Section 40-2-151. Annual license fees for operation of vehicles; fee for permanent licensing of certain trailers

   (a) The annual fees for the licensing of the operation of vehicles shall be as follows for each vehicle registered:
      (1) For each passenger motor vehicle not operated as a common or 
               contract carrier for hire................................$ 20.00
      (2) For each motorcycle.............................................20.00
      (3)(A) For each private commercial motor vehicle in accordance with the 
                     owner declared gross vehicle weight rating, as follows:
                  (i) Less than 18,001 lbs................................25.00
                  (ii) 18,001 to 26,000 lbs...............................38.00
                  (iii) 26,001 to 30,000 lbs..............................45.00
                  (iv) 30,001 to 36,000 lbs...............................70.00
                  (v) 36,001 to 44,000 lbs...............................115.00
                  (vi) 44,001 to 54,999 lbs..............................190.00
                  (vii) 55,000 to 63,280 lbs.............................300.00
                  (viii) 63,281 lbs. to maximum permitted................400.00
            (B) Subparagraph (A) of this paragraph notwithstanding:
                  (i) A straight truck which is not a truck-tractor shall not 
                           be classified higher than $75.00;
                  (ii) A straight truck hauling fertilizer or agricultural 
                           products shall not be classified higher than 
                           $31.00; and
                  (iii) A truck-tractor hauling fertilizer, milk, or crops as 
                           defined in paragraph (7.1) of Code Section 1-3-3 
                           shall not be classified higher than $220.00;
      (4) For each farm truck.............................................20.00
      (5) Except as otherwise specifically provided in this Code section, for 
               each private trailer.......................................20.00
      (6)(A) For each farm trailer including, but not limited to, horse and 
                     cattle trailers, the maximum fee shall be $12.00.
            (B) There shall be no fee for trailers:
                  (i) Used exclusively to haul agricultural products from one 
                           place on the farm to another or from one farm or 
                           field to another;
                  (ii) With no springs which are being employed in hauling 
                           unprocessed farm products to their market 
                           destination; and
                  (iii) With no springs which are pulled from a tongue and 
                           used primarily to transport fertilizer to the farm;
      (7) For house trailers, auto trailers, and boat trailers, whether pulled 
               by a private automobile or a private truck, and not used as or 
               in connection with a motor vehicle, truck, or tractor used as a 
               common or contract carrier for hire........................12.00
      (8) For trailers used as or in connection with a motor vehicle, truck, 
               or tractor used as a common or contract carrier for hire...12.00
      (9) For each motor bus or van-type vehicle used as a common or contract 
               carrier for hire in public transportation transporting 
               passengers, the following:
            (A) Weighing 10,000 pounds or less, $1.90 per 100 pounds factory 
                     weight or fractional part of 100 pounds factory weight;
            (B) Weighing more than 10,000 pounds and not over 15,000 pounds 
                     factory weight, $2.75 for each 100 pounds or fractional 
                     part of 100 pounds factory weight;
            (C) Weighing more than 15,000 pounds and not more than 20,000 
                     pounds factory weight, $3.45 for each 100 pounds or 
                     fractional part of 100 pounds factory weight; and
            (D) Weighing more than 20,000 pounds factory weight, $3.75 for 
                     each 100 pounds or fractional part of 100 pounds factory 
                     weight.  No motor bus license fee shall exceed $875.00;
      (10)(A) For each commercial motor vehicle operated as a common or 
                     contract carrier for hire in accordance with owner 
                     declared gross vehicle weight rating, as follows:
                  (i) Less than 18,001 lbs................................25.00
                  (ii) 18,001 to 26,000 lbs...............................38.00
                  (iii) 26,001 to 30,000 lbs..............................85.00
                  (iv) 30,001 to 36,000 lbs..............................130.00
                  (v) 36,001 to 44,000 lbs...............................215.00
                  (vi) 44,001 to 54,999 lbs..............................365.00
                  (vii) 55,000 to 63,280 lbs.............................575.00
                  (viii) 63,281 lbs. to maximum permitted................725.00
            (B) Subparagraph (A) of this paragraph notwithstanding, a straight 
                     truck which is not a truck-tractor shall not be 
                     classified higher than $150.00;
      (11) For each commercial motor vehicle leased to a common or contract 
               carrier without regard to the duration of the lease and in 
               accordance with the gross vehicle weight rating, the same 
               license fees as required under paragraph (10) of this 
               subsection;
      (12) For each motor driven hearse or ambulance......................20.00
      (13) For each school bus operated exclusively in the transportation of 
               pupils and teachers to and from schools or school activities or 
               in the transportation of the owner and the members of his 
               immediate family, the sum of $20.00.  A bus owned by a church 
               or owned in common with other churches and used and operated 
               exclusively for the church in transporting members and patrons 
               to and from church or church activities, when no part of the 
               proceeds of the operation of the bus inures to the benefit of 
               any private person, shall be licensed for the sum of $20.00 in 
               the same manner as school buses when the bus complies with the 
               laws applicable to school buses;
      (14) For each motor vehicle owned by the state or by a political 
               subdivision or municipality of the state and used exclusively 
               for governmental functions..................................1.00
      (15) For each motor vehicle used by carriers and operated under special 
               franchise granted by the United States Department of Defense 
               over a route of not more than 20 miles in length which is 
               solely between a point in this state and a point within a 
               United States military reservation in this state...........20.00
      (16) Heavy earth-moving machinery, fertilizer application equipment, and 
               crop protection chemical application equipment, not including 
               trucks, which are used primarily off the highway shall not be 
               required to be licensed under this article;
      (17)(A) Trucks transporting logs, pulpwood, or other forest products 
                     shall be licensed in accordance with the following annual 
                     fees:
                  (i) Straight trucks and truck-tractors pulling a single pole 
                           trailer hauling logs from the woods to the sawmill..
..........................................................................38.00
                  (ii) Other truck-tractors..............................220.00
            (B) Skidders, tractors, and loaders used only in the woods shall not be required to be licensed. Trucks and truck-tractors specified in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph shall be licensed in accordance with this paragraph even though the trucks or truck-tractors are also used to transport skidders, tractors, loaders, and other logging equipment. Trucks and truck-tractors specified in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph shall not be required to pay additional fees or obtain additional license plates in order to transport logging equipment owned by the owner of the trucks or truck-tractors;
      (18) For each agricultural field use vehicle........................31.00

(b) In lieu of the annual fee provided in paragraphs (6), (7) or (8) of subsection (a) of this Code section, the optional one-time fee for a permanent registration and license plate for:

   (1) Any trailer used as or in connection with a motor vehicle, truck, or tractor used as a common or contract carrier for hire, a private carrier, or a motor carrier of property; or

   (2) Any boat trailer, utility trailer, or noncommercial cattle and livestock trailer authorized to obtain a permanent registration and license plate under the provisions of Code Section 40-2-47 shall be $48.00.

Ga. L. 1937-38, Ex. Sess., p. 259, § 4; Ga. L. 1946, p. 77, § 1; Ga. L. 1953, Nov.-Dec. Sess., p. 371, § 1; Ga. L. 1955, p. 303, § 1; Ga. L. 1955, Ex. Sess., p. 38, § 1; Ga. L. 1957, p. 376, § 2; Ga. L. 1960, p. 777, § 2; Ga. L. 1960, p. 998, § 2; Ga. L. 1962, p. 450, § 1; Ga. L. 1964, p. 80, §§ 1, 2; Ga. L. 1966, p. 132, §§ 1, 2; Ga. L. 1966, p. 252, §§ 2, 3; Ga. L. 1974, p. 451, §§ 2-4; Ga. L. 1976, p. 694, § 1; Code 1933, § 91A-5302, enacted by Ga. L. 1978, p. 309, § 2; Ga. L. 1978, p. 2210, § 1; Ga. L. 1979, p. 5, § 106; Ga. L. 1979, p. 1038, §§ 1-3; Code 1981, § 48-10-2; Ga. L. 1982, p. 3, § 48; Ga. L. 1983, p. 3, § 37; Ga. L. 1984, p. 22, § 48; Ga. L. 1984, p. 896, § 1; Ga. L. 1985, p. 1, §§ 1, 2; Ga. L. 1987, p. 348, § 1; Ga. L. 1990, p. 1883, § 5; Ga. L. 1991, p. 434, § 1; Ga. L. 1992, p. 6, § 48; Ga. L. 1992, p. 779, § 27; Ga. L. 1994, p. 1373, § 2; Ga. L. 1995, p. 10, § 48; Ga. L. 1995, p. 742, § 3; Ga. L. 1998, p. 1580, §§ 4, 5; Code 1981, § 40-2-151, as redesignated by Ga. L. 2002, p. 1074, §§ 1, 4; Ga. L. 2004, p. 1063, § 1; Ga. L. 2007, p. 652, § 7/HB 518; Ga. L. 2008, p. 324, § 40/SB 455; Ga. L. 2008, p. 835, § 4/SB 437; Ga. L. 2009, p. 449, § 3/SB 128.