How to fill out the T-16 in Georgia
A field-by-field walkthrough of the Georgia T-16 (Affidavit of Repossession) 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 October 2026.
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Filling out the GA T-16 after a sale:
- What it is
- Georgia DOR's affidavit a repossessor uses to certify a vehicle was repossessed for failure to meet a lien or security-interest obligation
- Who completes it
- The repossessor (lienholder). Its authorized agent signs before a notary
- Where to file it
- The county tag office, with the MV-1, the current Georgia title, and the fees
- Processing time
- None of its own. It travels with the title application
- Cost
- $18.00 title fee, any penalty fee, and TAVT if applicable (per the form)
This guide is informational and does not replace the official Georgia instructions. Always confirm the current form and procedure with the Georgia Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Division before you file.
The T-16 is one car's paperwork. A 20-second read on your lot, and the tax-and-fee math for the whole deal — built for dealers, no signup. Free calculators dealers actually use — no signup, no email.
DealerVLO fills the official Georgia T-16 straight from your deal: your buyer and co-buyer as owners with their names, addresses and phones; your dealership as lienholder with its address and phone; and the VIN, year, make and model. It prints from the servicing section of a BHPH deal where your dealership carries the note, for when you've taken a car back, not on every deal. The date of repossession, current title number, suffix, the agent's name, title, signature and date, and the whole notary block stay blank, because the form says any alteration voids it. $29/month, free to try — cancel any time.
What the T-16 is and why it matters
T-16 is Georgia's Affidavit of Repossession. In DOR's words, it's "used by a repossessor to certify that a motor vehicle has been repossessed" because the owner didn't meet the obligation on a lien or security interest. If you carried the note on a buy-here-pay-here sale and took the car back, you're the repossessor, and the T-16 goes to the county tag office with the MV-1 and the current Georgia title.
This guide is about the paperwork once the car is back: what each section asks for, the notarized certification, the documents DOR wants with it, and the what-if cases on the form's instruction page. It doesn't cover when or how you may repossess.
The current revision is T-16 (Revised 10-2017), from the Georgia Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Division. Page 1 is the affidavit in five sections, A through E; page 2 is DOR's instructions. The top of the form says "ANY CORRECTION OR ALTERATION WILL VOID THIS AFFIDAVIT," so a mistake means a fresh form.
Documents to have before you start
Gather these before you complete the T-16. A missing attachment is the number-one reason the the Georgia Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Division bounces a title application back.
- Form MV-1 Title/Tag Application, completed and signed — DOR's repossessed-vehicle title page lists the MV-1 first. See the MV-1 guide.
- The current Georgia title — The form's only listed required document. DOR's page says the original title must be issued to the person the vehicle was repossessed from, or properly assigned to the repossessor.
- A copy of your contract, if you're not recorded as lienholder — Required when the repossessor isn't on the face of the title or in the title assignment as lienholder. DOR's page says it must list the vehicle as collateral with the year, make, and VIN, and be signed by the person the vehicle was repossessed from.
T-16, section by section
Section A: Owner information
Section A takes the primary owner's full legal name (first, middle initial, last, suffix), mailing address, and phone, then the same for a secondary owner. The owners are the people you repossessed from: on a BHPH deal, your buyer and any co-buyer. DOR's instructions say the mailing address block "should contain the physical address of the owner(s)," so use where they live, not a P.O. box. Copy names exactly as they appear on the title.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Primary owner's full legal name | You (dealer) |
Mailing address (physical address), city, state, ZIP, phone | You (dealer) |
Secondary owner's name, address, phone The co-buyer, if any. | You (dealer) |
Section B: Lienholder or security interest holder
Section B is you: the lienholder's or security interest holder's name, mailing address, and phone, plus the date of repossession. Use the legal name that's recorded as lienholder on the title. If the name doesn't match the title, or you aren't on the title at all, see the contract-copy rule below.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Lienholder's or security interest holder's name As recorded on the title. | You (dealer) |
Mailing address, city, state, ZIP, phone | You (dealer) |
Date of repossession | You (dealer) |
Section C: Vehicle information
VIN, year, make, model, and the current title number. Take all of them from the current Georgia title you're submitting. DealerVLO leaves the title number blank, because the Georgia title is issued after your sale and the deal doesn't hold its number.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Vehicle Identification No. (VIN) | You (dealer) |
Year, Make, Model | You (dealer) |
Current Title No. From the current Georgia title. | You (dealer) |
Section D: Certification
The authorized agent certifies that the information on the affidavit "is complete and correct," and that "all holders of unsatisfied liens and/or security interests recorded against this vehicle on the records of the Georgia Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Division, have been duly notified to protect any interests they have in the vehicle." Then the agent's name, position or job title, signature, and date. DOR's instructions for Section D: "Certify before a Notary Public that all statements are true and accurate."
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Authorized agent's name, position/job title | You (dealer) |
Authorized agent's signature, date Sign in front of the notary. | You (dealer) |
Section E: Notary public acknowledgment
The notary fills Section E: the "sworn to and subscribed before me" date, the notary's full legal name, physical address, email, phone, signature, commission expiration, and seal or stamp. Bring the completed, unsigned affidavit to the notary.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Notary's date, name, address, email, phone, signature, commission expiration, seal You bring it to a notary; the notary completes this block. | You (dealer) |
The what-if cases on the instruction page
Page 2 of the form covers the common snags. Georgia title not available: the repossessor gets a Georgia title in its own name first, unless the vehicle is exempt from federal odometer disclosure; then, where there's a Georgia title on record, the repossessor may give the purchaser a bill of sale and a completed, signed T-16 instead. Title not issued in the name of the person you repossessed from: submit it properly assigned to that person. Out-of-state title: submit it, or first get a title in your name from the state where it's titled. DOR's page adds that if the vehicle is titled in another state and neither the repossessor nor the buyer is a Georgia resident, DOR won't issue a Georgia title. You're not on the title as lienholder: submit a copy of the contract. You've sold the vehicle: complete the first title assignment to the buyers using their full legal names, as they appear on their Georgia driver's license or ID card.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Georgia title in your name first (title not available) | You (dealer) |
Title assigned to the debtor (title in someone else's name) | You (dealer) |
First title assignment to your buyer, full legal names | You (dealer) |
Common T-16 mistakes that cause rejections
The T-16 says any correction or alteration voids it. Start a fresh form.
DOR's instructions say the affidavit must be completed in its entirety. Fill every box before the notary.
If you aren't recorded as lienholder on the face of the title or in the assignment, DOR requires a copy of the contract with the person you repossessed from.
Section D is certified before a notary public. Sign in front of them.
The instructions call for the buyer's full legal name, as it appears on their Georgia driver's license or ID card.
Common questions
What is the Georgia affidavit of repossession?+
It's Georgia DOR Form T-16, the Affidavit of Repossession. A repossessor uses it to certify that a vehicle was repossessed because the owner didn't meet the obligation on a lien or security interest. It's notarized and submitted to the county tag office with the MV-1 and the current Georgia title. The current revision is Revised 10-2017.
Does the T-16 have to be notarized?+
Yes. Section E is a notary public acknowledgment, and DOR's instructions say to certify Section D before a notary public.
Where do I file the T-16?+
The form says it goes, with all required documents and fees, to "the county tag office in the county where you reside." DOR's repossessed-vehicle title page lists the MV-1, the original title, the T-16, and the $18.00 title fee.
What does it cost to title a repossessed vehicle in Georgia?+
The form lists an $18.00 title fee, any penalty fee, and Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT) if applicable.
What if I'm not listed as lienholder on the title?+
Submit a copy of the contract between you and the person you repossessed from. DOR's page says it must list the vehicle as collateral with a full description (year, make, VIN) and be signed by that person.
Do I need a Georgia title in my name before I sell the car?+
Not always. If you have the current Georgia title, you can complete the first title assignment to your buyer. If the Georgia title isn't available, the instructions say you get one in your name first, unless the vehicle is exempt from federal odometer disclosure and there's a Georgia title on record; then you may give the buyer a bill of sale and a completed, signed T-16.
Is there software that fills out the T-16 automatically?+
Yes. Dealer management software like DealerVLO fills the official Georgia T-16 from the deal you already entered: your buyer and co-buyer as owners with their names, addresses and phones; your dealership as lienholder with its address and phone; and the VIN, year, make and model. It prints from the servicing section of a BHPH deal where your dealership carries the note, for when you've taken a car back, not on every deal. The date of repossession, current title number, suffix, the agent's name, title, signature and date, and the whole notary block stay blank, because the form says any alteration voids it. Signatures stay blank for ink. It's $29/month flat with a 14-day free trial, and the same deal also generates your federal documents (Bill of Sale, FTC Buyers Guide) and your state title paperwork.
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- Georgia lien satisfaction (T-4)
- Title application forms in every state
- How much is a dealer's license? Cost in every state
Stop filling out the T-16 by hand.
DealerVLO fills the official GA T-16 straight from your deal jacket: your buyer and co-buyer as owners with their names, addresses and phones; your dealership as lienholder with its address and phone; and the VIN, year, make and model. It prints from the servicing section of a BHPH deal where your dealership carries the note, for when you've taken a car back, not on every deal. The date of repossession, current title number, suffix, the agent's name, title, signature and date, and the whole notary block stay blank, because the form says any alteration voids it. $29/month. 14-day free trial, cancel any time.
Curious how it works? See how DealerVLO auto-fills every dealer document — bill of sale, FTC Buyers Guide, odometer disclosure, and state title & registration forms for all 50 states, from one deal.
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