Getting Your Georgia Used Motor Vehicle Dealer License

The Shape of the Process

Georgia's requirements fall into six broad groups. They do not all happen in strict sequence — several can run in parallel — but the general flow is:

1. 01

   Education

   complete a state-approved pre-licensing seminar and keep your certificate.

2. 02

   Business formation

   set up your legal entity, obtain a federal EIN, and register for a Georgia sales tax number.

3. 03

   Location

   secure a place of business that satisfies the state's zoning and physical requirements, and document it with photographs.

4. 04

   Bond and insurance

   obtain a surety bond and garage liability insurance in the amounts the state requires.

5. 05

   Application and background check

   file through GOALS, then complete fingerprinting.

6. 06

   Inspection and issuance

   a state inspector visits your location, and the Board reviews your application at a scheduled meeting.

Step 1

Pre-licensing education

Georgia requires new applicants to complete an approved pre-licensing seminar and submit proof of completion with the application. Keep your certificate — you will need a copy for the application, and dealers typically post the original at the dealership.

Certificates have a shelf life. If too much time passes between the class and your application, you may have to take it again, so it is worth confirming the current window before you schedule.

Where to find approved providers: the Board maintains the list of approved seminar providers. The Georgia Independent Automobile Dealers Association (giada.org) is listed by the Board as an industry resource and is a common starting point.

Step 2

Business formation, EIN, and sales tax

Most applicants form a legal entity — an LLC, corporation, or partnership — before applying, though sole proprietorships exist. Which structure is right for you is a question for an attorney or CPA, not for a software vendor. It affects your taxes, your liability, and which affidavit you file with the state, so it is worth a real conversation with a professional.

Entity registration is handled through the Georgia Secretary of State's Corporations Division. A federal EIN is obtained free of charge directly from the IRS at irs.gov — be cautious of third-party sites that charge for this. A Georgia sales tax number is obtained through the Georgia Department of Revenue. Your legal name, DBA, and full address — including suite number — must match exactly across every filing.

Step 3

Established place of business

Georgia requires a genuine, dedicated place of business — not a P.O. box and not a residential address. The state verifies this two ways: through zoning approval and through photographs submitted with your application.

Zoning approval comes from your city or county zoning office, confirming the location is properly zoned for a used motor vehicle dealership. Get this early. Discovering a zoning problem after you have signed a lease is an expensive way to learn.

The state also expects the location to look and function like a dealership office — proper exterior signage identifying the business, a working office with seating for customers, secure file storage, and a telephone at the location. An inspector will visit, and the current expectations for what they check are worth confirming with the Board before you build out.

Step 4

Surety bond and garage liability insurance

Every applicant must carry a surety bond and garage liability insurance, both in amounts set by the state. A separate bond is generally required for each licensed location.

Important: the bond amount changed effective July 1, 2026, and bond expiration dates are tied to the state's renewal cycle rather than your purchase date. Do not rely on any figure you find in an older document, including a bond quote generated before the change. Confirm the current required amount with the Board or with a licensed surety agent before you buy.

For insurance, note that garage liability coverage is what the state requires — a standard automobile liability policy alone will not satisfy it. The certificate must name the correct business entity, the correct location, and the correct certificate holder. Ask your agent specifically for a Georgia used motor vehicle dealer garage liability policy and tell them it is for a Board licensing submission.

Step 5

Application and fingerprinting

The application is filed through the GOALS portal. It must be complete, signed, and notarized, with the required fee and all supporting documentation attached.

Fingerprinting has a specific order that trips people up: you must have an application on file with the Board before you can be fingerprinted. You pre-register for fingerprinting online, and once Board staff verifies your application is on file, you will receive notification to schedule your appointment. Pre-registering is required, but the appointment follows the application — not the other way around.

Read this part carefully. If you answer yes to any question in the background section — any arrest or any charge, at any point in your life — you must provide certified court documentation. This applies even if the charges were dropped, the case was dismissed or dead-docketed, you pled nolo contendere, you were sentenced as a first offender, or the record was expunged. It does not matter how long ago it was.

If a court clerk cannot locate a very old matter, ask them for a letter on court letterhead stating that a diligent search was performed and no record was found. Submit that instead.

Incomplete disclosure here is the single most reliable way to have an application held up or denied. If you are unsure whether something needs to be disclosed, disclose it — or ask an attorney. Do not guess, and do not omit.

Step 6

Inspection, Board review, and issuance

A state inspector will visit your location before the license is issued. Do not submit your application until your location is genuinely ready to be inspected.

Applications are reviewed by Board staff and may go before the Board at a scheduled meeting. The Board meets periodically through the year, and applications generally must be complete and received some days in advance to make a given meeting's agenda — so an incomplete file does not just cost you a few days, it can cost you a full meeting cycle.

If you receive a deficiency letter, respond to every item at once rather than piecemeal. Applications left incomplete for too long can be withdrawn entirely, which means starting over — new documents, new fees.

How Wayne Reaves Fits In

We want to be straightforward about what we do and do not do.

What we do not do

We do not file applications, form business entities, sell bonds or insurance, provide legal or tax advice, or interpret state requirements on your behalf. Those belong with the Board, your attorney, your CPA, and licensed agents. We receive no compensation or referral fee from bond or insurance providers.

What we do

We build dealer management software and dealer websites for independent dealers — inventory, deal tracking, customer records, reporting, compliance tools, and a website that puts your inventory in front of buyers.

Get set up before you open

The best time to choose your software is now — while you are still getting licensed. Notice how much of this process is really about how your dealership will keep records: titles, deal files, tax paperwork, books kept at your location. That is exactly what Wayne Reaves handles from day one. Dealers who get set up with us during licensing open their doors ready — inventory loaded, forms and deal paperwork in place, recordkeeping organized the way inspectors and auditors expect, and a website already live when the first customer searches for you.

Sign up while your application is in motion and we will have your system configured, your team trained, and your website built by the time the license is issued — so your first sale runs like your hundredth. We have been helping independent dealers open and grow since 1987, and getting started is simple: request a demo or call us, and we will walk you through it.

Where to Get Answers

Disclaimer

This guide is provided by Wayne Reaves Computer Systems Inc. as a general informational overview only. It is not legal, tax, financial, insurance, or licensing advice, and it does not create any professional or advisory relationship. Licensing requirements are established and administered solely by the State of Georgia and are subject to change without notice. Wayne Reaves Computer Systems Inc. makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, or currency of the information here, and accepts no liability for any action taken in reliance on it. Verify all requirements directly with the Georgia State Board for the Registration of Used Motor Vehicle Dealers and consult qualified professionals before acting.

Reviewed July 2026. Reviewed quarterly.