Georgia Auctioneers Commission FAQ
Georgia Auctioneers Commission Frequently Asked Questions
More information about the Georgia Auctioneers Commission
For detailed instructions on how to apply, visit the How to Guide: Apply to be an Auctioneer page.
No. Auction Company License Applications cannot be submitted online at this time. They must be submitted via paper application, found here: Auction Company License Application.
See the How to Guide: Apply as an Auctioneer Company page for more information.
Consult the relevant How To Guide to find more information on license requirements in the State of Georgia.
Applicants for auctioneer license must be at least 18 years of age, must have a high school diploma from an accredited high school or GED certificate, and must have graduated from an auctioneer school approved by the Commission. (Before attending the school, make sure they are a Georgia-approved school. This can be verified through our website.) Upon receipt of a completed application, which includes the application fee and fee for the Auctioneer Recovery Fund, the applicant will be made eligible for the Georgia Auctioneer Laws & Rules Exam, which is administered by PSI. PSI will contact the applicant to inform of the eligibility and to provide information on how to register online for the exam.
Yes. The Georgia Auctioneer Laws & Rules Exam is required. Once the completed auctioneer application is received and reviewed by board staff and determined complete, the applicant is made eligible for the exam. PSI, who administers the exam, will notify the applicant of eligibility, and inform the applicant how to register with PSI online for the next available exam. Exams are given by PSI several times per year in various locations.
Refer to the Fee Schedule for a current listing of the various fees.
The Auctioneers Education, Research, and Recovery Fund was established to provide for any person who is harmed by the conduct, representation, or transaction of a licensed auctioneer or auction company which is found to be in violation of the auctioneer law and rules, to file for recovery of actual or compensatory damages. To file a claim against the Recovery Fund, a judgment must be made by a court of competent jurisdiction in favor of the claimant. Once the judgment is made and all other efforts to recover awarded damages are exhausted, the judge must order the Commission to pay up to $10,000 of the unrecovered damages to the claimant. More information about the Recovery Fund and the procedure for filing claims may be obtained from O.C.G.A. § 43-6-22.1, which can be viewed on our board website under the tab entitled Laws, Policies, and Rules.
All auctioneer, auction company, and auction school licenses expire on February 28, of the even-numbered years.
Consult the relevant How To Guide to find more information on license renewal in the State of Georgia.
Visit the Rules website to review the rules regarding continuing education. Make sure the auction school is an approved provider in the state of Georgia. This is done through a license search, and the status of approved schools will show "ACTIVE".
Auctioneer License - Yes, the Commission requires 8 hours of continuing education to be obtained in the previous two years to renew an auctioneer license. All continuing education hours must be completed by February 28 of the even-numbered year.
Auction Company - No. If the auction company owner is not a licensed auctioneer, then no continuing education is required of the owner. However, continuing education is always recommended, even when not required.
Visit the Rules website to review the rules regarding continuing education. Make sure the auction school is an approved provider in the state of Georgia. This is done through a license search, and the status of approved schools will show "ACTIVE".
An applicant may qualify for an exemption from the requirement of obtaining an auction company license if the applicant is both the owner of the business and a licensed auctioneer, or if the business employs a full-time licensed auctioneer who agrees to supervise the operations of the business. To obtain an exemption from company licensure, complete and submit the Exempt Company Application.
Auctioneers and auction companies are required to maintain an escrow account, which is a separate bank account used to deposit all auction proceeds until such time that the proceeds are disbursed to the appropriate parties. Auctioneers and auction companies are prohibited from co-mingling money belonging to others with the auctioneer's personal accounts or with the general operating account for the auction company. Therefore, an escrow account in which auction proceeds/funds are kept is required and must be maintained. The minimum balance required to maintain the account is under the authority of the particular bank or financial institution the auctioneer or company uses. You must notify the board office of any change of name and/or location. You must notify the board office of a change in license holder/designee.
All proceeds from an auction are required to be deposited in the escrow account unless proceeds are disbursed within 24 hours of the close of the auction.
The Commission is authorized to reciprocate licensure with other states that have licensing laws that are substantially similar to the Commission’s law. When considering applying for reciprocity, the applicant should review the law of the GA Auctioneers Commission and the law of the state in which the applicant is licensed to ensure that the requirements for licensure are substantially similar. The Commission does not reciprocate with states that do not have state licensure requirements. States that only have local licensure requirements are not eligible for reciprocity.
Consult the relevant How To Guide to find more information on reciprocity in the State of Georgia.
Be sure to obtain and submit official letters of certification of licensure from each state in which an auction license is active.
Before making a request for a letter of certification, verify that a letter is needed. Many states now accept the Licensure Status information available on our website as proof of certification. If you find that a written letter is needed, submit a written request for a letter of certification, along with a payment of $25.00. If you wish for the letter to be mailed to another state, provide the mailing information for that state and we will send the letter directly to the state. If you wish for a letter to be sent to multiple locations, you must provide that information and submit a check for $25.00 for each letter requested.
Use the Navigate to GOALS to register and login to the license portal >> to print a copy of your license.
To obtain a paper copy of your license mailed to you, you may order the license from the same webpage and submit payment of $25.00 by credit card or submit the request by letter, mailed along with $25.00 check payment, to:
Auctioneer Commission
237 Coliseum Dr.
Macon, Ga 31217
Georgia companies that operate penny auction sites are required to be licensed with the Georgia Auctioneers Commission. Please review the notice from the Governor's Office of Consumer Protection regarding Penny Auction Website licensure requirements.
You can find a list of approved auction schools on the Navigate to GOALS to register and login to the license portal >>
Select Auctioneer Commission from the Profession drop down menu, and then select Auction Schools. Click Search to populate a list of schools. NOTE: Approved schools will have a status of "ACTIVE" beside their name. Those with a "Lapsed" status are not currently approved as a Georgia provider. A roster may also be purchased by completing the Roster Request Order Form.
O.C.G.A. Title 43, chapter 6 shall not apply to following:
- Any person acting as a receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, administrator, executor, or any such person acting under order of any court.
- Any nonprofit organization conducting an auction where the funds are to be used in a way as to benefit persons with physical or mental disabilities or disorders or for research related to cures or prevention of such disabilities or disorders.
- Students at approved auctioneering schools during the term of their course of study.
- Any person conducting a public sale of personal property pursuant to the provisions of Code Section 10-4-213. (TITLE 10. COMMERCE AND TRADE, CHAPTER 4. WAREHOUSEMEN, ARTICLE 5. SELF-SERVICE STORAGE FACILITIES –Enforcement of lien without judicial intervention).
- Ring persons as defined in Code Section 43-6-1.
- However, the following organizations or agencies, whether the auction is conducted by a licensed auctioneer or non-licensed auctioneer, must first obtain a Letter of Exemption from the Commission for the following:
- Where funds are to be used by nonprofit organization for the preservation of wildlife or its habitats.
- Any person acting as an auctioneer in the auction of livestock, forest products, or farm products in an auction facility which is licensed and bonded under the provisions of Article 3 of Chapter 6 of Title 4 or in an auction facility which is licensed under Code Section 10-4-101.
- Any youth livestock auction sponsored by a 4-H Club or the Future Farmers of America.
- To obtain an exemption, complete and submit the Request for Letter of Exemption, which can be found on the Board’s website under the Application/Form Downloads section. More information about exceptions to the operation of this chapter may be found in O.C.G.A. § 43-6- 24, which can be viewed on the Board’s website under the Laws, Policies, and Rules tab.
To submit a request for a letter of exemption, you must complete and submit a request form. Download the Nonprofit Request for Letter of Exemption form>>
Yes, pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 43-6-21, changing the location of the business from the location listed on the license shall require the commission be notified in writing within ten (10) days of such change. You may submit the change request in writing by mail addressed to the Auctioneers Commission at 237 Coliseum Drive, Macon, GA 31217, or Fax to (866) 888-8026. Please be sure to include the following information:
- License Number
- Current Name of Business (As it appears on the license)
- Current Location Address
- New Name of the Business (If Business is a Corporation, attach a copy of your Certificate of Name Change Amendment from the Corporations Division)
- New Location Address
- Telephone Number of the Business
- Request must be signed by the person listed as the Designee/Manager on the license
- Please Note: Any change of ownership or status between individual, partnership, or corporation requires a new application and fee.
Auctioneers and Non-resident Auctioneers may update their address by submitting a request in writing, by mail, addressed to the Georgia Auctioneers Commission at 237 Coliseum Drive, Macon, GA 31217, or by fax to (866) 888-8026. The following information must be included:
- License Number
- Your name (As it appears on the license)
- Current Residential Address
- New Residential Address
- Current Mailing Address
- New Mailing Address
- Telephone Number
The Commission’s interpretation is: if you perform any of the acts of an auctioneer or engage in the business of auctioneering in Georgia (for example, if you have an auction storefront in Georgia, if you take consignments for auction in Georgia, if you write a contract to sell goods at auction in Georgia, if you receive funds following an auction on behalf of the seller or pay a seller in Georgia, and/or if there is a physical presence of personal property offered to be auctioned in Georgia), you must be licensed as an auctioneer in Georgia and/or the company must be registered as an auction company in Georgia. Please note that there is no exemption in Georgia law for online auctions.
Yes. All reinstatement applicants must take the exam for reinstatement.
PSI administers the examinations for the Board. Once the Board approves you to take the appropriate examination, PSI will notify you by mail of your eligibility for the examination and to provide information on how to register online for the examination. Please contact PSI for more information regarding the examination dates and times.
Yes, a licensed auctioneer must also be licensed with the Georgia Real Estate Commission to auction real property.