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Georgia Guide

How to Gift a Car in Georgia

Last verified: October 2026 against Georgia Department of Revenue sources

Georgia does not tax a family transfer at the full 7%. When the previous owner paid TAVT, an immediate family member can pay 0.5% of the vehicle’s fair market value instead.

Here is who qualifies and how to transfer the car.

Step by step

  1. 1

    Check that you are immediate family

    Form MV-16 covers transfers between a spouse, parent, child, stepchild, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild, whether the car is gifted, sold, or inherited.

  2. 2

    Sign Form MV-16 before a notary

    Both of you sign the Affidavit to Certify Immediate Family Relationship (MV-16), each before a notary. Falsifying it can bring penalties of up to $2,500 state and $2,500 local.

  3. 3

    Know which tax applies

    If the car is already in the TAVT system (the previous owner paid TAVT), you pay 0.5% of fair market value.

    If the car is still in the older annual ad valorem system, you can stay in that system or pay full TAVT. MV-16 has a box for that choice.

  4. 4

    Transfer the title

    Your family member signs the title over to you with your full legal name, the date, and the odometer reading. Any lien must be released on the title.

  5. 5

    Apply at the County Tag Office

    Bring the title, MV-16, MV-1, your Georgia license or ID, insurance, and an emissions certificate if your county requires one. Pay the $18 title, the $20 plate, and the reduced TAVT.

What to bring

  • The title, signed over to you, with any lien released
  • Form MV-16, signed by both of you before a notary
  • MV-1 Title/Tag Application
  • Your Georgia driver’s license or ID
  • Insurance filed electronically, or an insurance binder
  • Emissions certificate, if your county requires one

Estimate your Georgia costs

The calculator shows the full 7% TAVT. A qualifying family transfer pays 0.5% of fair market value instead, so the title and plate fees are the part of the estimate that carries over.

Open the full Georgia calculator

Vehicle & Transaction Details

Enter purchase information to calculate true out-of-pocket costs in Georgia.

51 Jurisdictions Active
Georgia 7% tax base
$
7 years old
Georgia tag options
1-Year Term (Georgia registers for one year)
EV surcharge rules
Lien fee: $0.00
Georgia: Non-Deductible
$

Georgia Notice: Georgia taxes the full agreed vehicle price. Trade-ins do not reduce the tax base on private-party sales.

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Estimated taxes & fees

Estimated taxes & fees

Jurisdiction

Georgia

Estimated taxes & fees
$1,088.00

Sales/Excise Tax + Title Certificate + Tags & Registration

Itemized Line ItemEstimated Fee
1Vehicle Sales / Excise Tax (7%)

7% assessed on vehicle Fair Market Value

$1,050.00
2Certificate of Title Fee

Standard state title certificate issuance

$18.00
3Lien / Security Filing Fee

Unfinanced / cash purchase (waived $0.00)

$0.00
4Registration & Tag Fee

Base license plates & tags

$20.00

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Georgia rates last verified: October 2026
Official Notice & Statutory Disclaimers

Estimates only, not tax or legal advice. Verify with the Georgia Department of Revenue or your County Tag Office.

Georgia taxes a private sale on the fair market value from the state assessment manual, which can be more or less than the price you paid. The estimate uses the price you enter. To match the Department of Revenue, look up the value with its TAVT estimator and enter that value as the price.

A trade-in lowers TAVT only on a dealer sale. Private sales get no trade-in reduction.

New Georgia residents pay 3% instead of 7%. A transfer between immediate family members can pay 0.5% if the previous owner paid TAVT (Form MV-16).

Registration shown is the $20 annual plate fee. All-electric vehicles add the $238.59 alternative fuel fee. Plug-in hybrids pay it only if they choose the alternative fuel plate.

Georgia’s sources do not say whether its electric vehicle fee applies to motorcycles, so the estimate leaves it out for a motorcycle. Confirm with your county tag office.

County & Local Tax Note: Georgia charges a one-time Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT) of 7.0% in place of sales tax and annual property tax. The rate is the same in every county.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this Georgia Department of Revenue process.

A spouse, parent, child, stepchild, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild, with Form MV-16, when the previous owner paid TAVT.

Sources

Last verified: October 2026. Rules change, so check with Georgia Department of Revenue before you go.

More Georgia guides

How to Title a Private Car Sale in GeorgiaThe signed title, MV-1, emissions, and TAVT on fair market value.Titling a Car in Georgia After Moving From Another StateThe 30-day deadline, the 3% TAVT, emissions, and what to bring.
Georgia Private Party Car Tax Calculator