A field-by-field walkthrough of the Georgia Form MV-1 (Motor Vehicle Title/Tag Application) for licensed used car dealers — what goes in every section, who signs what, and the documents you attach. Verified against the official form as of July 2026.
This guide is informational and does not replace the official Georgia instructions. Always confirm the current form and procedure with Georgia Department of Revenue (Motor Vehicle Division) before you file.
DealerVLO fills the official Georgia Form MV-1 straight from your deal — VIN-decoded vehicle, buyer, co-buyer, and sale price already in place. $99/month, free to try — no credit card.
Form MV-1 is how a vehicle gets titled and registered in Georgia. On a dealer sale, the dealer prepares it for the buyer, collects the Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT), and the application has to be submitted — with the assigned title, the TAVT, and the fees — within 30 days of the purchase date.
Georgia replaced sales tax on vehicles with TAVT, a one-time 7% tax collected at titling, and on a dealer sale the dealer is responsible for collecting and remitting it. That makes the taxable-base math on this application (sales price minus trade-in minus rebates) the part worth slowing down for. This guide walks every section a dealer fills.
Georgia's MV-1 is the Department of Revenue's combined title and tag application — one form starts both the title and the registration. It's filed at the buyer's county tag office (or electronically through Georgia DRIVES for dealers set up for electronic titling). Don't confuse it with Pennsylvania's Form MV-1, which is a different state's title application that happens to share the number.
Gather these before you complete the Form MV-1. A missing attachment is the number-one reason the Georgia Department of Revenue (Motor Vehicle Division) bounces a title application back.
The buyer — the new owner. Enter the legal name, Georgia address, county, and driver license number exactly as they appear on the buyer's license. The county matters twice: it determines which tag office processes the application and where the tag renews every year.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Owner's full legal name From the buyer's license — match it exactly. | You (dealer) |
Georgia address and county of residence Sets the tag office and renewal county. | You (dealer) |
Driver license number and date of birth | Buyer |
Co-owner (if any) | You (dealer) |
Identifies the vehicle. The VIN on the MV-1 must match the assigned title and the vehicle's VIN plate — DRIVES validates the VIN, so a typo surfaces immediately on electronic filings and as a rejection on paper ones.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
VIN Must match the title and the VIN plate. | You (dealer) |
Year, make, model, body style, color | You (dealer) |
Odometer reading Must match the disclosure on the assigned title. | You (dealer) |
Georgia's one-time title tax, in place of sales tax on vehicles. On a dealer (retail) sale the taxable base is the sales price minus the trade-in allowance and minus any rebates, taxed at 7%. The dealer collects the TAVT at the time of sale and remits it with the title application. Getting the base right — especially subtracting the trade — is the difference between a correct deal and an overcharged buyer.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Sales price Match the buyer's order / bill of sale. | You (dealer) |
Trade-in allowance Subtracted from the base before the 7% is applied. | You (dealer) |
Rebates / discounts Also reduce the taxable base on a dealer sale. | You (dealer) |
TAVT due (7% of the base) | You (dealer) |
Cash deal? Leave it blank. Financed? Record the lender's name and address so the security interest is shown on the new title. Georgia issues electronic titles for lienholders — the paper title typically isn't printed until the lien is satisfied.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
First lienholder name Blank for a cash sale. | You (dealer) |
Lienholder address | You (dealer) |
Second lienholder (rare) | You (dealer) |
Ties the application to your dealership — name, address, and dealer number. On electronic filings through DRIVES this comes from your dealer account; on paper it's entered here and checked against the title assignment.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Selling dealer name and address | You (dealer) |
Georgia dealer registration number | You (dealer) |
Date of purchase Starts the 30-day filing clock. | You (dealer) |
The owner certifies the information is true — including the TAVT figures. The buyer signs; a co-owner signs too if there is one.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Owner signature and date | Buyer |
Co-owner signature (if any) | Buyer |
On a dealer sale, the TAVT base is the sales price minus the trade-in allowance and rebates. Taxing the full price overcharges the buyer 7% of the trade value — real money on a $10,000 trade. Show the subtraction on the buyer's order and the MV-1.
The title application and TAVT are due within 30 days of purchase; late filings trigger penalties on the TAVT plus title penalties. If you're set up for electronic titling in DRIVES, file at delivery and the deadline never bites.
Paper MV-1s go to the buyer's county tag office — the county of the owner's residence — not the county where your lot sits. Electronic DRIVES filings route correctly on their own.
Georgia verifies insurance electronically from insurer reporting. If the buyer's new policy hasn't hit the system, the registration side stalls. Have the buyer bind coverage before delivery, not on the way to the tag office.
Two different states, two different forms, one shared number. Georgia's MV-1 is the DOR Title/Tag Application filed at the county tag office; Pennsylvania's is PennDOT's title application. Search results mix them constantly — make sure the form in your hand says Georgia Department of Revenue.
MV-1 is the Georgia Department of Revenue's Motor Vehicle Title/Tag Application — one form that applies for both the title and the registration (tag). Dealers prepare it on every retail sale; it's filed at the buyer's county tag office or electronically through Georgia DRIVES.
The title fee is $18 and a standard tag is $20. The real number is the TAVT — Georgia's one-time 7% Title Ad Valorem Tax on the taxable base — which replaced sales tax on vehicles and is collected at titling.
7% of the sales price minus the trade-in allowance and minus rebates. The dealer collects the TAVT at the time of sale and remits it with the title application. (On a casual/private sale, the base is the state's fair market value instead.)
Within 30 days of the purchase date. Late applications accrue TAVT penalties and title late fees, so most dealers file at delivery — instantly if they're set up for electronic titling through DRIVES.
Yes. Dealers set up for electronic titling submit through Georgia DRIVES (directly or via an ETR provider), collect the TAVT at sale, and the transaction processes without a trip to the tag office. Paper filing at the buyer's county tag office remains available.
No — they just share a number. Georgia's MV-1 is the DOR Title/Tag Application; Pennsylvania's MV-1 is PennDOT's Application for Certificate of Title. If you sell across both states, label your blanks clearly.
DealerVLO fills the official GA Form MV-1 straight from your deal jacket — VIN-decoded vehicle, buyer, co-buyer, lienholder, and sale price already in place. Print, sign, and file in about 90 seconds. $99/month. No credit card to start.