Georgia dealer license renewal

This page is about renewing a Georgia used motor vehicle dealer license, and about changing the licensed address. It was checked in November 2026. It is general information, not legal advice. The date sources do not agree. Confirm your own deadline with the Board.

Renewal is every two years

O.C.G.A. § 43-47-8(g) says licenses issued under the chapter are renewable biennially, and that the Board may set continuing education requirements for renewal. The how-to guide says renewal is completed online and points to the GOALS licensing portal.

The deadline depends on which official page you read

• The GOALS portal posted a notice for the 2026 cycle saying renewals opened on July 1, 2026, the license expired September 30, 2026, and the late renewal period runs from October 1 through November 15, 2026.
• Joint Secretary Rule 295-2-.08, effective for the 2026 renewal cycle, places expiration on September 30 of even-numbered years and describes a late period through October 31.
• The how-to guide says renewal is required by September 30 of even-numbered years, with a late period of October 1 through October 31, and it also says to apply before March 31 of the year the license expires to avoid late fees.
• The April 2024 packet says licenses expire on September 30 of even-numbered years, with a late window of October 1 through October 31, and that a license not renewed by November 1 is administratively revoked.
• Rule 681-8-.01 still says each Used Car Division license expires on March 31 of each even-numbered year.

Use the date the Board confirms for your file. Do not pick the date that is most convenient.

Continuing education

Rule 681-13-.02 says renewal is not granted unless the licensee submits proof of at least six hours of Board-approved continuing education within nine months before renewal of a license in an even year. At least one hour must relate to processing tags and titles. The Board's website says proof is tracked in CE Broker for used motor vehicle dealers, and that this does not apply to used motor vehicle parts dealers. A pre-licensing certificate from years ago is not what that renewal rule describes. The seminar guide separates the new-license class from renewal hours.

Rule 681-13-.04 describes a six-month probation, a private reprimand, and a $100 penalty fee in order to renew if the continuing-education rule is not met, and it says the Division may add other sanctions. Rule 681-16 also lists a $500 fine for failure to provide proof of continuing education. Read that chapter before you assume the two amounts are the same charge.

Changing the licensed address

Rule 681-9-.02 requires the established place of business to comply with local zoning, and it requires proof of that compliance with the license application and with later requests to change location. The Board approves the change of location. The local zoning authority decides what the zoning allows.

Rule 681-5-.02 says that if a licensee's location is vacated for 30 days without an application for a change of address, a hearing for revocation may be called. Rule 681-5-.03 says a change in ownership requires a new application within 30 days. A supplemental license is required for each additional established place of business that is not contiguous to a licensed location.

The fee for a change of address is the fee on the Board's current schedule. Rule 681-8-.01 says that schedule can change, so this page does not copy a dollar amount from the April 2024 table. Ask the Board what the current change-of-address fee is before you pay.

Moving into the City of Atlanta is not a different Board license. It is a new location, so it needs the Board's approval and zoning proof for that address. If the new office is not a suite leased through the AutoDealerGA platform, zoning is your responsibility. Omni Consultants, LLC provides zoning documentation for a platform suite. It does not obtain zoning for a non-platform office. Platform suites on this site are at 4780 Highway 5, Douglasville, not in the City of Atlanta. See the Douglasville office page.

Plates are a separate renewal

Renewing the Board license in GOALS does not, on the pages checked, renew the dealer plate. The Department of Revenue uses Form MV-6C and DRIVES e-Services for plate renewal. The plates guide covers where a decal is mailed if you renew and then move.

Monthly sales reporting to the Department of Revenue

A licensed used motor vehicle dealer who is registered for sales and use tax files a return with the Georgia Department of Revenue. O.C.G.A. § 48-8-49(a) says each dealer, on or before the twentieth day of each month, transmits returns to the commissioner showing the gross sales and purchases taxable under the sales and use tax article during the preceding calendar month. The same subsection says the commissioner may provide for a quarterly or annual return, or may permit one on application.

Rule 560-12-1-.22 is the filing rule. For the first six months from the date of registration, the return is filed on a calendar-month basis. After that, a different frequency starts only after a written request and written approval. The rule allows quarterly filing when liability averaged less than $200 a month for six consecutive months, and annual filing when it averaged less than $50 a month. A return is timely when filed on or before 20 days after the last day of the reporting period. The Department's File and Pay page says a paper return, when one is allowed, is Form ST-3, and it points filers to the Georgia Tax Center.

That return is the sales and use tax return. It is not a Board sales log, and it is not title ad valorem tax. O.C.G.A. § 48-5C-1 requires a dealer of new or used motor vehicles who collects state and local title ad valorem tax to submit the title application and remit that tax to the county tag agent where the vehicle will be registered. If that is not done within 30 days of purchase, the statute sets a penalty, unless the county tag agent granted an extension under O.C.G.A. § 40-2-20. That duty is per purchase. It is not the monthly return in § 48-8-49.

Wholesale and retail use the same used motor vehicle dealer license. See the wholesale or retail guide. Section 48-8-49 still applies to a person who is a dealer for sales and use tax, whether the Board file is used for sales to consumers or to other dealers. Which sales are taxable, which are exempt and still reported, and which are title ad valorem tax instead, is a Department of Revenue question. Confirm your own sales with the Department before you skip a month. The filing page is where to check the current form and frequency.

Sources

• O.C.G.A. § 43-47-8(g), biennial renewal.
• GOALS licensing portal, the 2026 cycle notice.
• Joint Secretary Rule 295-2-.08.
• Chapter 681-13, continuing education.
• Chapter 681-5 and Chapter 681-9, change of location and zoning proof.
• O.C.G.A. § 48-8-49, the sales and use tax return that continues while you are registered.

Questions people ask

How do I renew a Georgia used motor vehicle dealer license?

O.C.G.A. section 43-47-8 says licenses are renewable biennially. The Board's how-to guide says renewal is completed online in GOALS. The GOALS notice, Joint Secretary Rule 295-2-.08, Rule 681-8-.01, and the April 2024 packet do not all use the same deadline. Confirm the date on your license with the Board.

License guide deadlines

What continuing education is required?

Rule 681-13-.02 requires at least six hours of Board-approved continuing education within nine months before renewal of a license in an even year, including at least one hour on processing tags and titles. The Board's website says used motor vehicle dealers submit proof through CE Broker. That notice does not apply to used motor vehicle parts dealers.

Seminar versus renewal hours

Can I change my licensed address, including into the City of Atlanta?

The Board approves a change of location. Rule 681-9-.02 requires proof that the new place complies with local zoning. Rule 681-5-.02 says that if a location is vacated for 30 days without a change-of-address application, a revocation hearing may be called. The fee is whatever the Board's current fee schedule says. This page does not copy that table. Zoning for your own office, including a City of Atlanta office, is your responsibility. Omni provides zoning documentation only for a platform suite.

Platform office

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