When you buy a vehicle, you'll pay a one-time 6.5 percent tax. That percentage is scheduled to increase slightly each year.

If you bought a car before January 2012, you're still obligated to pay the birthday tax. The new law applies to all vehicles bought in Georgia, no matter where they are purchased. 

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Julian Conley listens during opening statements in his trial at Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. The 25-year-old is accused of fatally shooting 8-year-old Secoriea Turner in July 2020. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com