Georgia Lemon Law rules at a glance
The Georgia Motor Vehicle Warranty Rights Act (Lemon Law) is O.C.G.A. § 10-1-780 et seq.. The Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division runs state-operated arbitration at no cost to either side.
| Rule | What Georgia law says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Statute | O.C.G.A. § 10-1-780 et seq. | § 10-1-780 |
| Vehicles covered | New vehicles bought, leased or registered in Georgia for personal, family or household use; Up to 10 business vehicles a year (except limousine services); Leased vehicles | |
| Not covered | Motorcycles, mopeds, all-terrain vehicles and boats; Trucks over 12,000 lbs gross vehicle weight rating; Vehicles that are not self-propelled | |
| Protection window | 2 years or 24,000 miles from original delivery, whichever comes first | Georgia CPD, Step 1 |
| Serious Safety Defect Test | At least 1 repair of a serious safety defect that was not corrected, then a final repair attempt after written notice | Georgia CPD, Step 2 |
| Three Repairs Test | At least 3 repairs of the same defect that were not corrected, then a final repair attempt after written notice | Georgia CPD, Step 2 |
| 30 Days Out of Service Test | Out of service for repair a cumulative 30 days within the rights period | Georgia CPD, Step 3 |
| Written notice | Send the Final Repair Opportunity Notice (Form A) or a letter to the manufacturer by certified mail, return receipt requested, or overnight delivery. It must name a reasonably accessible repair facility within 7 days. | Georgia CPD, Step 2 |
| Deadline | File the State Arbitration Application within 1 year after the lemon law rights period ends | Georgia CPD, Step 2 |
| Usage deduction | purchase price × miles before the first repair visit for the defect ÷ 120,000 (motor homes ÷ 90,000) | Georgia CPD, Step 3 |
Three repairs plus a final repair in Georgia
Georgia law presumes the manufacturer had a reasonable number of chances when any one of these tests is met inside the protection window (2 years or 24,000 miles from original delivery, whichever comes first):
Serious Safety Defect Test
At least 1 repair of a serious safety defect that was not corrected, then a final repair attempt after written notice.
Georgia CPD, Step 2Three Repairs Test
At least 3 repairs of the same defect that were not corrected, then a final repair attempt after written notice.
Georgia CPD, Step 230 Days Out of Service Test
Out of service for repair a cumulative 30 days within the rights period.
Georgia CPD, Step 3A reasonably accessible repair facility is one within 60 miles of your home or the vehicle. If the manufacturer does not name one within 7 days, the final repair requirement is treated as met.
Notice to the manufacturer in Georgia
Send the Final Repair Opportunity Notice (Form A) or a letter to the manufacturer by certified mail, return receipt requested, or overnight delivery. It must name a reasonably accessible repair facility within 7 days.
In Georgia, after 3 repairs (or 1 for a serious safety defect) you must give the manufacturer a final repair opportunity by certified or overnight mail before requesting a repurchase or replacement.
Georgia’s 1-year arbitration deadline
File the State Arbitration Application within 1 year after the lemon law rights period ends (Georgia CPD, Step 2).
| Event | Date | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle delivered | Mar 15, 2025 | The protection window starts |
| Protection window ends | March 15, 2027 | Repairs after this date do not count toward the tests |
| Apply for state arbitration by | March 15, 2028 | File the State Arbitration Application within 1 year after the lemon law rights period ends |
How to file a Georgia lemon law claim
- Keep every repair orderThe dealer must give you one each time; check that it describes your complaint.
- Send the final repair noticeAfter 3 repairs (or 1 for a serious safety defect), send Form A or a letter by certified mail or overnight delivery, and copy the Consumer Protection Division.
- Allow the final repairThe manufacturer has 7 days to name a facility. If the repair is not completed within 14 days of drop-off, call the division at 404-458-3827.
- Request a repurchase or replacementIn writing, once the final repair fails or the vehicle has been out of service 30 days.
- Apply for state-operated arbitrationWithin 1 year after the 2-year / 24,000-mile rights period ends. It is free.
Refund, replacement and the Georgia deduction for use
| Remedy | What it includes |
|---|---|
| Repurchase | The purchase price (including trade-in allowance), collateral charges (sales tax, dealer charges, dealer-installed items, extended warranty, interest paid) and incidental repair expenses, minus an offset for use. |
| Replacement | An identical or equivalent new vehicle plus incidental expenses. You pay no offset for use on a replacement. |
How the Georgia deduction for use is calculated
purchase price × miles before the first repair visit for the defect ÷ 120,000 (motor homes ÷ 90,000) (Georgia CPD, Step 3).
| Step | Math | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase price | — | $36,000.00 |
| Deduction for use | 6,000 miles before the first report × $36,000 ÷ 120,000 | −$1,800.00 |
| Refund before taxes, fees and other charges | Those are added under the rules above | $34,200.00 |
Georgia’s final repair rules in detail
| Step | Rule |
|---|---|
| When to send notice | After 3 repairs of the same defect, or 1 for a serious safety defect |
| How to send it | Form A or a letter, by certified mail (return receipt) or overnight delivery, to the address in the owner’s manual |
| Manufacturer’s reply | Must name a reasonably accessible repair facility by the 7th day after receipt |
| Reasonably accessible | Within 60 miles of your home or the vehicle (or the closest facility if none is that close) |
| If the repair drags on | If it is not finished within 14 days of drop-off, call the Consumer Protection Division |
| If the manufacturer does not reply in 7 days | The final repair requirement is treated as met |
Who Georgia’s Lemon Law covers
| Vehicle or buyer | Covered? |
|---|---|
| New vehicle bought, leased or registered in Georgia for personal use | Yes |
| Business vehicles | Up to 10 a year, except limousine services |
| Motor homes | Notify all known manufacturers, including the chassis maker |
| Motorcycles, mopeds, ATVs and boats | No |
| Trucks over 12,000 lbs gross vehicle weight rating | No |
Used vehicles in Georgia
The Attorney General’s guide is written for the original buyer or lessee. Ask the Consumer Protection Division whether a later owner inside the rights period qualifies. A used vehicle outside the 2-year / 24,000-mile rights period is outside Georgia’s Lemon Law.
To test your own dates and repair visits, check a Georgia car for free.
Georgia Lemon Law FAQs
What qualifies as a lemon in Georgia?
A new vehicle with a warranty defect repaired 3 times (or once for a serious safety defect) and then not fixed after a final repair attempt, or out of service 30 days, within 2 years or 24,000 miles of delivery.
How long do I have to file a lemon law claim in Georgia?
File the State Arbitration Application within 1 year after the lemon law rights period (2 years or 24,000 miles from delivery) expires.
How is the Georgia lemon law refund calculated?
The purchase price, collateral charges and incidental expenses, minus (purchase price × miles before the first repair visit for the defect) ÷ 120,000, or ÷ 90,000 for a motor home.
Do I pay a usage offset on a replacement in Georgia?
No. The Consumer Protection Division says you are not responsible for an offset for use when you receive a replacement vehicle.
Is Georgia lemon law arbitration free?
Yes. State-operated arbitration through the Consumer Protection Division is offered at no cost to either side.
Sources
Checked on October 13, 2026. We re-verify Georgia rules when the legislature, the courts or the agency change them. Read how we check every rule in our editorial policy.