Georgia Form T-22C is the “Permission for County Assigned Serial Plate for a Homemade Trailer.” Your county tag agent hands it to you along with a serial plate after you submit a Homemade Trailer Affidavit, and a Georgia law enforcement officer later signs it to certify the plate has been riveted to your trailer. Once that signed form comes back to the tag office with your fees, the county issues a license plate and registration certificate.
What the Form Is For
A trailer you built yourself has no manufacturer’s VIN, so it can’t move through the normal registration path. T-22C fills that gap. It authorizes the county-assigned serial number that stands in for a factory VIN, and the finished form documents that the plate has been permanently attached and inspected.
The form applies only to homemade trailers. A manufactured trailer, even a used one, is registered with different paperwork such as a Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin or an assigned certificate of title. The T-23 affidavit that starts the T-22C process states plainly that it “shall not be used to obtain a plate for a manufactured trailer.”1Georgia Department of Revenue. T-23 Homemade Trailer Affidavit
Start With the T-23 Homemade Trailer Affidavit
You do not fill out T-22C yourself. The process starts with Form T-23, the Homemade Trailer Affidavit, downloadable from the Georgia Department of Revenue.1Georgia Department of Revenue. T-23 Homemade Trailer Affidavit It asks for owner information and driver’s license numbers, trailer type, year built, weight, the builder’s full legal name, and the date the trailer was completed.
Two things trip people up here. First, every owner’s signature on the T-23 has to be notarized. Second, you need to bring parts receipts or a bill of sale for the materials you used to build the trailer. Those receipts do double duty: the agent needs them to accept the affidavit, and the trailer’s assessed value for ad valorem tax is typically based on what you spent on materials.
Take the notarized affidavit and your receipts to your local County Tag Office in person.
Picking Up the T-22C and Serial Plate
When the county agent accepts your T-23, they give you two items: Form T-22C and a small metal serial plate stamped with a unique number assigned to your trailer.2Georgia Department of Revenue. Homemade Trailers and Serial Plates The plate is the trailer’s substitute VIN. The T-22C is now partially filled out, but it isn’t finished. Two more steps stand between you and a license plate.
Rivet the Plate and Get the Officer’s Signature
The serial plate must be attached to the trailer with rivets. Not screws, not bolts, not adhesive. Rivets are required because they can’t be removed without visible damage, which discourages tampering.2Georgia Department of Revenue. Homemade Trailers and Serial Plates A rivet gun and a small pack of aluminum rivets from any hardware store handle this for a few dollars.
After the plate is riveted on, a Georgia law enforcement officer must inspect the trailer and complete the T-22C, certifying that the plate has been properly affixed and the trailer is secured.1Georgia Department of Revenue. T-23 Homemade Trailer Affidavit Reports from Georgia trailer owners suggest an inspecting officer may also check working lights, safety chains, and tire tread. Call your local police department or sheriff’s office ahead of time, because whether you bring the trailer to them or an officer comes to you varies by county.
Return the Completed Form and Pay the Fees
With the officer’s signature on the T-22C, go back to the county tag office. You’ll pay a $12.00 license plate fee plus the applicable ad valorem tax. The office then issues your license plate and registration certificate.2Georgia Department of Revenue. Homemade Trailers and Serial Plates
Homemade trailers are exempt from Georgia’s Title Ad Valorem Tax because they are non-titled vehicles, but they are subject to the annual ad valorem tax instead.3Georgia Department of Revenue. Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT) The amount depends on the assessed value of the trailer and your county’s millage rate, so it varies. That’s why the parts receipts matter beyond the first appointment.
Mistakes That Send You Home Empty-Handed
Missing receipts is the most common holdup. Without documentation of the materials you used, the agent has no basis to accept the T-23 or to assess the trailer for tax. Keep receipts for the axle, frame, wheels, lights, and other purchased components.
Skipping the notary is the next one. An un-notarized T-23 gets turned away at the counter.1Georgia Department of Revenue. T-23 Homemade Trailer Affidavit
Attaching the serial plate with screws instead of rivets also fails. The officer can’t sign the T-22C, and the tag office won’t accept a T-22C without that signature.2Georgia Department of Revenue. Homemade Trailers and Serial Plates
Plan on two trips to the tag office. One to drop off the T-23 and pick up the serial plate and T-22C, and a second to bring back the completed T-22C with the officer’s certification and pay your fees. A single visit isn’t going to get you a plate.