Used Motor Vehicle Dealers & Used Motor Vehicle Parts Dealers FAQ
FAQ Sections
Do I Need A Used Motor Vehicle Dealers License?
NO - that is not a true statement. If you sell vehicles with the intent to make a profit, you need to be a license dealer. You can read O.C.G.A. 43-47-2 (17)(A) for more details on this.
The "five cars per year" statement is a standard that the Department of Revenue uses to flag someone as a possible unlicensed dealer.
For an individual selling their personal car - you do not need a license to sell a car that is titled in your name and that you have driven as a personal vehicle.
It depends on your local zoning ordinances. Contact your city or county Planning & Zoning Office for this information. Be sure to ask if they'll allow a permanent sign, because if it is allowed by your local zoning, you must still meet the requirements of an “established place of business.”
Yes. You need a used motor vehicle dealer license to sell a vehicle, whether on an open lot, in an office suite, or on the Internet (O.C.G.A. 43-47-7). Also, you must still meet the requirements for an Established Place of Business and have a bond and insurance.
Licensing is the same for retail dealers and wholesale dealers. Review the definition for a Wholesaler at Title 43 Ch 47 Definitions.
Yes. You can operate from an office suite in an office complex, but you must meet the criteria for an Established Place of Business - 681-6 (e), with the exception of rules for display of used cars.
Not from the Used Motor Vehicle Dealers Board. These are not regulated by this Board. Check with your local business license office and Department of Revenue for their requirements.
O.C.G.A. 43-47-2 (7) defines “motor vehicle” or “car” as “…every vehicle which is self-propelled and required to be registered under the laws of this state, except trackless trolleys (which are classified as streetcars), airplanes, motorboats, motorcycles, motor-driven cycles, or go-carts.”
No. You do not need a used motor vehicle dealer license to strictly repossess automobiles. However, you will need a used motor vehicle dealer license if you begin buying and selling repossessed vehicles.
You need at least 2 kinds of licenses - a Used Motor Vehicle Dealer License and an Auction Company License. You may also need to apply for an Auctioneer License. Learn more about the auction and auctioneer licenses at Georgia Auctioneers Commission. (LINK MISSING)
Used Motor Vehicle Dealers Application Questions
Submit an Application for Used Motor Vehicle Dealer along with the application fee, and other documentation as required. Review the application for more information about the requirements when applying for this license.
Refer to the Fee Schedule for current fees for licensure and renewal.
The designee is the person who is to be the responsible license holder for the business. The designee assumes full responsibility for the operations of the licensed dealership on behalf of the partnership, corporation, or limited liability company. A sole proprietorship does not name a designee, because the sole owner is the license holder for the business and is the designee.
Review the Laws and Rules, the application information sheet, or contact the Board office for additional information about the designee.
Once your application is complete and before you are issued a license, an inspector will schedule a preliminary inspection to ensure that your dealership is compliant with Board law and rules for an established place of business. As a condition of licensure, your dealership is subject to periodic inspections. All inspections are unannounced and take place at the established place of business. If an inspector has made three documented unsuccessful attempts to inspect your dealership, your license will be subject to revocation.
Allow 30 days from the time you submit your application. It may take less time for your license to be issued if your application is complete and there are no items that need Board review.
If you did not submit everything with your application, you will receive a "deficiency letter" telling you what is missing. This will cause a delay in issuing a license. If there is a matter that needs Board review prior to licensure, it will take longer to issue a license because it will have to wait for the next Board meeting to be presented for review. You can verify if your license has been issued by going to the License Verification page on our website.
No. Please refer to O.C.G.A. § 43-47-7. (Navigate to the appropriate Chapter and Title.)
As many as it takes to reasonably show the inside and outside of the facility, to include your signage, so the number of photos per applicant will vary. If your business is in an office complex suite, your photograph(s) must show your business listed on the marquee of the office complex, and you must submit photograph(s) of the suite door, indicating your signage on the door.
No, but there are some exceptions. According to Board Rule 681-3-.05, joint used motor vehicle dealer operations may be conducted, but they must have a separate office, separate outside entrance, separate inventory, records, and files. Each licensee at the location must use their business name (as it is licensed) on all business documents and vehicles offered for sale by the licensee. Each licensee must also have the required signage and telephone listing in their respective business names.
One year from the date of seminar completion.
These are 2-year licenses, and they expire on March 31 of even years. Reminders are sent via email only so make sure your email address is correct with the Board Office.
You will need at least 2 licenses - a Used Motor Vehicle Dealer License and an Auction Company License. You may also need to apply for an Auctioneer License, if you are not a licensed auctioneer, and you plan on auctioning the vehicles yourself. Refer to the License Requirements for Auctioneer for further information on becoming a licensed auctioneer.
Apply for a Used Motor Vehicle Dealer License and check the box for Supplemental License. The designee must be the same as for the original license. Include everything that the application requests, except for proof of completion of the pre-licensing seminar. Each location must have its own surety bond and signed power of attorney. The certificate of insurance must be amended to list the additional location, and a copy of this must be submitted with the application.
Used Motor Parts Dealers Application Questions
A Used Parts Dealer license is issued by the Georgia State Board of Registration of Used Motor Vehicle Dealers & Used Motor Vehicle Parts Dealers, Used Motor Vehicle Parts Dealers Division, to any person, partnership, limited liability company, firm, or corporation engaged in the business of buying, selling, or using motor vehicle parts. Licensees may be in the business as a used motor vehicle parts dealer, a motor vehicle dismantler, a motor vehicle rebuilder, a salvage pool dealer, or a salvage dealer. The Board issues a license as a Used Motor Vehicle Parts Dealer that covers the activities of all these types of businesses.
Find more information on the How-to Guide: Used Motor Vehicle Parts Dealer page. Prior to preparing the application, you must obtain an established place of business and a working landline telephone number listed in the business name. At the established place of business, you must install an appropriate permanent sign, advertising your business as a used parts dealership.
Download the Used Motor Vehicle Parts Dealer Fee Schedule>>
Fees are also listed on the How-To Guides.
Whether you can lawfully operate a used motor vehicle parts business out of your residence will depend upon the requirements and restrictions of your local zoning ordinances. Even though you plan to operate from your residence, you must meet the requirements of an “established place of business”, as defined in the Used Motor Vehicle Dealers' and Used Motor Vehicle Parts Dealers' Registration Act and Board Rule 681-6-.01, which is available for review on our website. You should contact your city or county Planning & Zoning Office to determine if current regulations will allow you to operate the business from your residence. You should also ask if current regulations will allow you to install a permanent sign at your residence to advertise your business. The Board rule requires a permanent sign to be displayed at the location of the dealer's office, and the rule further requires that the dealership office must be in a detached building on the residential property that is fully furnished according to the requirements of an established place of business. The dealership cannot be set up in the residence.
The sign used to advertise your business must be of a permanent nature, as opposed to a banner or one along the lines of a real estate sale sign. “Appropriate” is determined by the city or county regulations that detail the restrictions in signage in your area. You will need to discuss the restrictions with your local zoning or business license office. Board requirements for a permanent sign can be reviewed in Board Rule 681-6-.01(d).
Please allow at least 30 days from the date you mail the application to obtain your license. If you provide an email address on the application, you will receive an email acknowledging receipt of the application as soon as the fee is deposited, and initial data entry establishes the application in our database. Once the license is issued, you will receive an email notifying you of the issuance of the license. You can verify your license when it is issued by going to the License Verification page on our website.
No. You may not legally operate a used motor vehicle parts business without a license. See O.C.G.A. 43-47-7.
The photographs of your business must show the outside of the facility, including the sign. The number of photos submitted may vary from applicant to applicant. However, your photos must sufficiently show your place of business and your sign in one photograph. If your business is in an office complex suite, your photographs must show your business listed on the marquee of the office complex, and you must submit photograph(s) of the suite door, indicating your signage on the door. Photographs must also be submitted showing your established office (i.e., desk, file cabinets, telephone).
All used motor vehicle parts dealer licenses are two-year licenses, expiring on December 31 of odd years. Renewal notices will be sent by email prior to the expiration date. It is imperative that you maintain a current email address with the Board office. Dealers who do not provide an email address will be notified by postcard of the open renewal period.
The designee is the person named by a corporation, a limited liability company, or a partnership to be the responsible license holder for the business. The business can have only one license holder. Therefore, the license is issued to the business with the designee as the license holder. The designee assumes full responsibility for the operations of the licensed dealership on behalf of the partnership, corporation, or limited liability company.
A sole proprietorship does not name a designee, because the sole owner is the license holder for the business and is considered by the Used Motor Vehicle Parts Dealer Board to be the responsible person for the operations of the licensed dealership. The designee can be an officer, if the dealership is owned by a corporation, a partner, if the business is owned by a partnership, or an employee of the business. The designee makes application for the used motor vehicle dealer license on behalf of the corporation or partnership. The fingerprint cards submitted must be for the designee.
Apply for a Used Motor Vehicle Parts Dealer License and check the box for Supplemental License. The designee must be the same as for the original license. The same accompanying documents will be required for this supplemental license application as for the original location’s license, except for the proof of pre-license seminar completion. The application must instead submit proof of completion of the most recent continuing education seminar. Fingerprint processing through Cogent Systems is required for supplemental or additional location applications. The same bond issued to the original location may be used for the supplemental, but a copy of the bond must accompany the supplemental application. The certificate of insurance must be amended to list the additional location. An original amended certificate must accompany the supplemental application.
Changing the Dealership Name or Address
You will need to complete the Request for Name Change and/or Name Change Form. Changing the address on the website is not sufficient. You are required to submit the appropriate form to the board office.
Change of location requires photographs of the new location, including the sign, and a new certificate of liability insurance, which lists the new location address.
Change of name requires a new bond or bond rider, issued in the new name, a new certificate of liability insurance, listing the new name, and photographs of the business that reflect the name change on signage.
Caution: A change of business structure, such changing from a sole proprietorship to a corporation, limited liability company, or partnership, is not a name change. Rather, this type of change is the formation of a new and separate business entity. A name change request cannot be granted for such a change. When the business entity has changed, even if a corporation is dissolved and a new corporation is created, a new and complete Application for Used Motor Vehicle Dealer License must be submitted, including fees and all required documents.
You will need to submit an Application for Change of Designee. The complete application, including fees and required accompanying documents, must be submitted. Changing the designee will not require a new license.
Complaint and Title Questions
- NOTE: The Licensing Board cannot issue your vehicle title, nor can the Board recover funds for you. The Board can discipline a licensed used car dealer for violations of law or Board rules through sanctions.
- You can contact the dealer and make a demand for the title.
- You can contact the Department of Revenue to let them know there is a problem with your title. The DOR website has good information about titles, tags, transfers, etc.
- You may file an Official Complaint with the Georgia Board of Registration of Used Motor Vehicle Dealers. The complaint can be submitted online at sos.ga.gov, via fax at 866-888-1176, or mailed to the Board's attention at 237 Coliseum Dr., Macon, GA 31217. Provide information supporting the complaint, such as a sales contract, buyer’s guide, receipts, bill of sale, and a copy of the title. If submitting the complaint online, please fax the additional information to the board promptly.
- You may submit a request for a copy of the dealer’s Surety Bond from the Board office to file a claim against the bond with the bond company. Per Board Policy, this request must be accompanied by a copy of the bill of sale and buyer’s guide, or a copy of a court judgment, or a statement of why these items are unavailable for submission. View the Boar of Used Motor Vehicle Dealers policies. You may submit the request to [email protected]
- You can print a License Verification showing the dealer’s license status. This may be requested by the Department of Revenue when working with that agency to obtain the title.
- You may wish to seek legal counsel on your legal rights to pursue the possession of your title in court.
The Used Motor Vehicle Dealer Division investigates complaints against independent used motor vehicle dealers, used motor vehicle parts dealers, used motor vehicle dismantlers, motor vehicle rebuilders, salvage pool dealers, and salvage dealers in Georgia. The Board will review complaints regarding unlicensed practice. The Board does not investigate complaints against franchise dealers (new car dealers) or finance companies. Contact the Consumer Protection Division at the Georgia Department of Law for information on filing a complaint against a Franchised or New Car Dealer.
The Board does not investigate complaints against finance companies that hold liens on vehicles. The Board’s ability to discipline a dealer for violations of law or Board rules is limited to sanctions against the license. Therefore, while you are filing a complaint with the Board, you may wish to also consider conferring with a personal attorney or the local magistrate court to determine your legal rights in a civil matter to recover possible damages.
The Board does have the authority to discipline a licensed used car dealer for violations of law or Board rules through sanctions. If your complaint is a civil matter, i.e., you are seeking financial restitution, you may wish to confer with a personal attorney or the local magistrate court to determine your legal rights.
The dealer has 30 calendar days from the date of the sale to apply for a title in the purchaser’s name and to furnish the purchaser with the proper documents to obtain a tag for the vehicle. Review the Responsibilities of a Used Motor Vehicle Dealer >>>
If you reside in one of the 13 counties which require emissions inspection, the dealer is required to provide you with proof that the vehicle passed emissions testing when the vehicle was sold to you.
Refer to the Georgia Clean Air Force for emissions-related issues, including the ability to verify that a vehicle you have recently purchased has passed emissions testing.
- The Board has no jurisdiction over finance companies. You would need to contact the Department of Revenue for guidance.
- Additional information and resources can be found on the Consumer Protection Division at the Georgia Department of Law
The How To Submit A Complaint page has thorough information about submitting a complaint, and links you to the correct complaint form to use.
Additional Questions
Licensed dealers are required to obtain 6 hours of continuing education to be eligible to renew their licenses. The following approved providers offer both continuing education and Pre-Licensing courses year-round. Contact the provider directly for more information on CE fees, schedules, etc.
Automobile Dealer Training Association
Website: www.georgiadealer.com
Phone: 800.369.2467
E-Learning Concepts, LLC
Website: www.UsedAutoDealerTraining.com
Phone: 678.672.8118
Georgia Independent Automobile Dealers Assoc. (GIADA)
Website: www.giada.org
Phone: 770.745.9650
Fax: 770.745.9655
Ron E. Widener Motor Vehicle Dealer Services
Website: www.ronwidener.com
Phone: 770.819.0025
If you wish to obtain Surety Bond information for a Used Motor Vehicle Dealer, please submit your request to: [email protected]. Please submit a bill of sale and buyer’s guide, a court judgment against the dealer, or an explanation as to why you are not submitting the documents. Please be aware that our office does not offer quotes for surety bonds.
New safety protocols by Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) now require applicants to have an application on file with the Board BEFORE they can be fingerprinted. All applicants must pre-register for fingerprinting at: www.fieldprintgeorgia.com
Once Board staff verifies your application is on file, you will receive an email notification from the GBI/GAPS to report to your chosen fingerprint site. The Used Motor Vehicle Dealer/Parts Dealer applications have been updated to reflect this new information.
The Used Motor Vehicle Dealer Division will investigate:
- complaints against independent used motor vehicle dealers in Georgia.
- complaints regarding unlicensed practice provided adequate information is submitted with the complaint.
They will not investigate or do not have jurisdiction over:
- Franchises - Franchise dealers are not required to be licensed; therefore, the Board has no jurisdiction over these companies.
- Finance companies - complaints against finance companies that hold liens on vehicles. The Board does not license finance companies and so no jurisdiction over this profession.
- Money - requests to recover funds for you. That is a civil matter for which you should seek legal advice.
- Titles - requests to acquire or issue a car title. Titles are issued through the Department of Revenue. The consumer may request the surety bond for the licensee from the Board.
- Legal advice - the Board cannot provide legal advice to you. You should contact an attorney or other legal counsel for advice.
Verify a dealer's license status by selecting the link Search for a Licensee on our website.
You will need to submit a Change of Designee Application. The complete application, including fees and required accompanying documents, must be submitted. Changing the designee will not require a new UCAR license. The application can also be found under the Application/Form Downloads tab.
You must submit a complete a Used Motor Vehicle Dealer application along with the appropriate fee and documentation.
Before submitting the application, you must attend a Board-approved pre-licensing seminar, obtain an established place of business, and have a working landline telephone installed and listed in the business name. There must be an appropriate permanent sign at your established place of business advertising your business as a used car dealership.
It is very important that you review the rules regarding applying for a license Licensing - Rule 681-3 and requirements for an established place of business: Established Place of Business - Rule 681-6.
If you plan to operate from your residence, you must meet the requirements of an “established place of business,” as defined in the Used Motor Vehicle Dealers' and Used Motor Vehicle Parts Dealers' Registration Act and Board Rule 681-6-.01, which can be viewed at this link: Established Place of Business. You cannot set up the dealership inside your home, it must be set up in a detached building. Zoning certification is required, so please contact your city or county Planning & Zoning Office to determine if current regulations will allow you to operate the business from your residence. You should also ask if current regulations will allow you to erect a permanent sign at your residence to advertise your business as a used car dealership, as required by Board Rules.
Licensed dealers must have an established place of business that meets the criteria set forth in the Rules and Laws. This established place of business can be an open lot, or it can be an office from which used motor vehicle transactions are conducted. The licensing requirements are the same for both dealer models, with the exception of rules for display of used cars. Refer to the Established Place of Business - 681-6 (e) for more information.
See Georgia Rule 681-6-.01 - Established Place of Business - Established Place of Business.