Temporary license plates in Georgia are valid for 30 days. Your dealer will give you temporary plates, and you must have permanent plates before they expire.
, the dealer is required to give you a temporary operating permit to use while you register the car. You must apply for a new or transferred license plate before the 30-day validity period ends.
Georgia issues temporary tags valid for 30 days to drivers who haven’t yet registered their vehicles.
You can obtain a temporary tag from your car dealership. You can only get an extension if the dealer doesn’t get vehicle title in your name before the tag expires.
and registration for up to 7 days if you carry proof of insurance and the bill of sale.
Georgia issues 30-day temporary tags
Rather than your typical temporary license plate, Georgia issues temporary tags to drivers who need to use unregistered vehicles on a short-term basis. Temporary tags, also known as temporary operating permits, last 30 days.
The motor vehicle dealer is responsible for issuing temporary tags for customers to use on their newly purchased vehicles. The customer is then required to register and obtain permanent vehicle license plates from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) before the temporary tag expiration date.
How to get a temporary license plate in Georgia
In most cases, your Georgia dealer will give you a temporary operating permit when you purchase a new vehicle.
In cases where the car requires a title, the dealer is also responsible for applying for the title in your—the buyer's—name.
If the dealer fails to get a title in your name before your initial temporary tags expire, you may apply for another 30-day temporary operating permit through your county's tag office. If this happens, you must:
Turn in the dealer-issued temp tags to be destroyed.
Show evidence of vehicle ownership (e.g., the dealer's invoice or
Gather the necessary materials to apply for an extended temporary operating permit and bring them to your local County Tag Office. Find your local office through the
Temporary operation permits in Georgia are valid for 30 days.
You can only get a second set of temporary tags if your dealer fails to obtain a title for transfer into your name before your first temporary tags expire. In that case, you must get your second temporary operation permit through the County Tags Office.
A dealership cannot issue an extension or another temporary operation permit. They also cannot issue temporary tags at all in the following situations:
The vehicle will be registered under the International Registration Plan
You are purchasing a salvage title vehicle
The vehicle is a trailer or another vehicle that is not self-propelled
The dealer did not sell the vehicle
Temporary registration permits in Georgia
If you want to temporarily drive an unregistered car in Georgia, all you need is a temporary operating permit. You do not need to apply separately for a temporary registration permit and temporary license plates.
You can drive a new car—temporarily—without registration or license plates
In Georgia, you can drive a new car without vehicle registration or license plates for a week.
and a bill of sale that notes the date of purchase in the car with you. However, this is only good for seven days, whereas a temporary operation permit lasts for 30 days.
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