Bill to end annual registration decals advances amid law‑enforcement and technology questions

Representative McCollum described HB 1465 (LC395015S), which would remove the statutory requirement for an annual license plate decal in Georgia. He said advances in automated plate-reader technology and electronic verification make the physical decal unnecessary and cited a Department of Revenue estimate that eliminating decals could save about $4.6 million.

Austin Gibbons of the Department of Revenue thanked the sponsor and confirmed the department’s estimate of about $4.6–$4.9 million in decal-related costs for calendar year 2025. "The estimate was about 4.6 to $4,900,000 in terms of cost savings on what we spent on these decals in calendar year 2025," Gibbons said.

Mike Mitchell, deputy director of the Georgia Sheriffs Association, cautioned the committee that relatively few law enforcement vehicles statewide have automated tag readers and urged the committee not to move ahead before technology in Georgia is more broadly deployed. "I would caution this committee about getting too far out in front of the technology," Mitchell said, noting that decals also provide observable probable cause for some traffic stops.

Members asked whether officers can verify registration status without a decal and whether tag‑reader coverage varies by county. Mitchell and other witnesses described differences between automated license-plate reader deployments and how officers can query registration by radio if a stop occurs. Members also raised equity and enforcement concerns, noting a link between uninsured vehicles and lapsed registration in some cases.

After discussion, the committee voted by voice; the transcript records opposition from at least two members and then records the chair concluding the motion carried. No roll-call tally was recorded in the committee transcript.

The sponsor and DOR staff said they will continue outreach with law enforcement and local officials as the measure moves forward.