TOPs: Temporary Operating Permits
Georgia's “temporary tag” is a Temporary Operating Permit (TOP). GIADA's TOPs service sells them to dealers and helps you issue them correctly.
What is TOPs?
Your customers' temporary tags
As a new dealer, you have probably heard about “temporary tags” for customers buying vehicles in Georgia. The temporary tag is actually called a Temporary Operating Permit, or TOP for short. A TOP is a large sticker, pre-printed with an assigned serial number and two holographic State seal emblems.
Every Georgia dealership must issue a TOP to every retail customer it sells a vehicle to. At the time of sale, the licensed dealer issues one free TOP for the customer's use. It expires 45 days from the date of sale, and the dealer must register the title within the first 30 days. That gives the customer time to get the permanent license plate before the TOP expires.
All dealers must register with an ETR vendor and GIADA's TOPs service (signing the Department of Revenue's agreements and setting up an escrow account) before they can buy and issue TOPs. Dealers licensed after January 1, 2018 must be set up with an ETR vendor before they can buy TOPs.
TitleTec T21 ETR accounts are connected to the TOPs service and don't need a separate TOPs account. Before you set up an account and get a login, you need your used car dealer license and your dealer plates from the Department of Revenue. If your ETR vendor doesn't connect directly to the TOPs service, contact GIADA and we'll help you get set up to order and receive TOPs.
Ordering
Ordering and paying for TOPs
- TOPs come in sets of 10, and the minimum order is 5.
- Orders placed online go to the shipping queue. If you plan to pick your order up at the GIADA office, don't order online: place your order at the office when you arrive.
- Orders placed online after 12:00 noon aren't guaranteed to go out the same day. Keep that in mind when you choose shipping or are running low.
- The GIADA office is open Monday to Friday, except some holidays. Orders placed on Friday after 12:00 noon or on the weekend ship the following Monday.
- An order ships only when your escrow account has enough money for the stickers ($4 each), shipping (if any) and tax. Orders on accounts without enough money are canceled.
- We suggest also adding the $4 per-transaction processing fee at the same time, so you don't get an “insufficient funds” message when you print a TOP.
- Before you can print on your TOPs, you must “receive your inventory” into your account. That links the serial numbers to your account, whether your order was shipped or picked up at the office.
| What | Cost |
|---|---|
| Each TOP sticker | $4 plus tax |
| Shipping (if any) | By package weight and delivery address |
| Processing, per transaction | $4 (paid to your ETR vendor if you're set up with one) |
Example: walk in and order 10 TOPs, and the stickers cost $42.40 ($4 × 10 plus tax) and the processing $40 ($4 × 10), for $82.40 in all.
TOPs training
Step by step, and the most common questions
What to do if the TOPs system is down
Now and then the State's system is down for maintenance and dealers can't issue temporary tags. When that happens, call TitleTec support at 1-855-336-9023 and give them the error message on your screen. If the State's site is down, they'll put the system in offline mode so you can create an “offline TOP” until service is restored. Please don't use other workarounds you may have seen, such as entering a customer as a business: it isn't correct and can delay the customer's registration and tag.
Frequently asked questions
How do I print a TOP?
Can a dealer issue a TOP to itself, for demo vehicles?
No.
Can a dealer issue two TOPs to the same customer if they still don't have the title?
No.
The title is delayed and the customer's 45-day TOP expires in 5 days. Where does the customer get a 30-day extension?
At the customer's local county tag office.
The customer completes form T-226D, Application to Extend Initial Registration Period for a Motor Vehicle Purchased from a Georgia Vehicle Dealer (opens in a new tab).
If my printer is broken, can I fill out a TOP by hand?
No. TOPs always have to be printed.
Can my TOPs account be turned off if I'm caught issuing more than one TOP to the same vehicle or person?
Yes.
Does my used motor vehicle dealer license have to be current to buy TOPs?
Yes.
Do I need authorization for someone else to pick up my TOPs?
Yes. The person picking them up must complete a TOP Authorization form.
Where do I log in to order TOPs?
Does an order ship as soon as I place it?
No. Your account must have enough money in it before the order ships.
What do I do after my TOPs arrive?
Log in to your TOPs account and receive your order. Until you do, they won't show up in your Bin and you can't print them.
Can I cancel a TOP?
Yes, if you void it by midnight on the day it was printed.
After that, complete form MV-300, Request for Cancellation of a Temporary Operating Permit (opens in a new tab) and send it to the customer's county tag office to finish canceling the TOP.
How do I check my dealer statement?
Log in to your TOPs account, click Dealer Billing, then Dealer Statement.
How do I order TOPs?
Log in to your TOPs account, click Inventory, then Order TOP Tags.
When will my order ship?
Orders placed before 12:00 noon ship the same day.
Plate and title lookups
Dealer Internet Inquiry
Georgia-licensed dealers can look up Georgia license plate and title information online through the Dealer Internet Inquiry system, only to carry out legitimate vehicle transactions: buying, selling, exchanging, renting, offering or negotiating the sale of motor vehicles.
For access, contact your ETR vendor or the Georgia Technology Authority (datainnovations@gta.ga.gov, 404-463-2300).