Georgia Vehicle Bill of Sale (Form T-7): Free Template and Filing Rules

What is a Georgia vehicle bill of sale, and what is Form T-7?

A Georgia vehicle bill of sale is the written record that a specific vehicle changed hands on a given date for a given price, with the odometer reading declared by the seller and acknowledged by the buyer. Form T-7 is the Department of Revenue's official version of that record.

The T-7 (revised September 2022) is a one-page form in five sections: A, the vehicle (VIN, year, make, model, odometer reading, date and price); B, the seller, with fields for a court case number if a court ordered the sale and for Georgia tax numbers if the seller is a business; C, the buyer, including the county of residence; D, any lienholder or security-interest holder; E, a certification that the statements are true and that there are no liens except those listed. Both parties sign and date Section E. You can download the current T-7 from the Department of Revenue.

The template on this page follows the same order, so you can hand a filled copy to the tag office alongside the state form or use it as the working draft before you fill in the T-7.

Is a bill of sale required to sell a car in Georgia?

For most private sales, no. A 1986 or newer vehicle transfers when the seller assigns the Georgia certificate of title to the buyer; the tag office lists a bill of sale as required only for 1985 and older vehicles, which Georgia does not title.

• 1986 and newer. The assigned title is the ownership document. Form T-7 is optional but recommended: it records the price and the odometer declaration in a form the county office already knows, and it is the seller's proof of the date the vehicle left their hands.
• 1985 and older. No Georgia title exists, so the bill of sale is the proof of ownership. Use the T-7. If the vehicle was never registered in Georgia, the buyer also needs Form T-22B, Certification of Inspection.
• Court-ordered sales. The T-7 asks for the court case number and the tag office requires a copy of the court order.

Does a Georgia bill of sale need to be notarized or witnessed?

No. Form T-7 has signature and date lines for the seller and the buyer and nothing else: no notary acknowledgment, no witness lines.

Two practical rules from the form itself. First, it must be completed in its entirety, legibly printed or typed. Second, the header states that any correction or alteration will void the form, so if you make a mistake, print a new copy rather than crossing anything out. Voluntary notarization does not hurt and some buyers ask for it when the seller is out of state; it is simply not a Georgia requirement.

What has to be on a Georgia vehicle bill of sale?

Everything Form T-7 asks for: the VIN, year, make and model; the odometer reading without tenths; the date of sale and the purchase price; full legal names, mailing addresses and counties for seller and buyer; any lienholder; and both signatures with dates.

Three details trip people up. The odometer reading is a federal disclosure, not a courtesy: the seller declares it and the buyer acknowledges it for any vehicle less than 20 model years old, and a vehicle 20 model years old or older is marked "exempt". The buyer's county matters because that is where the paperwork is filed and where TAVT is paid. And if the seller is a business rather than a person, the form wants the Georgia Tax Identification Number and the Georgia Sales Tax Number.

Bill of sale versus title: which one actually transfers the car?

The title. For a 1986 or newer vehicle, ownership moves when the seller completes and signs the assignment on the back of the Georgia title and the buyer applies for a new title in their name with Form MV-1. The bill of sale records the deal; it does not by itself make the buyer the owner.

That is why a buyer should never pay in full for a titled vehicle without receiving the signed-over title at the same time. If the seller says the title is lost, the seller applies for a replacement first. If a lienholder still holds the title, the lien has to be released before the assignment can be completed, and the T-7 has Section D for exactly that situation.

How much is TAVT on a private sale, and does the price on the bill of sale change it?

TAVT is 7% of the vehicle's fair market value as determined by the Department of Revenue, paid once by the buyer when the title is transferred. It is not calculated from the price written on the bill of sale, so a low number on the form does not lower the tax.

• Standard rate: 7.0% of fair market value for vehicles sold on or after 1 January 2020; the statutory cap is 9%.
• Immediate family: 0.5% of fair market value when the vehicle already has a Georgia title under TAVT, with Form MV-16, Affidavit to Certify Immediate Family Relationship.
• New residents: 3% when bringing a vehicle into Georgia.
• Trailers: not subject to TAVT.
• Sales tax: none on a private sale of a titled vehicle; TAVT replaced it in 2013.

Run the number before you agree a price: the TAVT Estimator in DRIVES e-Services returns the Department's value for the VIN.

What are the deadlines after a private car sale in Georgia, and what does it cost to miss them?

The buyer must register the vehicle within 7 business days of the purchase date at the county tag office in their county of residence. Once the buyer is more than 30 days late, a 10% penalty is added to the unpaid TAVT; after 60 days, interest of 1% per month is added on top. A late title application also carries a $10 penalty, the DeKalb and Fulton offices told us.

Fees at the counter are the $18 title fee, the $20 license plate fee and the TAVT itself. Insurance has to be on file with the state database or shown as a binder before the plate is issued. In the 13 metro Atlanta emissions counties (Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Paulding and Rockdale) a gasoline car or light truck from model years 2002 through 2023 needs a passing emissions test before it can be registered in 2026; the test costs up to $25 and is valid for 12 months.

What are the most common mistakes on a Georgia bill of sale?

Correcting the T-7 by hand, leaving the plate on the car, skipping the odometer declaration, and assuming a low written price lowers the tax.

• Altering the form. The T-7 states that any correction or alteration voids it. Reprint.
• Plate goes with the car. In Georgia the plate belongs to the seller. Remove it; the buyer gets a plate at the tag office.
• Blank odometer field. Required for vehicles under 20 model years old; write "exempt" only for 20 and older.
• "Just write $500." TAVT is charged on the Department's fair market value, not the written price, and understating the price on a state form is a false certification.
• Seller forgets to cancel. Cancel the registration first, then the insurance; otherwise tolls, tickets and lapse fines keep landing on the seller.
• Buying a 1985-or-older vehicle without a bill of sale. There is no title to fall back on; without the T-7 the tag office has nothing to register.