Deep state — Georgia
The full Georgia path for the license most new dealers need — the Used Motor Vehicle Dealer (Class I) — with every requirement cited and the Year-1 cost built from published figures, not copied from a roundup. Sellers of cars to the public start here; selling to dealers only? The path checker prices the wholesale route too.
| Requirement | Georgia rule |
|---|---|
| Education | A 4-hour Board-approved pre-licensing seminar is required before you apply (O.C.G.A. §43-47-8). The certificate is valid for one year. |
| Exam | The seminar includes the training/test the statute calls for — there is no separate state exam sitting. |
| Surety bond | $35,000 — Set by O.C.G.A. §43-47-8(h). Georgia ALSO requires garage liability insurance on top of the bond — 50/100/25 or a $125,000 combined single limit. Do not confuse the two; missing the insurance stalls applications. You pay a premium (estimated $350–$1,050/yr), not the bond amount. Typical range for the $35,000 bond depending on credit. |
| Place of business | An established place of business that meets the Used Motor Vehicle Dealer Board's rules — office, display area, signage. Georgia licenses are issued by the Board (Secretary of State) in Macon. |
| Renewal | Licenses expire March 31 of even-numbered years. Renewal is $150, and you must complete 6 hours of continuing education in the window before renewal (July of odd years through March of even years). Renew late and fees stack up fast — a lapsed license past May 31 of an even year is revoked and reinstatement runs $420. |
| Cost line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Used Motor Vehicle Dealer license application | $170 |
| Board processing fee | $10 |
| State-approved pre-licensing course Tuition at Board-approved providers — Used Auto Dealer Training charges $249–$295 (additional people on the same license pay less). | $249–$295 |
| Bond premium, first year (estimate) | $350–$1,050 |
| Estimated Year-1 license-layer total | $779–$1,525 |
This is the license layer only: state fees, course, and bond premium. Rent, inventory, garage insurance where your state requires it, and local permits sit on top and vary too much to print honestly. The total above sums exactly the lines above it.
DealerSteps is a navigation guide, not a course provider. A 4-hour Board-approved pre-licensing seminar is required before you apply (O.C.G.A. §43-47-8). The certificate is valid for one year. Take that course only from a provider on your state's official approved list — our job is everything before, around, and after it: the packet, the lot, the bond, the auctions, and your first 90 days.
One payment, yours to keep. The Playbook is a navigation guide — it is not the state-approved course (where your state requires one, it walks you to the approved providers).
Not licensed yet and still selling? Check your count first on the Georgia car-sale limit page.
The license layer — state fees, the state-approved pre-licensing course where the state requires one, and the first-year bond premium — totals an estimated $779–$1,525 for the retail path, summed line by line from the published figures on this page (checked October 18, 2026). Lot rent, inventory, and insurance sit on top.
A 4-hour Board-approved pre-licensing seminar is required before you apply (O.C.G.A. §43-47-8). The certificate is valid for one year. DealerSteps is a navigation guide, not a course provider — where a course is required, take it from a provider on the state's official approved list.
$35,000 for the retail path. Set by O.C.G.A. §43-47-8(h). Georgia ALSO requires garage liability insurance on top of the bond — 50/100/25 or a $125,000 combined single limit. Do not confuse the two; missing the insurance stalls applications. You pay an annual premium — estimated $350–$1,050 — not the bond amount.