Buying and owning a car

Buying a car is a serious financial matter; please be careful when purchasing any car, especially a used car. While most car dealers are reputable, some (especially used car dealers) have a reputation for trying to deceive customers by selling defective cars. If you are unsure whether you can trust a car dealer, you can call the Better Business Bureau at 404-688-4910 or check their website at www.bbb.org to see if anyone has registered a complaint about the dealer (if they have, you should go elsewhere). You might want to find a friend who knows a lot about automobiles, or read a magazine like Consumer Reports, to help you decide which model of car will be best for you. Whether you buy a used car from a dealer or from an individual owner, it is wise to test-drive the car and to have a mechanic inspect it before you buy it to ensure that there are no major defects. Once you have negotiated a buying price, make sure that you receive the title certificate for the car and that the seller has signed over the car's ownership to you. If you are buying a used car, it is important to realize that when you pay your money and sign all of the papers the vehicle is yours and you have NO right to return the vehicle and ask for your money back if you find something wrong.

Georgia state law requires that all cars have automobile insurance; the minimum coverage you must have is liability insurance, but you can purchase additional insurance to cover damage to your car and to help pay for medical costs if you or others are injured in an accident. Check the yellow pages of the telephone directory (under "Insurance") for the names of insurance companies, or ask friends and colleagues to recommend companies. Compare the policies of several insurance companies to see which offers the coverage you need at the price you want to pay.

Other costs to keep in mind include:

• Gasoline, regular motor oil changes, and other car maintenance and repair costs.
• Annual registration and ad valorem taxes: Each year, you must pay ad valorem (a Latin term meaning "by value") taxes for the appraised value of your car and also register it with the tax commissioner's office of the county in which you live. If you live in DeKalb County, you can go to one of three Auto Tag Office locations: 4380 Memorial Dr., Decatur GA 30032, (open also on Saturdays), 1358 Dresden Dr., Atlanta Ga. 30319 or 2389 Wesley Chapel Road, Suite 101A, Decatur Ga. 30035. For directions to these Dekalb County tag office locations and for more information call 404-298-4000. (If you purchased a used car, it is possible that the previous owner has already paid these taxes and title fees.) If you live in Fulton County, call 404-730-6100; for Gwinnett County, call 770-822-8818; for Cobb County, call 770-528-8247 for more information. Find more information about Tagoffices.
• Georgia law requires that all cars undergo an emissions inspection every year. You will need to pass this test, or have the car repaired and retested in order to pass, before you can register your car. Emission inspections cost $25.00 and are done only at emission-licensed service stations. After you have registered the car once, subsequent annual registrations can be done by mail. The county will send you a statement before the registration expiration with details on how to register by mail.

IMPORTANT: When you are driving your car, make sure that you have your driver's license with you and that you have proof of insurance and your car's registration in the vehicle. If you are stopped by a police officer while driving and cannot find any of these items, you may receive a traffic citation (ticket) and have to pay a fine.