Georgia gives new residents 30 days to get a license and register their vehicles. Get your Georgia license first at a DDS center, then register your car at your county tag office. Bring your out-of-state title, new Georgia license, and proof of Georgia insurance. You pay a one-time title tax, then a small annual tag fee.
Georgia gives new residents 30 days to get a Georgia driver’s license and register their vehicles. Do the license first. The tag office requires a Georgia license or ID to register your car.
Step 1: Georgia Driver’s License
Visit a Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) center. Bring:
- Your current out-of-state license
- Proof of identity (passport or certified birth certificate)
- Your Social Security card or a document showing the number
- Two documents proving your Georgia address (lease, utility bill, bank statement)
Most new residents transfer a valid out-of-state license without retaking the road test. Check dds.georgia.gov for the current document list and to book an appointment. Walk-in waits run long in this fast-growing area.
Step 2: Title and Registration
Register at the county tag office run by your county’s Tax Commissioner, in the county where you live:
- Bryan County: Pembroke office at 11 North Courthouse Street (912-653-3880) and Richmond Hill office at 66 Captain Matthew Freeman Drive, Suite 102 (912-756-2434). Both open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., through lunch. Title processing ends at 4:45 p.m.
- Effingham County: main office at 802 S. Laurel Street, Springfield (912-754-2121), Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
- Chatham County (Pooler area): downtown office at 222 W. Oglethorpe Ave., Suite 107, and a Westside office at 295 Police Memorial Dr., both in Savannah. A self-service tag renewal kiosk sits inside the Pooler Marketplace Publix at 467 Pooler Pkwy. Check current hours at tax.chathamcountyga.gov.
Bring your out-of-state title (or lienholder information if the car is financed), your new Georgia license, and proof of Georgia insurance. Georgia charges a one-time Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT) when a vehicle enters the state. The tag office calculates the exact amount from your vehicle’s value. After the one-time tax, you pay only a small annual tag renewal. Confirm the current new-resident TAVT rate at dor.georgia.gov, since the tag office applies the state’s rate at the time you register.
No emissions inspection is required in Bryan, Effingham, or Chatham counties. That requirement applies only to certain metro Atlanta counties.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to get a Georgia license after moving?
Georgia gives new residents 30 days to get a Georgia driver’s license and register their vehicles. Do the license first, because the tag office requires a Georgia license or ID before it will register your car.
What documents do I need for a Georgia driver’s license?
Bring your current out-of-state license, proof of identity like a passport or certified birth certificate, your Social Security card or a document showing the number, and 2 documents proving your Georgia address, such as a lease and a utility bill.
Where do I register my car in Bryan, Effingham, or Chatham County?
Register at your county tag office. Bryan County has offices in Pembroke and Richmond Hill. Effingham County’s office is at 802 S. Laurel Street in Springfield. Chatham County serves the Pooler area from Savannah offices, plus a renewal kiosk at the Pooler Publix.
Do I need an emissions test in the Savannah area?
No. Emissions inspections are not required in Bryan, Effingham, or Chatham counties. That requirement applies only to certain metro Atlanta counties.