and 48). Rules and fees change; confirm with your county tag office before you buy.