For a private vehicle sale in Georgia, you need the state’s official bill of sale, Form T-7, along with the signed certificate of title, and you have 7 business days from the purchase date to bring both to your county tag office, pay the 7% Title Ad Valorem Tax, and register the vehicle.1Georgia Department of Revenue. When and Where to Register Your Vehicle2Georgia Department of Revenue. Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT) A Georgia vehicle bill of sale is a short form, but the deadlines and tax that follow it are what trip people up.
What Form T-7 Is and What Goes on It
Form T-7 is the Georgia Department of Revenue’s standard bill of sale for private vehicle transactions. Its job is to document that a sale happened and that the seller disclosed the odometer reading to the buyer.3Georgia Department of Revenue. Form T-7 Bill of Sale You can download it from the DOR website or pick one up at any county tag office.4Georgia Department of Revenue. T-7 Bill of Sale
The form collects:
- Full legal names and residential addresses for both the seller and the buyer.
- The 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), model year, make, and model.
- The exact odometer reading at the time of sale, recorded without tenths.
- The sale date and the dollar amount paid.
Check every entry against the current certificate of title before anyone signs. A wrong digit on the VIN or an odometer discrepancy becomes your problem at the tag office, long after the seller has driven off.
Signatures depend on how the title reads. If more than one owner is listed, every owner has to print and sign the form, and the same rule applies if two people are buying together.5Georgia Department of Revenue. Transfer Vehicle Titled in Georgia Watch the connector between names: “John and Jane” requires both signatures, while “John or Jane” lets either one sign alone.
The Title Goes With the Bill of Sale
Form T-7 documents the sale, but the ownership transfer itself happens on the back of the certificate of title. The seller fills in the title assignment section, including printed name, signature, date, and odometer disclosure. The buyer signs to accept the transfer.5Georgia Department of Revenue. Transfer Vehicle Titled in Georgia
Insist that the seller hand over the signed title and the completed T-7 at the same time you hand over the money. A promise to mail the title later is a problem, because without the title in hand you cannot register the vehicle, and the registration clock starts on the purchase date whether or not you have the paperwork.
The 7-Business-Day Registration Deadline
After a private (casual) sale, you have 7 business days from the purchase date to title and register the vehicle at your county tag office. This is much shorter than the 30-day window that applies to dealer purchases, and missing it exposes you to fines up to $100.1Georgia Department of Revenue. When and Where to Register Your Vehicle
The TAVT itself has its own penalty clock. If the tax goes unpaid more than 30 days after purchase, a 10% penalty on the tax owed kicks in, and another 1% is added for every additional month it stays unpaid.6Georgia Department of Revenue. Motor Vehicles Fees, Fines, and Penalties On a $15,000 vehicle with a $1,050 TAVT bill, the first 10% alone adds $105.
There is one narrow safety valve. If the seller has not provided the title at least five business days before your deadline, the county tag agent may grant a single 30-day extension of the initial registration period.7Justia Law. Georgia Code 40-2-20 – Registration and License This is meant for sellers who are slow with paperwork, not a general grace period.
What You’ll Pay in TAVT
Georgia replaced the old sales tax and annual vehicle property tax with a single one-time Title Ad Valorem Tax paid when you title and register the vehicle. The rate is 7% of the vehicle’s fair market value.8Justia Law. Georgia Code 48-5C-1 – Definitions; Exemption From Taxation Once you pay it, you owe no annual vehicle property tax for as long as you own the vehicle.
Fair market value is not the price written on your bill of sale. The DOR calculates it by averaging clean retail and clean wholesale values from recognized pricing guides.8Justia Law. Georgia Code 48-5C-1 – Definitions; Exemption From Taxation An online TAVT estimator on the DOR’s DRIVES e-Services portal will tell you the assessed value before you buy.2Georgia Department of Revenue. Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT) Run that number before you commit, because the tag office will not negotiate.
One detail that catches private buyers off guard: trade-in credits reduce TAVT only on dealer purchases, not private-party sales.9Georgia Department of Revenue. Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT) – FAQ If you sell your old car to fund a private purchase, the new vehicle’s full fair market value is still what gets taxed.
Lower TAVT Rates for Family, Inheritance, and Divorce Transfers
Several common private transactions qualify for a reduced rate, so long as TAVT was already paid on the vehicle at some point.
Transfers Between Immediate Family
When a vehicle passes between immediate family members and the previous owner already paid TAVT, the combined state and local rate drops to 0.5% of fair market value.2Georgia Department of Revenue. Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT) Qualifying relationships include spouses, parents, children, stepchildren, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren.10Georgia Department of Revenue. MV-16 Affidavit to Certify Immediate Family Relationship
Both the giver and the receiver must complete and sign Form MV-16, an affidavit certifying the relationship, and both signatures must be notarized.10Georgia Department of Revenue. MV-16 Affidavit to Certify Immediate Family Relationship Falsifying information on the form can bring penalties up to $5,000. The reduced rate applies whether the vehicle is sold, gifted, or inherited.
Inherited Vehicles
When a family member inherits a vehicle through a will or state inheritance rules, the same 0.5% rate applies, again on the condition that TAVT was previously paid.8Justia Law. Georgia Code 48-5C-1 – Definitions; Exemption From Taxation
Divorce Transfers
A vehicle transferred under a divorce decree or court order is taxed at a combined 1% of fair market value, split 0.5% state and 0.5% local, assuming TAVT was previously paid.8Justia Law. Georgia Code 48-5C-1 – Definitions; Exemption From Taxation
New Georgia Residents
If you’re moving in from another state with a vehicle registered there, TAVT is 3% of fair market value rather than 7%.8Justia Law. Georgia Code 48-5C-1 – Definitions; Exemption From Taxation
When There’s No Clean Title to Hand Over
Not every private sale comes with a clean title. Georgia handles missing titles differently based on the vehicle’s age.
- Vehicles from 1962 and older: no title required. You can register these without a certificate of title.11Georgia Department of Revenue. Title Not Required or Optional Titles
- 1963 through 1985: titling is optional. You can title the vehicle if the title was issued in your name or properly assigned to you by the owner on the face of the title.11Georgia Department of Revenue. Title Not Required or Optional Titles
- 1986 and newer: a title is required. If the seller can’t produce one, you’ll need to pursue a bonded title.
A bonded title requires you to buy a surety bond from an insurer licensed in Georgia. The bond must be at least twice the vehicle’s average retail value as determined by the DOR, with a $5,000 minimum.12Georgia Department of Revenue. Bonded Vehicle Title You’ll complete Form MV-46 (the bond) and Form MV-46A (a notarized affidavit) and apply for the title within six months of the bond’s issue date. Bonded titles are not available for vehicles model year 1985 or older.
Existing Liens
If the title shows a lienholder, the seller must provide a T-4 lien release before ownership can transfer. Georgia makes exceptions for older liens: no release is required if the lien is at least 10 years old, or if the vehicle is more than 12 years old and the lien is at least 4 years old. These age-based exceptions don’t apply to mobile homes, cranes, or vehicles over 10,000 pounds.
Insurance Before You Get to the Tag Office
You cannot register a vehicle in Georgia without active liability insurance, and your insurer must file your coverage electronically with the state before you arrive at the tag office.13Georgia Department of Revenue. Vehicle Insurance Requirements Call your insurer the day you buy the vehicle, add it to your policy, and confirm the electronic filing is complete. If the vehicle sits on a fleet policy, bring the fleet policy card instead.
Georgia requires continuous coverage for as long as the registration is active. If you take a vehicle off the road and want to drop insurance, cancel the registration first. A lapse on an actively registered vehicle brings fines and possible registration suspension.13Georgia Department of Revenue. Vehicle Insurance Requirements
If You Think the Taxable Value Is Too High
The fair market value the DOR assigns isn’t necessarily what your vehicle is worth in its actual condition. You have 45 days from the date your TAVT was due to appeal to your county’s board of tax assessors. On a private sale, that due date falls at the end of your registration deadline.
Appeals usually rest on one of three grounds: the assessed value is incorrect, the vehicle shouldn’t be taxable in Georgia, or an exemption was wrongly denied. Bring your bill of sale, the mileage as of January 1 of the current year, a written description of the vehicle’s condition, and photos of any damage. High mileage, body damage, or a salvage history is where you have the strongest case for a reduction.