Is SC or GA more car hobby friendly?

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PA Dodger

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We're looking to move from PA to the upstate SC/GA border area. Right now we are house hunting. Between my wife and I we have six vehicles. Two are daily drivers and the rest are toys.
In PA, once you register your car as a classic or antique there are no more registrations, taxes, or inspections. My head is spinning trying to figure out how SC and GA does it. GA - Birthday tax? Ad Valorem Tax? SC - vehicle property tax through the nose? What else?
Can anyone offer any insight for which state is more car hobby friendly? What's the easiest approach?
Thanks much
Dan
 
I moved back to Georgia in 2015. As far as I could find, there are no antique type of plates here. Virginia was like PA. You pay one time for the life of the antique plate.

There is now a Title Ad Valorem Tax. When you title a vehicle in Georgia there is a one-time 6% tax on the value they place on the vehicle. Not sure of the reason but there was no Ad Valorem tax on my Barracuda. My other two vehicles totaled around $1k Ad Valorem tax!!! F ing stupid tax.

I'm retired military so I get two free registrations. No break on the tax though.

You can register and use original year plates...that is the color and style that were issued in the year of your car. I think that's kinda cool.
 
So the Title Ad Valorem Tax is a one time tax, not a yearly tax? What's the "birthday tax"? I did see GA has an antique plate. Kinda lame actually.
Can any SC members comment on the vehicle property tax and how they determine the amount?
I only drive the cars a few hundred miles a year if that. It will suck to pay a lot to get only a little out of it.

I'm good for emissions tests in GA. The three possible counties we're looking in are exempt.
Thanks
 
Yes there are antique plates in Georgia, but they are an extra cost for the little antique car on the plate. Taxes are due on your birthday each year. Georgia is also one state that allows you to re-register an antique plate the same year as your car. You better take all the paperwork with you in the car though, because "not all" law enforcement knows of this law.
 
I was raised in SW Ga but been gone for 40 odd year. They used to have antique tags, maybe no more They do not eep titles n old vehicles like 80 something and older. I do not know of current laws there, butI can talk f difference between Tx and Mo ( Missouri). Mo, has antique tags, good for life, chea, no safetyinsoection. IF you turn it in on ad valoum , they will tax you just a few dollars, I mean a few, If you do not turn it, no one usually cares.
Been in Tx now 2 1/2 years. Everything in Tx costs more than Mo! You can get an antique tag, good for 5 years, then re do again for a 5 yr period. You pay a fee which is the tag fee plus 5 yrs worth of advorum taxes. They get tax for each yr!! Then a safety inspection. The "fees" are your ad valorum tax on it.
Every state is different, and even counties are different. Back in MO some counties had a law against having non registered old cars siting outside.!! You know the deal, surbuban type places. If you won property in the rural areas never an issue.
Best to own enough land where ever you live, where no one knows or gives a chit what you have and have a fence and lock your gate.
Country life rules!!!!!!!!
 
This is the best site for Georgia.
Georgia Department of Revenue

  • Motor vehicles purchased on or after March 1, 2013 and titled in this state are exempt from sales and use tax and annual ad valorem tax, also known as the "birthday tax". These taxes are replaced by a one-time tax that is imposed on the fair market value of the vehicle called the title ad valorem tax fee ("TAVT"). The fair market value is the taxable base of the motor vehicle. The manner in which fair market value is determined depends on whether the motor vehicle is new or used.
  • You are still required to annually register your vehicle in your home county and pay the associated $20 standard renewal fee, or the applicable higher renewal fee in the case of specialty tags. The existing $18 title application fee still applies when the vehicle is titled. You must continue to maintain liability insurance as required by Georgia law. If you live in one of the 13 emissions counties, the annual emissions test is still required prior to registration.
 
Yeah, it wasn't fair market value on my two cars when I moved to Georgia in 2015. A 2012 Kia Sorento and a 2006 Toyota Tundra cost me a little over $1,000 in title ad valorem tax.

I emailed my local state representative about it and he actually replied. He said he calls it the "Welcome to Georgia" tax. I replied I didn't feel to welcomed. Then he invited me to a "coffee talk" he does every Saturday, but I never made one. I have since moved from his district. Just heard the other day he's running for state Senate.
 
Yes, you can run year of manufacture tag in GA.
Or get "antique" plates with cute Model A whatever or other on them.
(Not my cup of tea)
But you gotta pay something every year.

One thing I know for sure.
If you don't have a "title", Georgia will not issue you one.
Old cars are not required to be titled here.
So, you should not have to pay a title transfer fee unless you have PA titles and want to get a GA title.
You will be issued a registration no problem though based on your PA registration.

Now that new advalorem tax thing I'm not sure about.
I THINK you may be grandfathered in.
I say that only because I asked at my county courthouse when I was getting all my tags last year about transferring an antique car to another person.
I was told that it would be "grandfathered" in.
I took that to mean the next person would only have to pay the yearly ad valorem on an antique car.
Which is something like 22 dollars on my antique cars.
That big one time tax is for selling newer cars with a known value......I think.
Could be wrong.
On an antique car of unknown condition, they take your word for the value as far as I know.
All your cars are worth no more than about 1900 dollars aren't they?
 
If you don't have a "title", Georgia will not issue you one.

Sorta. Here's the details on "all that". Say you lose the title. Then you sell your car with a bill of sale only. Legal to do on older cars in Georgia (I think it's 1985 and older). The new owner doesn't give a crap about a title. (Not a good idea, ask me how I know) New owner goes and registers "new to him" car in his name. "Somewhere" down the road he decides to sell it. The new owner can never, ever get a title again since the car has now been registered without one. I don't care how fancy a title company you get, or what lawyer does what kinda rain dance. You AIN'T gettin a title in Georgia on a car if it's ever been registered without one. They even "didn't like it much" when I went to register my Valiant. Right off the bat they told me old cars don't get titles. "I" had to tell "them" what the law stated, and EVEN THEN they weren't going to even run it through to FIND OUT until I insisted. She ran it and then said "oh yeah, it's sayin you can have a title". That's the fine service our tax money is paying for.
 
Sorta. Here's the details on "all that". Say you lose the title. Then you sell your car with a bill of sale only. Legal to do on older cars in Georgia (I think it's 1985 and older). The new owner doesn't give a crap about a title. (Not a good idea, ask me how I know) New owner goes and registers "new to him" car in his name. "Somewhere" down the road he decides to sell it. The new owner can never, ever get a title again since the car has now been registered without one. I don't care how fancy a title company you get, or what lawyer does what kinda rain dance. You AIN'T gettin a title in Georgia on a car if it's ever been registered without one. They even "didn't like it much" when I went to register my Valiant. Right off the bat they told me old cars don't get titles. "I" had to tell "them" what the law stated, and EVEN THEN they weren't going to even run it through to FIND OUT until I insisted. She ran it and then said "oh yeah, it's sayin you can have a title". That's the fine service our tax money is paying for.


I believe you.
Let me change one of your sentences for clarity, to see if I understand what you are saying since I'm pretty sure if he comes here with a PA title he could get a GA title.

You AIN'T gettin a title in Georgia on a car if it's ever been registered (in Georgia) without one.

Obviously, if his car's were registered in PA, and he has no title from there he will not get a GA one. (Is that possible in PA, IDK?)
I'm assuming if they run the VIN it will show as registered in PA since I'm thinking it is all connected.
Even when I've called for insurance quotes, the insurance companies know what cars I have.

But again, you are saying that if someone pulls a car out of the weeds and it's not in the nation wide VIN system, they will issue a title?
I believe you, but was unaware of that.
And, frankly surprised.


Basically what you are saying then is once the car changes owners with no title, GA will not issue one.
 
Sure hope we don't scare you away from Georgia! It's a great state. Do you have an area in Georgia you are thinking about moving to?

I was born and raised in Waynesboro, PA. Joined the military at 21 years old and haven't lived there since. I retired from the Air Force in Biloxi, MS, then moved to Georgia after Hurricane Katrina. Then moved to Virginia Beach for work. After getting laid off 4 years later, we decided to make Georgia our forever home! The weather is perfect for me here. My brother lives in Columbia, SC. I swear its the hottest place on the east coast. He tried to get me to move there and work with him at FN America, but I can't take the heat.
 
Thanks everybody. I'm following along and taking notes. So I'm going to get spanked right off the bat and then it all settles down. The birthday tax is about $20 from what I'm reading. Do you know if they need to see the cars for the TAVT? I'm not going to get away with a lowball value if they see the cars.

The title thing concerns me a bit. I have PA titles for all of the cars. I don't want to give them up without another piece of paper saying I own them. I'll need to get them all retitled. How do you prove ownership when you go to sell if you don't have a title?

Yeah... that GA antique plate really sucks. I'll probably go with YOM plates.

66fyssh - We're looking for a house along Lake Hartwell. So, NE GA or SC. In our part of PA its gray with snow and 15*, or raining and 90* or 98% humidity. Time to move.

Really? No one from SC?
 
I believe you.
Let me change one of your sentences for clarity, to see if I understand what you are saying since I'm pretty sure if he comes here with a PA title he could get a GA title.

You AIN'T gettin a title in Georgia on a car if it's ever been registered (in Georgia) without one.

Obviously, if his car's were registered in PA, and he has no title from there he will not get a GA one. (Is that possible in PA, IDK?)
I'm assuming if they run the VIN it will show as registered in PA since I'm thinking it is all connected.
Even when I've called for insurance quotes, the insurance companies know what cars I have.

But again, you are saying that if someone pulls a car out of the weeds and it's not in the nation wide VIN system, they will issue a title?
I believe you, but was unaware of that.
And, frankly surprised.


Basically what you are saying then is once the car changes owners with no title, GA will not issue one.

Now, I don't know about the "not in the nationwide VIN system thing. I've never "tried that". THe car can change owners without a title and still get a title. Example. Say (like a total dumbass) I buy a car without a title. I believe some story about how the seller "just knows" he can find it and believe him, so I buy it. Couple weeks later, I've still not registered the car in my name yet and he calls and says he's miraculously found it. In that instance I can still get a title, because the car has not been registered without one yet. I just let him mail it to me, take the title and bill of sale in and register the car, pay my 18 dollar title fee (which is BULLSHIT because they get that EVERY TIME the title changes hands, ONCE IS ENOUGH) and wait for my new title.

If the car isn't in the national VIN system AND you have a GOOD title along with a bill of sale, I cannot see how they can refuse you, but knowing Georgia, they will. I'm gonna find out when I get my rat truck running. I have a good clean title on it (1949 Dodge truck) but it's never been in the national VIN system "that I know of". We'll see.
 
Lake Hartwell is a great area!

Yes, once you pay title ad valorem tax it's $20/yr per vehicle.

To title my 66 Barracuda I had to have a police officer come to the house to verify the VIN. But that's all he did, he didn't check value. They do not have to see the vehicles for Title Ad Valorem tax as far as I know. They go off their computer program.
 
I had a Virginia title when I moved to Georgia in July 2015 and had no problem getting a Georgia title for my 1966 Barracuda. IIRC I took my title to the county tag office and they took care of it.
 
What if you keep your Pa. titles, and to solve this , just write out a bill of sale from John Doe to you for the car and go from there. There are no titles forthese old cars kept on record anyway. John is a residence of Ga and you might have to get an ID/OD type inspection??? matbe.. and you will register it in Ga and get your tag and pay a small sales tax as you paid John only $100 for the car, as he is your wife's brothers uncles cousin!?
I was raised in SW Ga. North Ga is a different animal than South Ga. The South part is basically very rural. Atlanta area and surrounding counties brings people in from every state, not much in the South part.
If you do move toga. I will offer RRR as a teacher for you of Southern English, lots to know but mainly just know "ya'll" and understand what a grits are!
 
When I was stationed in Moody AFB (Valdosta) they let me register my brother’s car (from PA and still titled in his name) with just my ID and the VIN. Of course this was in 1979 and the charge as I recall was only $5.
 
If you do move toga. I will offer RRR as a teacher for you of Southern English, lots to know but mainly just know "ya'll" and understand what a grits are!

We have made many trips down looking at houses. Here's what I picked up on so far. You fish with minners instead of minnows. Grits taste like wall paper paste, not that I make a habit of sampling my handyman supplies. "Ya'll" will be hard for me since it's been Pittsburgh "yinz" all my life.
 
they let me register my brother’s car (from PA and still titled in his name) with just my ID and the VIN. Of course this was in 1979 and the charge as I recall was only $5.

So, what keeps someone from walking in with your VIN and their ID and hijacking your car while you're off on vacation?
 
Not sure about SC but in GA you will pay a one time add tax on registration and yearly about $24 on renewal for a 69. I run a black original 69 plate bought from a swap meet. As long as it is an authentic plate, you just sign the affidavit at the Tag office and they will also issue a real plate to you that you are required to keep in the vehicle with the affidavit. I have never been pulled to check since 2014.

808737C1-B49E-45EC-989D-0B5212972FAC.jpeg
 
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The only bad thing I did was the car was from GA and at the time did not require a re-title in 84 when purchased. Bad thing!

Then moved to Florida which required it to be titled. Had to give them the previous Ga signed over title and I misplaced that new Florida title when moving back a few years later. 25 years passed!

Florida stepped up and sent a replacement title based on the last registration and plate I had in their records, fortunately I had both and Florida made it easy. Georgia would not accept until I provided that and did not charge me the late fee for 25-28 years. If you move here do it right away and do not wait regardless if it is roadworthy or not.

Also paid the extra fee ($10) to get re-titled in GA!
 
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So, what keeps someone from walking in with your VIN and their ID and hijacking your car while you're off on vacation?
I don’t know. I thought this was very strange myself. Maybe the lady believed my believable story?
 
Hey man add sharp cheddar to your grits ( ye melt it in!)... If you move South and have some common sense, you will learn to fit in! Great people in the South. Just remember the Civil War ( War of Northern Aggression) never really ended there.
And real BBQ is made out of pork!! The sauce is also RED. lol
 
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