You have 30 days to transfer the car title to the buyer after you sell a used car in Georgia (GA). You and the car buyer must fill in sections on the original title to complete the title transfer.

Required Inspections to Sell Used Cars in Georgia

As part of the sell car process in GA, you are required to visit an authorized emissions or smog check inspection station and have the motor vehicle examined. Bring a copy of the emissions inspection certificate with you to a local tag office.

A clerk at the tag office will check to make sure that the vehicle identification number (VIN) listed on the title or titles (if you are selling more than one car) agrees with the VIN listed on the actual motor vehicle. They will record their observations on Form T-22B (Certification of Inspection by a Duly Constituted Georgia, City, County or State Law Enforcement Officer or County Tag Agent).

MVD tag offices are generally open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. You can locate a list of GA tag offices at the DOR website under “Contacting Motor Vehicle Division.”

Completing the Georgia Title Transfer Process on Used Cars

Information you will fill in on the actual title is:

• Your first and last names and street mailing address (fill this in on the assignment section on the back of the title).
• The car buyer’s name and address.
• The car odometer reading.
• The make, model, and year of the auto.
• Signatures and the date, written before a licensed notary public.

Complete Form MV-1 (Title and Tag Application). The form is available for download at the DOR website under “Forms and Manuals.” To complete the application provide:

• Date you sold the auto.
• Vehicle identification number.
• Title number.
• Odometer reading (becomes a part of the vehicle history).
• Emissions inspection certificate number.

Take the completed title application, the emissions inspection certificate, and the updated original title to a local Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) tag office. Pay the $18 title transfer fee.

If you are not going to keep the license plates that were registered to the sold auto, return them to the tag office. You are not permitted to give the license plates to the car buyer.