How Long Does It Take To Get A Replacement Car Title In Georgia?

Georgia Replacement Title. Georgia will issue a replacement for lost, stolen, or otherwise defaced (destroyed) titles so long as the vehicle is in your name and the original title was received in the State of Georgia.

If the vehicle was titled out of state, Georgia won’t replace it for you.

So, how long does it take to get a replacement car title in Georgia? The timeframe for receiving a car title in Georgia, is on average 8 to 10 business days by mail. Georgia also has an expedited process, but you have to go through that in Atlanta. Georgia issues electronic titles, through its Premier eTitleLien website, for vehicles that still have a lien on them.

Getting a replacement title in Georgia is similar to a lot of other states. You have to have the proper identification, and documentation, and the vehicle needs to be in your name.

If it’s in someone else’s name, you have to jump through several more hoops, especially if the original title is missing.

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How To Get A Replacement Title In Georgia

The form you’ll need to get a replacement title is the MV-1 Title and Tag Application. Of course, it’s not usually as cut and dry as that. Several other forms may or may not be applicable throughout the process.

The original, damaged, or permanently defaced title
T-4 Satisfaction of MV Title Lien or Security Interest Affidavit
Legal document showing a name change (marriage license, divorce decree, or other legal documents showing a legal name change

The fee for applying for a duplicate title in the State of Georgia is $8 and that’s it.

There has to be a reason to order a replacement title and if you have a title that’s defaced or otherwise unreadable you still have to bring it in.

A lost title is another issue entirely and separate forms have to be filled out for that.

T-4 forms are to show the state of Georgia that you have satisfied the lienholder’s balance and the vehicle is yours.

Lastly, name changes happen all of the time for a variety of reasons and it’s important to get a replacement title after a name change to accurately reflect your information.

A vehicle title without an accurate name can create a lot of havoc down the road when the issue arises and, like always, issues arise when you least expect them to. It’s best to be prepared.

Why Would You Need A Georgia Bonded Title?

Let’s say you purchased a vehicle, and received a copy of the bill of sale, and the original title from the owner. Only later, when you’ve been standing in line at the Georgia DMV all day, do you find that the original title is full of inaccurate information.

At this point, rather than trying to contact the original owner—which almost never goes well after a sale is completed—you can apply for a bonded title.

Bonded titles are titles that grant a layer of protection to the DMV and you’ll need one if the above case applies to you as well as:

Buying a vehicle that has no title
You only have a bill of sale
You lost the title that you received when you purchased the vehicle

To apply for a bonded title, your vehicle cannot be abandoned, or be a model that falls within the most recent two years or be a vehicle older than 1985, or falls within the category of vehicles that don’t require a Georgia certificate of title.

Georgia law requires that before receiving a bonded title, the vehicle be inspected. The inspecting party will have to fill out and provide you a copy of a certification of inspection.

Next, determine the value of the vehicle. This isn’t done by the Georgia DMV but by the car owner. Contact the Georgia Department of Revenue and provide them with the vehicle’s VIN # and they will give you a fair market value on the vehicle.

Now, to purchase a Georgia bond title, double the number of the fair market value provided by the Georgia Department of Revenue. Regardless of the amount, Georgia will only accept $5,000 or more.

You don’t have to pay $5,000, just the maximum amount which is usually $100.

What Vehicles Don’t Require A Title In Georgia?

There are certain vehicles in Georgia that do not require a title, duplicate title applications are never something that has to be dealt with.

Any vehicles from the years 1963 to 1985. You can get a title for them but its purely optional
Anything older than 1962

Everything else falls outside of the category of automobiles, such as boats, RVs, and trailers weighing over 2,000 pounds. None of those need titles, in case you were curious.

As stated above, applying for a title for vehicles ranging from 1985 to earlier doesn’t require a title but you do have the option to obtain one. For record purposes, it’s a good idea to do so.

The application process is exactly the same as getting a newer vehicle’s certificate of title. The process isn’t any different and the fees remain the same.

Does Georgia Do Electronic Titles?

Georgia does do some titles electronically, but only in the case of lienholders. A lienholder can file for an electronic title during the period in which you are paying off the vehicle.

After the vehicle is paid off, Georgia will mail an actual, physical copy to you. When a vehicle is financed, the lienholder is actually required to file for the vehicle’s title electronically, through DDI Technology, Premier eTitleLien.

The lending institution and the Georgia Department of Motor Vehicles keep all title and vehicle information filed electronically and exchange files that way, without using any paper or mailing methods.

It’s an effort to reduce costs and it helps lower fees for doing things like say, applying for a duplicate title. As soon as the lien is satisfied, the lienholder notifies the Georgia DMV and a paper title is generated and mailed to the vehicle owner.

When the paper title is created, you can expect to have it in the standard time of 8 to 10 business days via mail.

Title After Inheritance

Inheriting a vehicle doesn’t change the fact that you’ll need to get a title in your name, rather than the name of the deceased.

Acquiring a title after inheritance means filling out an MV-1 Title and Tag Application and bringing in the original title under the original name.

A new, replacement title cannot be issued in the name of the deceased and if there is no title under that name, a duplicate title application has to be filed, in the name of the originating estate, and only then can you apply for a new title in your name.

If the title is in the name of the deceased and originates from another state, the title needs to be assigned to that estate by the originating state.

Along with the MV-1, a form T-4 Lien or Security Interest Release will need to be signed and filled out. If there is only one person inheriting, a “No Administration Necessary” form will suffice in place of the T-4. There are also a few other forms that need to be filled out and submitted:

Certified copy of death certificate
Non-probated Will
Letter of Testamentary
$18 fee

There are several “if this, then that or what if this, then that” scenarios that can take place during this process.

If the inheritor doesn’t have the Letter of Testamentary, the vehicle must be titled in their name for resale purposes
The Executor of the estate must sign over title if the vehicle is purchased from the estate
If there is no title, the executor has to transfer ownership through a Form T-7 Bill of Sale.
If the title belongs to a company, and the only owner is the one who is deceased, a signed letter stating that person was the sole owner is needed
If the Executor is deceased, you’ll need Temporary Letters of Administration and the title has to be applied for in the name of the estate

As you can see, replacing an inherited title can get pretty complex, especially if no title can be provided by the estate of the deceased.

It’s probably the most complicated replacement title to apply for in the State of Georgia.

The Final Word

Georgia replacement titles are pretty simple to apply for. Things only get complicated when there are extenuating circumstances, such as missing titles, inheritance titles, or out-of-state titles.

Georgia sends out titles in an expedited manner as well. Eight to ten days is far better than other states, where you can end up waiting an entire month to receive a replacement title by mail.

Thanks to Georgia’s electronic filing system that they utilize in conjunction with lienholders, fees for applying for a replacement title—or any other title, along with other DMV dealings—are cheaper for the customer.

So long as you have all of the pertinent paperwork, along with the proper identification, getting a replacement title in Georgia is efficient and, at least generally, a speedy process.

References

https://dor.georgia.gov/vehicle-inherited-or-purchased-estate

https://gwinnetttaxcommissioner.publicaccessnow.com/