Georgia Form T-22B is a one-page Certification of Inspection that a law enforcement officer or authorized county tag office employee signs after physically inspecting your vehicle’s serial plate. You will usually need it when titling a vehicle that came from a state or country that doesn’t issue titles, or when you’re pursuing a bonded title because your ownership paperwork is missing or incomplete. The process has three steps: download the form from the Georgia Department of Revenue, fill in the owner’s section, then bring the vehicle to an authorized inspector and submit the signed form with your title application at your county tag office.
When You Need Form T-22B
The most common trigger is registering a 1986-or-newer vehicle that was last titled or registered in a state or country that does not issue titles. Georgia requires a completed T-22B along with the vehicle’s current out-of-state registration certificate before it will process your Georgia title.1Georgia Department of Revenue. Transfer Title and License Plate from Another State or Country Vehicles from 1963 through 1985 that were last registered in a non-title state cannot receive a Georgia title at all.
The form is also required in the bonded title process. When the Department of Revenue or the county tag agent isn’t satisfied that you own the vehicle or that no hidden liens exist, Georgia law allows a title conditioned on a surety bond, but only after an inspector has verified the vehicle’s identity through the T-22B.2Justia. Georgia Code 40-3-28 A tag office may also ask for a T-22B when title documents are missing or illegible, or when the VIN on your paperwork doesn’t clearly match state records.
One point of confusion worth clearing up: homemade trailers do not use Form T-22B. Georgia handles those through Form T-23 (Homemade Trailer Affidavit) and Form T-22C, which certifies a county-assigned serial plate has been permanently riveted to the trailer.3Hall County Tax Commissioner. Trailers
Filling Out the Owner’s Section
Download the form directly from the Georgia Department of Revenue’s motor vehicle forms page.4Georgia Department of Revenue. T-22B Certification of Inspection You complete the top portion before the vehicle is inspected. Three things go there:
- Vehicle description: VIN, year, make, and model. Copy the VIN exactly as it appears on the metal plate, which sits on the driver’s side dashboard or the door jamb sticker on most vehicles. One transposed digit will get the form rejected.
- Owner information: your full legal name, residential address, and phone number. These must match what you’ll put on the title application.
- Odometer reading at the time of inspection.
Before the inspection, pull together any ownership documents you have: bill of sale, out-of-state registration, or a prior title. Bring a valid Georgia driver’s license or state ID, which every title applicant has to present.5Gwinnett County Tax Commissioner. Obtain a Georgia Title Compare the VIN on your paperwork to the VIN stamped on the vehicle before you leave the driveway. Catching a mismatch now saves a wasted trip.
Getting the VIN Inspection
Not just anyone can sign the T-22B. Georgia accepts inspections completed by a Georgia law enforcement officer, a county tax commissioner, or the tax commissioner’s designated employee.6Camden County Georgia. What Is Needed to Obtain a Georgia Title and License Plate Most people either stop by a local police precinct or sheriff’s office, or get the inspection done at the county tag office when they arrive with the vehicle.
The vehicle must be physically present. The inspector finds the VIN plate on the chassis and compares it to what you wrote on the form. They also look for signs of tampering: grinding marks, restamped characters, misaligned or loose plates. If the plate checks out, the inspector signs the T-22B and records their identifying information. If the serial plate is missing entirely, you’ll also need Form T-128, the Missing Serial Plate Affidavit.
For a vehicle that can’t be driven, call the non-emergency line of your local law enforcement agency and ask whether an officer or deputy can meet you where the vehicle is parked. Not every agency provides this service, so call ahead.
What Happens if the VIN Doesn’t Match
If the inspector determines the VIN plate has been altered, removed, or doesn’t match your documents, they won’t sign the form and the title process stops there. Willfully removing or falsifying a vehicle identification number is a misdemeanor under Georgia law, and it becomes a felony if done to misrepresent the vehicle’s identity or commit fraud, carrying a fine of $500 to $5,000, one to five years in prison, or both.7Justia. Georgia Code 40-4-21 The inspector may refer the vehicle to law enforcement, and you could lose possession of it.
A mismatch isn’t always sinister. VIN plates corrode, especially on older vehicles and trailers. If the number is simply hard to read rather than clearly altered, explain the situation and show whatever documentation you have. The tag office can walk you through the next step, which may be applying for a bonded title.
Submitting the Signed Form With Your Title Application
Once the T-22B is signed, take it to your county tax commissioner’s tag office with the rest of your title paperwork. At minimum you’ll need:
- Form MV-1, Georgia’s Title/Tag Application. Every owner listed has to sign it, and each must show a valid Georgia driver’s license or ID.8Georgia Department of Revenue. MV-1 Motor Vehicle Title/Tag Application
- Proof of ownership: the out-of-state registration, a bill of sale, or other ownership documents. Vehicles coming from Massachusetts, Mississippi, or Minnesota also require a certification from that state’s motor vehicle agency confirming the vehicle wasn’t titled there.1Georgia Department of Revenue. Transfer Title and License Plate from Another State or Country
- Lien release, if the prior title showed a lienholder. It must be an original; photocopies and faxes are not accepted.5Gwinnett County Tax Commissioner. Obtain a Georgia Title
- The current odometer reading.
Some counties accept applications by mail, but most people go in person so staff can catch missing pieces on the spot. T-22B situations almost always involve private-party or out-of-state transfers, which don’t use the dealer electronic process.
Fees and Deadlines
The base Georgia title fee is $18.9Georgia Department of Revenue. Motor Vehicles Fees, Fines, and Penalties On top of that you’ll owe Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT), calculated as a percentage of the vehicle’s fair market value, which replaces both sales tax and annual ad valorem tax on the vehicle.10Georgia Department of Revenue. Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT) FAQ TAVT can be a large number, so ask your tag office for the exact figure before you show up.
You have 30 days from the date of purchase, or from the date you’re otherwise required to register in Georgia, to submit your title application. Miss the window and a $10 late penalty is added to the title fee. If the tag office rejects your documents and asks for corrections, you have 60 days to resubmit; miss that and another $10 penalty applies, your plate expires at midnight on day 60, and you must surrender it to the tag office immediately.11Justia. Georgia Code 40-3-21 New residents also have 30 days from the date they move to register, and missing that deadline can bring fines of up to $100.12Georgia Department of Revenue. When and Where to Register Your Vehicle
Bonded Titles When You Don’t Have Ownership Documents
If you own a vehicle but can’t produce a title, a bill of sale, or anything else the tag agent will accept as proof of ownership, the alternative is a bonded title under O.C.G.A. § 40-3-28. The commissioner or county tag agent can still register the vehicle but may either hold back the title until you produce adequate documentation, or require you to purchase a surety bond first.2Justia. Georgia Code 40-3-28
The bond protects anyone who later proves they actually owned the vehicle or had a lien on it. The bond amount equals the vehicle’s value as set by the commissioner or tag agent, and the bond expires after four years unless a claim is filed against it. You’ll buy the bond from an insurance or surety company licensed in Georgia, and the T-22B will be one piece of a larger paperwork package. The premium depends on the bond amount and your credit. If no claims come in during the four years, the bond expires on its own and the title becomes clean without any further action on your part.