How to Get a Dealer License in Georgia: Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

If you want to know how to get a dealers license in GA, this guide covers everything from start to finish. Getting a Georgia dealer license is not difficult, but it has a lot of steps, and they need to happen in the right order. Miss one and you get a deficiency letter, a delay, and more weeks without selling.

Below you will find the full list of Georgia dealer license requirements for 2026, the exact order to complete them, how long the process takes, and the mistakes that slow most people down.

Who Issues Dealer Licenses in Georgia?

Georgia dealer licenses are not issued by the DMV. They are issued by the Georgia State Board of Registration of Used Motor Vehicle Dealers and Used Motor Vehicle Parts Dealers, which operates under the Georgia Secretary of State. Applications are filed online through the Secretary of State’s GOALS licensing portal.

This is the license independent used car dealers, auto brokers, online dealers, and wholesale dealers all need. Franchise new car dealers are handled differently.

Do You Need a Georgia Dealer License?

If you buy and sell used vehicles with the intent to make a profit, yes. That includes flipping cars, brokering deals, and selling online. The Board has said the popular “five cars a year” rule is a myth. The only common exception is selling your own personal vehicle that is titled in your name and that you have actually driven.

Georgia Dealer License Requirements (2026)

Here is what you need before your GA dealers license can be issued:

A registered business entity or sole proprietorship
Completion of a Board-approved pre-licensing seminar
An established place of business (a lot or an office suite)
A permanent sign advertising your dealership
A working landline listed in your business name
Zoning certification from your city or county
A $50,000 used motor vehicle dealer surety bond
Garage liability insurance in your business name
A Georgia sales tax number from the Department of Revenue
A fingerprint-based background check
A passed preliminary inspection

Step-by-Step: How to Get a Dealer License in Georgia

Step 1: Form Your Business

Register your LLC, corporation, or partnership with the Georgia Secretary of State. A Georgia LLC costs $100 to file online. If your business is an LLC, corporation, or partnership, you will name a “designee.” This is the person responsible for the dealership. Sole proprietors are their own designee.

Choose your structure carefully. If you change structure later, for example from a sole proprietorship to an LLC, Georgia treats that as a brand new business and requires a new application.

Step 2: Get a Sales Tax Number

Step 3: Take the Pre-Licensing Seminar

Complete a pre-licensing class from a Board-approved provider. Once you finish, you have one year to submit your application. Do not take the class too early.

Step 4: Set Up Your Established Place of Business

This can be a car lot or an office suite. Georgia allows both. Either way, you need a permanent sign, a landline in your business name, zoning approval, and photos showing the inside and outside of the location. Office complex suites also need a marquee listing and door signage.

Step 5: Get Your $50,000 Surety Bond

As of July 1, 2026, Georgia’s dealer bond increased from $35,000 to $50,000. You pay a premium to a surety company, based mostly on your credit. The bond must be on the Board’s current form, in your exact business name, with the power of attorney attached.

Step 6: Get Garage Liability Insurance

You need a certificate of liability insurance in your business name, listing your business address. Surety guides note that the Board looks for garage liability coverage, not just a standard auto policy.

Step 7: Apply Through GOALS

Create an account on the GOALS portal, complete the used motor vehicle dealer application, upload your documents, and pay the fee listed on the Board’s current fee schedule.

Step 8: Complete Fingerprinting

Pre-register for fingerprinting. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation requires your application to be on file first. Once the Board confirms it, you will receive a notice to report to your fingerprint site.

Step 9: Pass the Preliminary Inspection

An inspector will visit your place of business before your license is issued. After you are licensed, expect periodic inspections that are unannounced.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Georgia Dealer License?

The Board says to allow about 30 days from when you submit a complete application. It can be faster if everything is in order. If something is missing, you will receive a deficiency letter. If your application needs Board review, it waits for the next Board meeting. You cannot sell cars while your application is pending.

Most Common Georgia Dealer License Mistakes

Names that do not match exactly across the bond, insurance, sign, and application
Missing photos of signage, the marquee, or the office interior
Using an outdated $35,000 bond form
Taking the seminar more than a year before applying
Selling vehicles before the license is issued
Choosing a location before confirming zoning

After You Get Your License

Your Georgia dealer license is a two-year license. To renew, you need 6 hours of continuing education. If you open another location, you will need a supplemental license, with its own bond, for that location.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a dealer license in Georgia?

Form your business, take a Board-approved pre-licensing seminar, set up an established place of business, get a $50,000 bond and garage liability insurance, apply through GOALS, complete fingerprinting, and pass the inspection.

Can I get a Georgia dealer license online?

The application is filed online through the GOALS portal. You still need a physical place of business and must pass an in-person inspection.

Do I need a lot to get a GA dealer license?

No. Georgia allows dealers to operate from an office suite, as long as it meets the established place of business rules.

Do I need a license to sell motorcycles in Georgia?

Not from the Used Motor Vehicle Dealers Board. Motorcycles and pull-behind trailers are outside its definition of a motor vehicle. Check with your local business license office and the Department of Revenue.

How much does a Georgia dealer license cost?

Costs include the application fee, bond premium, insurance, seminar, business filing, fingerprinting, and your location. Your location is usually the biggest ongoing cost.

Need a Place of Business for Your Georgia Dealer License?

The Exchange at Decatur offers private, move-in ready office suites in Decatur, GA for dealers, auto brokers, and online sellers getting their Georgia dealer license. Flexible lease terms, a clean professional property, and quick access to Atlanta make it an easy home base for a new dealership.

Visit decaturofficespace.net or call 404-212-8878 to schedule a tour.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Requirements can change. Confirm current rules with the Georgia Board of Used Motor Vehicle Dealers before you apply.

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