Tag Renewals

Every vehicle registration in Georgia is required to be renewed annually.

For individuals, your registration expires at midnight on your birthday and must be renewed during the 45 day period preceding your birthday.

For businesses, the registrations expire at the end of the business’ designated registration month based on the first letter of the business name as follows:

Renewal notices are mailed out 45 days prior to your expiration date. However, if you do not receive one, please be sure to contact our office at 404-298-4000. Failure to receive a renewal notice does not relieve the registered owner from the obligation to renew the vehicle’s registration by the due date. If the owner does not receive a renewal notice, it is still the owner’s responsibility to renew by their expiration date. Penalties will not be waived because the owner did not receive a renewal notice.

If you did not receive your notice or would like a duplicate renewal notice, please email tag@dekalbcountyga.gov and provide the following information in your email:

• Owner name
• VIN or Tag number(s)
• Owner date or birth
• Current address on file

• Registration renewals that are postmarked, renewed online, or processed in person after the end of any registration period will accrue a 10% Ad Valorem Penalty (minimum $5.00) and a $5.00 tag penalty.
• Vehicles under TAVT will only be charged a $5.00 tag penalty, as there are no Ad Valorem taxes.

For your convenience, the State of Georgia has installed tag renewal kiosks in six separate DeKalb County Kroger Stores:

• 2875 North Decatur Road, Decatur, GA 30033
• 6678 Covington Highway Lithonia, GA 30058
• 4498 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd, Dunwoody, GA 30338
• 4919 Flat Shoals Parkway, Decatur, GA 30034
• 4357 Lawrenceville Highway, Tucker, GA 30084
• 3559 Chamblee Tucker Road, Atlanta, GA 30341

You can now visit these stores during their business hours to renew your registration. The tag renewal kiosks allow you the flexibility to renew after hours, nights, and on weekends, where available.

There is a convenience fee of $3.95 to use the machine in addition to the other fees and taxes due at the time of renewal.

You can renew online using Georgia DRIVES e-Services. An additional processing fee of 2.29% (minimum $1.00) will be added to your total to cover the costs of processing credit card transactions.

A registration cannot be renewed online if the vehicle:

• Does not have a valid Georgia insurance policy (which must be electronically transmitted to the state database by the insurance company)
• Requires an emissions and one has not been completed
• Weighs over 8,500 pounds
• Is covered by a Georgia Fleet insurance policy
• Is covered by a Georgia self-insured insurance policy,
• Currently has a specialty license plate that requires supporting documentation in order to renew the registration (e.g., military, certified firefighters, and amateur radio plates)
• Registered owner did not notify this office of their address change
• Registration has been expired for more than 9 months

In an envelope, place check or money order (no cash) and renewal stub(s) in the drop box or mail slots at each of our 3 locations. Renewal will be considered timely if placed in the box by 5pm on your birthday. Thereafter, late fees will apply.

If renewing by mail, renewal payments should be mailed three weeks prior to the renewal date to allow time for processing. To ensure timely processing of all renewal payments and to avoid penalties, carefully read the renewal notice with its enclosed insert, for instructions and additional information. All renewal requirements must be met before the renewal can be processed. If a renewal is submitted without all the required information, it will be returned to the owner and tax/tag penalties will be applied.

Company or personal checks, money orders, or certified funds are to be made payable to: DeKalb County Tax Commissioner. Checks must have name, local address (P.O. Boxes are not acceptable), and bank account number pre-printed on the check. Please enter two phone numbers, driver's license number, and the tag number on the face of your check. Please do not send cash through the mail. We do not accept starter, counter, third party, or payroll checks.

Payments should be mailed to the following:

DeKalb County Tax Commissioner
Motor Vehicle Division
PO Box 100025
Decatur, GA 30031-7025

Mailed in renewal payments must be postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service on or before the renewal date or penalties will apply. If the renewal is received without proper payment or required documents, the renewal will be returned and the due date cannot be extended.

Due to privacy reasons, we can only issue the renewal decal (sticker) to the following:

• The owner of the vehicle
• A representative of the owner must provide an original notarized power of attorney in lieu of the owner being present, and a copy of the owner's valid driver’s license or ID card

Payment methods including the following:

• Cash
• Personal checks
• Money orders
• Certified funds
• Personal Debit cards - 1.50% processing fee
• Business Debit cards - 2.29% processing fee (minimum $1.50)
• Credit cards - 2.29% processing fee (minimum $1.50)

We do not accept starter, counter, third party, or payroll checks.

• Replacement decal (original decal lost/stolen) - $8.00
• Decal never received through mail – please contact our call center 404-298-4000 for assistance

• Replacement tag (tag lost/stolen) - $8.00
  • Report the tag lost/stolen with the law enforcement municipalities where the incident occurred
  • Provide our office with the case number from your police/incident report
  • Complete MV-7 form

  Please do the following:

  • • Contact our call center to check the status of the tag (Tag may have been returned as unclaimed and can be re-mailed)
    • AFTER 30 DAYS Of PLATE ISSUANCE - visit office to request a replacement tag –– (If a prestige tag was ordered a text change may be required)