How to Get Georgia Dealer Plates

How to Obtain Georgia Dealer License Plates Podcast

If you plan to buy and resell cars in the state of Georgia, one thing you'll need access to is a dealer plate. Dealer plates allow you to purchase vehicles that aren't available to regular car buyers and use them for your business. Getting dealership plates can be fairly simple if you're willing to complete a few simple steps first. In this article, we'll explain what dealer plates are, how they work, and how to apply for one in Georgia.

What Vehicles are Dealer Plates Allowed to be Used Upon?

Georgia dealer plates allow your customers to test drive the motor vehicles you have on your lot. Dealer plates also allow you to drive the vehicles that you have purchased with your dealer license back and forth to a dealer auction. When you obtain your Georgia dealer license you can enter any dealer auction in the United States, not just Georgia dealer auctions. When you by a vehicle at a dealer auction in Georgia you can place the dealer plate on the vehicle and drive it back to your used car dealer lot. A dealer plat can then be used when one of your customers is test driving the vehicle you are trying to sell. You can also use a Georgia dealer plate, or what we sometimes refer to as a dealer tag, or simply a dtag when transporting a vehicle for sale. The State of Georgia does, however, have several strict rules and guidelines you must be aware of when using your Georgia dealer license plates.

What Vehicles Are You Prohibited From Placing a Dealer Plate Upon?

You must make sure you are using your Georgia dealer plates correctly. If you are not, then the State of Georgia, specifically the Georgia Department of Revenue can take your dealer plates away. Georgia dealer licenses are regulated by the Georgia Department of Revenue. When you obtain your dealer license you must charge Title Ad Valorem Tax on most vehicles you sell. This is sometimes referred to as motor vehicle sales tax. Licensed dealers in the State of Georgia are required to charge Title Ad Valorem Tax or what we call TAVT on most vehicles sold. Taxes in the State of Georgia are collected by the Georgia Department of Revenue. So when you obtain your Georgia dealer license you will collect TAVT from the customer when they are purchasing a vehicle on your lot and easily transfer this TAVT you have collected to the Department of Revenue. In your mandatory dealer pre-license training class we will show you how to use Electronic Titling Registration software that will automatically compute the TAVT your customer owes based on where they live. The TAVT you collect this then transmitted to the State of Georgia. This process is overseeen by the Georgia Department of Revenue. That is why the Georgia Department of Revenue has oversight over anyone that holds a Georgia dealer license. Although the Georgia Secretary of State actually issues Georgia dealer licenses, the licenses are actually regulated by the Georgia Department of Revenue.

You May Never Place a Georgia Dealer Plate on a Dealership Service Vehicle

The Georgia Department of Revenue strictly prohibits a Georgia dealer from placing a Georgia dealer license plate on what is known as a service vehicle. A service vehicle is a vehicle that is being used to service your dealership. It is used in the day to day operations of your dealership. For example, the Georgia Department of Revenue will allow you to use your Georgia dealer license, gain entrance to a car dealer auction, and purchase a three quarter ton truck, then place a dealer plate on the three quarter ton truck, and drive the three quarter ton truck back to your lot. At this time Georgia law allows your customer to test drive the three quarter ton truck with a Georgia dealer license plate, or Georgia dtag. This is completely legal and is what a Georgia dealer tag is to be used for. You can legally place a Georgia dealer plate on a vehicle that is being test driven for demonstration purposes. This vehicle is known as a demo.

However, let's say for example you hook up a flat bed trailer to the three quarter ton truck and start hauling vehicles back and for the auction. THIS IS ILLEGAL. When start hauling vehicles with the three quarter ton truck, it is no longer being test driven as a demo, it is now become a service vehicle. You are now using the truck to service your dealership. You must pay TAVT on any vehicle that is being used as a service vehicle. The State of Georgia would never allow you to use service vehicle for your dealership that you have not paid taxes on. Taxes must be paid on all service vehicles. A simple way to remember how to comply:

You can never, ever haul anything behind a Georgia dealer license plate.

You are also never allowed to place a Georgia dealer license plate on what the State of Georgia refers to as a commercial vehicle. A commercial vehicle is a vehicle that you are providing a service for and someone is paying you to provide that service. You could never use the three quarter ton truck you bought and charge someone to transport another vehicle. This would be a commercial service that you are providing in a vehicle that you have not paid taxes on. Highly illegal. You could not mount a snow blade on the three quarter ton truck that has a dealer license plate and push snow for a business or residence that pays you to remove snow. Remember you can never charge a fee to someone for a service that you are providing in a vehicle that you have not paid taxes on.  You could never place a Georgia dealer license plate on a RV that you are renting out for a weekend. Think about this scenario, you are generating rental income with a vehicle that you have not paid taxes on. This is providing a commercial service with a vehicle that has not had the taxes paid upon, highly illegal. I once heard of a scenario when a dealer purchased a tow truck at a dealer auction and decided to start a towing company. The only problem was that he decided to run his new towing business using a tow truck that had a dealer license plate. He was towing vehicles with a tow truck with a dealer plate. He was caught by law enforcement and was required to take my dealer class as a punishment. He told me this story when he was taking the dealer class as punishiment.

The State of Georgia requires you to take a 4-hour dealer pre-license class before you are allowed to apply for your dealer license and obtain Georgia dealer license plates. Sometimes the State of Georgia will require dealer that has broken the rules to attend the class as their punishment as well. This is a punishment worse that a fine, suspension, or revocation. LOL. I hope you only have to take your Georgia dealer pre-license class one time.

How Do You Obtain Georgia Dealer Plates?

In order to obtain Georgia dealer plates you must obtain a Georgia dealer license. In order to obtain a Georgia dealer license you must take a 4-hour dealer license class, find a building or office, obtain insurance & bond, get a local business license, and register for fingerprints. In your Georgia dealer license class you will learn about all the steps that you must complete in order to obtain your dealer license. We will complete all the dealer license application paperwork, show you how to easily apply for your Georgia Sales Tax License Number. You will also learn about all the paperwork you must complete when purchasing a motor vehicle with your Georgia dealer license and all the paperwork you must complete when you are selling a vehicle as well.

When you complete your 4 hour dealer license class you will be prepared to operate a car dealership in Georgia. In your class we will cover the process of ordering your dealer license plates as well. The State of Georgia will allow you to order up to 3 dealer license plates when you are first applying for your Georgia dealer license. If you need more than 3 dealer license plates when starting out, you will need to complete an additional dealer license plate application form which you can obtain in your dealer classe. We will cover all the legal ways to use a Georgia dealer license plate, or dtag, in your dealer class. You will learn exactly what you can do with a dealer plate and what you cannot do with a dealer license plate.

When you complete your dealer training you will also realize that many Georgia dealers are using their dtags incorrectly. The Georgia Department of Revenue has zero tolerance for any dealer in the State that is using dealer license plates incorrectly. When you attend your dealer pre license class you will know how to use your Georgia dtags correctly to ensure that they are never taken away, suspended, or revoked.

You can take your dealer pre-license training class in Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon, Savannah, or Valdosta. The training must be taken in person and you should be able to find a training location near your home.

JJust click on the Class Schedule link at the top of the georgiadealer.com website or click the blue Enroll button at the top of the georgiadealer.com website to register for your Georgia dealer license training class. Good luck with your new business.

How to Get Georgia Dealer Plates

Find a Georgia Dealer Training Class near you by viewing the Dealer Class Schedule

We are here to help you start your Georgia motor vehicle dealership!

Texas Dealer License

Delus Johnson-Lead Instructor
Automobile Dealer Training Association