TRANSPORTATION / MOTOR VEHICLE INFORMATION
Georgia
Drivers License
New residents must apply for a Georgia driver’s license within 30 days and relinquish all other driver licenses upon receiving a Georgia license. Applicants 18 years of age or older who surrender a valid out of state license that has not been expired for more than two years will be required to successfully pass an eye examination. Those who surrender a temporary permit, a temporary license, or an expired license must successfully pass an eye examination, road rules test, road signs test and driving test. Proof of Georgia residence and acceptable forms of personal identification will be required. Applicants must be at least 16 years of age for Classes D and M licenses; at least 18 years old for Classes A, B, and C; and at least 15 years old for an instructional permit. For complete information or answers to specific questions, contact:
Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS)
678-413-8400
866-754-3687
https://dds.georgia.gov/
Locate DMVS Offices
https://dds.georgia.gov/locations
Vehicle Registration & Title
Immediately upon obtaining your Georgia driver’s license or Georgia identification card, you must register your vehicles. Newcomers have 30 days in which to register and title their cars, trucks, trailers, motorcycles and motor homes at the Tax Commissioner’s Office in their county of residence. Generally, 1986 and newer year model vehicles require a Georgia certificate of title for registration. In addition beginning in March 2013 residents are required to pay a Vehicle Title Tax based on the value of the vehicle.
Contact your local office for details on required documentation and procedures:
Georgia Department of Revenue
Motor Vehicle Division
Vehicle Tag/Title
855-406-5221
https://dor.georgia.gov/motor-vehicles
Tax Commissioner’s Tag Offices
https://mvd.dor.ga.gov/motor/tagoffices/SelectTagOffice.aspx
Vehicle Title Tax
Vehicles purchased on or after March 1, 2013 and titled in this state will be exempt from sales and use tax and the annual ad valorem tax. Instead, these vehicles will be subject to a new, one-time title ad valorem tax that is based on the value of the vehicle. New residents moving into Georgia are required to register and title their motor vehicle in Georgia and must pay 50% of the TAVT within 30 days of moving to the state and the remaining 50% must be paid within the next 12 months.
Vehicle Emissions
Residents of Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Paulding and Rockdale counties must have their vehicles emissions inspected. The three most recent model years of every tag season are exempt. Additionally, vehicles that are 25 model years or older are exempt. For details on emissions testing, contact:
Georgia’s Clean Air Force
800-449-2471
https://www.gacaf.com/
Test Center Locations
https://www.gacaf.com/stations/index.php
Repairs & Passing Information
https://www.gacaf.com/repair/index.php
Georgia Safety Laws
Adults ages 18 and over must wear a safety belt when driving or riding in the front seat of a vehicle. Failure to comply will result in a fine. All persons 18 or younger are required to be restrained in safety belt. Occupants of pickup trucks, ages 18 and under, must also be restrained. Every driver who transports a child under five years of age must have the child properly restrained in an approved child passenger seat. Only with a physician’s written statement indicating a physical or medical condition can a child be exempt from using a child safety seat. Strict fines are imposed for violating the child safety laws. Georgia is a primary law state, so law enforcement officers can issue citations based on observation without another infraction of the law being involved. For more information or answers to specific questions, contact:
Governor’s Office of Highway Safety
Operation Click It or Ticket
404-656-6996
https://www.gahighwaysafety.org/
South Carolina
Drivers License
New residents must apply for a South Carolina driver license within 90 days. If your license from your home state has expired, you must also pass the knowledge and road tests in addition to the eye exam. Upon receiving your new license, you must relinquish your out-of-state license. Your South Carolina driver license is valid for five years and must be renewed by your birthday in the fifth year. Drivers who are at least 15 years of age and have held a beginner’s permit for at least 180 days are eligible to apply for a conditional license. Drivers who are at least 16 years of age and have held a beginner’s permit for at least 180 days can apply for a restricted license. Drivers who are at least 17 years old and have held a beginner’s permit for 180 days are eligible to apply for a South Carolina driver license with full privileges.
Vehicle Registration & Title
Newcomers from another state must register and title their vehicles in South Carolina within 45 days. You may apply for the title and registration by mail, completing the Form 400 and mailing it to the address listed on the form. To complete the form, you must have your vehicle odometer mileage reading and any current lien information. The documentation necessary to register and title a vehicle includes your out-of-state vehicle title and registration. If there is a lien on your vehicle, you must bring the name and address of the company that holds the lien. You will need liability insurance information including the name of your automobile liability insurance company. Before you can register your vehicle in South Carolina, you must first pay the property taxes that are required in the county in which you reside and have a receipt. You must also pay all associated title and registration fees.
For more information on driver licenses or vehicle services in South Carolina or answers to specific questions, contact the Department of Motor Vehicles. SCDMV operates a number of convenient field offices around the metro region:
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV)
803-737-4000
https://www.scdmvonline.com/
Online SCDMV Services
South Carolina has expanded the number of services that are available online to include address changes, license renewals and duplicates, identification card renewals, viewing driver license status, obtaining your driver record, and paying reinstatement fees.
Vehicle Property Tax
Personal property taxes are paid directly to the county treasurer in your county of residence. These tax rates vary and are determined locally. First-time registrants must take their title and current registration to the county auditor’s office in order to receive a tax bill. The amount due is paid to the county treasurer who will issue a paid property tax receipt.
Insurance Requirements
Providing the name of your insurance company is required to register a vehicle. To register as an uninsured motorist, you must pay a $550 Uninsured Motorist Fee. This fee does not purchase insurance coverage. It only allows the driver to operate an uninsured motor vehicle on the South Carolina roads. Owners that pay the $550 Uninsured Motorist Fee are liable for damages if they are at fault in an accident.
Safety Regulations
South Carolina’s seat belt law requires that every driver and every occupant of a motor vehicle must wear a fastened seat belt that complies with all provisions of federal law for its use. The driver is charged with the responsibility of requiring every occupant 17 years of age or younger to wear a seat belt or be secured in a child restraint system as required by law. The seat belt law is secondary for persons 18 and older. This means that a law enforcement officer may not stop a vehicle for a violation of the seat belt law in the absence of another traffic violation. However, the law becomes primary for persons 17 and younger. An officer may stop a vehicle and issue a citation when he observes an occupant 17 or younger who is not wearing a seat belt or secured in a child safety seat. For more information or answers to questions, contact:
Auto Safety Information
888-DASH-2-DOT
https://www.scdmvonline.com/SCTRNS/Public/TransactionList.aspx
South Carolina Highway Patrol
803-896-7920
https://scdps.sc.gov/
