What an expired-registration ticket costs in Georgia

Operating a vehicle without a valid plate properly validated with a current revalidation decal is unlawful and punishable as a misdemeanor in Georgia (O.C.G.A. §40-2-8(b)(1), as rewritten by HB 551 effective January 1, 2026), but that subsection sets no dollar figure for the ordinary expired-decal case, so the actual fine comes from your county court’s schedule. A separate subsection, §40-2-8(a), now punishes owning or operating a vehicle without registering it with a fine of $100 for each day the vehicle is in violation, so check which subsection is written on your citation. In most counties the registration period ends at midnight on the birthday of the first person listed on the registration (Georgia Department of Revenue), and §40-2-8 gives no grace period after that: its protections cover only the period allowed for registration (§40-2-8(b)(2)) and a plate or decal properly applied for but not yet delivered when the citation was issued (§40-2-8(d)). Renewing after the registration period also costs a Department of Revenue penalty of 25% of the license plate fee ($5 on the standard $20 passenger-car fee) plus 10% of any ad valorem tax due.