MVD | Motor Vehicle Division

**MVD Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday thru Friday excluding state holidays **

When can a dealer issue a temporary tag?

At the time of sale, a licensed motor vehicle dealer in this state is required to issue one free temporary dealer-issue tag for their customer's use in operating their vehicle during the thirty-day (30) period of time the customer has to register it.

The customer has thirty-days (30) from the purchase date to either register & obtain a license plate or to transfer their valid license plate from another vehicle they no longer own to their newly acquired vehicle. The customer should apply for a license plate or license plate transfer at the Tax Commissioner's office in the county in Georgia where they reside. The dealer cannot issue an extension or another tag nor can the customer operate the vehicle legally with an expired dealer-issued temporary tag. The customer will be unable to register & obtain a license plate or transfer a license plate to the newly purchased vehicle if a title has not been issued for the vehicle in their name (when a title is required). The dealer is responsible for applying for a title for their customer when the vehicle requires a title but is not required to apply for a license plate or a license plate transfer.

If the selling dealer fails to obtain a title for transfer to their customer within five- (5) days of the expiration date of the tag (25 days from the purchase date), the customer may apply for one thirty-day (30) temporary tag at their County Tax Commissioner's office. The customer will be required to turn in the dealer-issued tag at that time for destruction & show proof of ownership (dealer's invoice) & identification (Valid Georgia driver's license or state-issued identification card). The customer will be required to complete a T-226 Application to Extend the Registration Period of a Motor Vehicle Purchased from a Georgia Motor Vehicle Dealer to obtain a temporary tag from the Tax Commissioner's office.

When the Dealer Cannot Issue A Temporary Tag

The vehicle is to be registered under the International Registration Plan (IRP).
The vehicle is a salvage vehicle.
The vehicle is not self-propelled.
The dealer did not sell the vehicle.

**Example: The customer can transfer their license plate from their passenger car they no longer own to a pickup truck they have purchased, but they cannot transfer their license plate from their trailer to their pickup truck because they are issued different types/prices of tags. Click here for a chart showing the different types/prices license plates.