Renewing Your Georgia Vehicle Registration

Georgia ties registration renewal to the primary registered owner's birthday month, not the original registration date. If you're born in March, every vehicle in your name is due in March — even one bought in October. The Department of Revenue mails a renewal notice 30-45 days ahead, but the easier path is the DRIVES e-Services portal, available 24 hours a day.

How to renew

Online (DRIVES e-Services)

Sign in to DRIVES with your tag number, the last 6 digits of your VIN, and your county. Pay by credit card or e-check. The new decal mails in 5-10 business days. Drivers in emissions counties need a passing emissions test on file before the system accepts payment.

By kiosk

Some Georgia counties — Fulton, Gwinnett, DeKalb, and Cobb among them — have MVD self-service kiosks at participating Kroger stores and county courthouses. The kiosk dispenses the new decal on the spot for a $3 service fee.

By mail

Send the renewal notice and a check or money order to the county tag office address printed on the notice. Allow 4-6 weeks for the decal to arrive. Mail renewal doesn't work if you have an emissions hold or insurance lapse.

In person

Visit your county Tag and Title Office during business hours. Bring the renewal notice (or your tag number and VIN), your driver's license, and payment. Most counties accept cash, check, money order, and credit/debit cards (with a small processing fee).

Renewal fees

• Standard passenger vehicle: $20 per year.
• Antique vehicle (year-of-manufacture plate): $25 every 5 years.
• Specialty/vanity plate add-ons: $25 to $80 per year above the $20 base.
• Trailer (under 3,500 lbs): $12 per year.
• Motorcycle: $20 per year.
• Late renewal fee: $10 plus 25% of any unpaid ad valorem tax (for pre-2013 vehicles still on the older system).
• Bad-check fee: $30.

Annual ad valorem tax

Most Georgia vehicles titled after March 2013 paid TAVT at title and have no annual ad valorem tax. Vehicles still under the older system pay an annual ad valorem assessed at the county level, which can range from $50 to $400+ depending on the vehicle's value and county tax rate. The renewal notice spells out exactly which system applies to each vehicle.

Emissions testing

If your vehicle is registered in Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Paulding, or Rockdale county, you must pass an annual emissions test before the MVD will accept your registration renewal. Most 1996-2022 gasoline vehicles are subject to testing; the 3 most recent model years and vehicles 25+ years old are exempt. The test costs around $25 and is performed at certified Clean Air Force stations across the metro area.

Common reasons renewal is blocked

• Missing or failed emissions test in an emissions county.
• Insurance lapse reported through the GEICO Plus electronic insurance verification system.
• Outstanding court-related holds or unpaid traffic citations.
• Unpaid TAVT or ad valorem tax from a prior year.
• Suspended driver's license on the registered owner's record.

Address changes during renewal

The DRIVES e-Services portal lets you update the registration address as part of the renewal. The new decal still ships to whatever address is on file at the time the order is processed, so update the address first if you want the decal to reach you at the new location. See the address change page for the full process.

For a national overview, see our vehicle registration hub.