Form MV-9B, Personal Prestige License Plate Application, is the Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR) Motor Vehicle Division form that a vehicle owner uses to request a personalized prestige license plate. The Gwinnett County Tax Commissioner publishes the PDF, and the completed form goes to your local county tag office. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the official PDF itself is published by the Gwinnett County Tax Commissioner at the agency link.
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What is MV-9B?
Form MV-9B, Personal Prestige License Plate Application, is the Georgia Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Division form that a vehicle owner uses to request the manufacture of a Special Prestige (personalized) license plate with letters and numbers of the owner's choosing.
The form collects the owner's information, the vehicle's VIN, year, make and model, and up to three desired plate combinations. Under each combination you record its meaning, such as your initials. The first available choice is approved, and no other combination is checked for availability.
Plate rules printed on the form:
- A private passenger vehicle plate (which includes a motor home and a non-commercial trailer) cannot exceed seven letters and/or numbers, including spaces.
- A motorcycle plate cannot exceed six letters and/or numbers, including spaces.
- No punctuation or symbols are allowed; only letters, numbers and spaces.
- Plates are issued only on the standard peach plate background and are not issued as souvenirs.
The form is not for changing ownership, address or plate classification. It also differs from the plates the Gwinnett County Tax Commissioner describes as special tags, which are ordered by design through registration renewal or an in-person tag exchange; this form is for choosing your own combination. The Department of Revenue may deny combinations in prohibited categories, including obscene, sexual, drug or alcohol references, and may recall an approved plate later found obscene, profane or defamatory.
Who needs to file MV-9B?
A vehicle owner who wants a personalized prestige plate for a private passenger vehicle (including a motor home or non-commercial trailer) or for a motorcycle completes Form MV-9B. If the vehicle has more than one owner, the form has a block for the secondary owner(s).
Conditions printed on the form:
- A separate form is required for each vehicle license plate; one MV-9B cannot request more than one plate.
- The owner signs and gives a Georgia driver's license number.
- Eligibility must continue: the manufacturing fee is not refunded if you become ineligible, for example by becoming a resident of another state.
Do not use Form MV-9B to record a change of ownership, a change of address or a change of license plate classification. If you want a plate design from the list of specialty plates rather than your own combination, the Gwinnett County Tax Commissioner describes a different route: select the special tag during renewal or exchange the registered tag in person.
When to file MV-9B
Submit Form MV-9B whenever you decide to order a personalized plate; the form prints no application deadline. Plan around the 24-month window, though: the form says the manufacturing fee is not refunded if you do not register the plate within 24 months, and the fees are collected when you register the vehicle with the plate.
If your application is denied, you may appeal within thirty (30) days of the notice of denial being sent. A panel of three members designated by the Commissioner reviews appeals, and the denial stands only if all three vote to deny and give written reasons. The Gwinnett County Tax Commissioner states that a temporary tag is issued at the time of application and the Georgia DOR mails the plate once it is manufactured.
Documents you need
- The registered owner's valid Georgia driver's license or ID card; Form MV-9B asks for the driver's license number, and the Gwinnett County Tax Commissioner lists the license or ID among items for special tag issuance.
How to fill out MV-9B
Enter the owner's information
Under OWNER INFORMATION, enter the owner's first name, middle initial, last name and suffix, with the mailing address, city, state, ZIP and telephone number. The instructions say the mailing address block should contain the registrant's physical address.
Add secondary owners if any
If the vehicle has secondary owner(s), complete the second block with each owner's full legal name, mailing address and telephone number.
Complete the vehicle information
Enter the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), year, make and model of the vehicle for which the plate is requested.
Choose the plate type
Indicate whether the plate is for a private passenger vehicle (including a motor home or non-commercial trailer) or for a motorcycle, and fill in only that section.
Enter up to three combinations
Write up to three desired combinations in the message boxes: no more than seven characters for a passenger vehicle or six for a motorcycle, spaces included, with letters, numbers and spaces only. The first available choice is approved.
Record the meaning of each
Under each combination, write its meaning, such as your initials. The form marks the meaning as required.
Check prohibited categories and fees
Make sure no combination falls into a denied category, such as obscene, sexual, drug or alcohol references, or the listed letter groups. Read the fee statement, including the no-refund conditions.
Add driver's license, sign and date
Enter the Georgia driver's license number, then sign and date the request under the fee statement.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check each entry, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and take it to your county tag office as described under How to submit.
How to submit MV-9B
Submit the fully completed Form MV-9B to your local county tag office; the form names no other channel.
- County tag office: use the Georgia DOR tag office locator at https://mvd.dor.ga.gov/motor/tagoffices/SelectTagOffice.aspx to find the address for your county. Gwinnett County residents can visit one of the five Gwinnett tag offices listed by the Gwinnett County Tax Commissioner.
- Questions: contact your county tag office, or DOR/MVD at 1-855-406-5221 or [email protected].
Fees apply: a manufacturing fee (one time), an annual tag fee, an annual special tag fee, vehicle ad valorem tax if applicable, and a mailing fee if you want the plate mailed. They are collected when you register the vehicle with the plate, and the amounts are set by the agency, so confirm them with the tag office or in the form's fee instructions. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using Form MV-9B to change ownership, address or license plate classification; the form says it must not be used for those changes.
- Listing a combination longer than seven characters for a passenger vehicle or six for a motorcycle, counting spaces.
- Including punctuation or symbols in a plate combination; only letters, numbers and spaces are allowed.
- Leaving out the required meaning under a combination you enter.
- Requesting plates for more than one vehicle on a single form; a separate MV-9B is required for each vehicle.
- Choosing a combination in a prohibited category, such as references to sex, drugs or alcohol, or letter groups like GBI, FBI, GSP or GOV, which will be denied.
- Checking the wrong plate-type box, which can forfeit the manufacturing fee refund.
- Not registering the plate within 24 months, or cancelling the order, and expecting a manufacturing fee refund.
- Submitting the form unsigned or without a driver's license number.
Frequently asked questions
What is Form MV-9B used for?
Form MV-9B is the Georgia Department of Revenue Motor Vehicle Division application to request manufacture of a Special Prestige (personalized) license plate. You list up to three letter and number combinations, and the first available one is approved.
Is Form MV-9B a Gwinnett County property tax form?
No. It is a Georgia DOR Motor Vehicle Division application for a personalized license plate. The Gwinnett County Tax Commissioner publishes the PDF with its motor vehicle resources; the form does not deal with property tax bills.
How many characters can a personalized Georgia plate have?
A private passenger vehicle plate cannot exceed seven letters and/or numbers including spaces, and a motorcycle plate cannot exceed six. No punctuation or symbols are allowed; only letters, numbers and spaces.
How many plate choices can I list on MV-9B?
You can enter up to three desired combinations. The first available choice is approved, and no other combination is checked for availability. Each combination needs a meaning written beneath it, such as your initials.
Where do I submit Form MV-9B?
Submit the fully completed form to your local county tag office. The form points to the Georgia DOR tag office locator to find your county's address; in Gwinnett County, the Tax Commissioner lists five Gwinnett tag offices.
Can I get a refund of the manufacturing fee?
Generally no. The form says the manufacturing fee is not refunded if you decide you do not want the plate ordered, do not register it within 24 months, check the wrong box, or become ineligible, such as by moving out of state.
Which plate combinations are denied?
Combinations that are obscene, refer to sex, disparage a religious belief, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation, indicate an office held, use a trademark, refer to crime, drugs or alcohol, or contain listed groups such as GBI, FBI, GSP, GOV or 69.
What can I do if my prestige plate application is denied?
You may appeal within thirty (30) days of notice of the denial being sent. A panel of three members designated by the Commissioner reviews it, and the denial is upheld only if all three vote to deny and give written reasons.
Can I fill out Form MV-9B online on FillingPDF?
Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not submit the form to the agency; you take it to your county tag office.
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