Moving from Georgia
About 250,000 people left Georgia for other states in 2023, while about 310,000 arrived.
- The exit step with a fine attached is the car.
- Georgia requires continuous liability insurance on every vehicle with an active registration.
- Cancel the Georgia registration first, then the policy.
- This page covers every Georgia-origin route we track.
Georgia at a Glance
Taxes
Climate
Humid subtropical with hot, humid summers and mild winters.
Cost of Living
Why People Move from Georgia
Florida is the biggest destination by a wide margin.
- Census ACS 2023 flows put it at about 44,500, then North Carolina at about 23,500 and Alabama at about 19,300.
- Texas and South Carolina took about 17,400 each, and Tennessee about 12,600.
- These corridors run both ways.
- Georgia gained people on net from Florida (about 55,300 came the other way), Texas (about 20,900), and Tennessee (about 17,300).
- It lost people on net to North Carolina, Alabama, and South Carolina.
Georgia is cheaper than most states, so where you go decides whether the move raises your costs.
- The MERIC cost of living index for the first quarter of 2026 put Georgia at 90.6, the 12th least expensive state, with housing at 77.6.
- The Tax Foundation puts the effective property tax rate on owner-occupied housing at 0.79 percent.
- Income tax is a flat 4.99 percent for 2026, after HB 463 cut it from 5.19 percent.
Popular Routes Moving from Georgia
Before You Leave Georgia
Cancel the registration before the insurance
Georgia requires continuous liability insurance on every vehicle with an active registration. Cancel the Georgia registration first, then cancel the policy. Cancel online through DRIVES e-Services or at your County Tag Office with Form MV-18J. You need the plate number or VIN, and your driver license number or a Letter ID. Keep a copy of the cancellation. If you cancel the insurance first, you can be fined for a registered but uninsured vehicle.
Source: Georgia DOR, Cancellation and Reinstatement of RegistrationFile Form 500 with Schedule 3 for the year you move
You are a part-year resident if Georgia was your legal residence for only part of the year. If you must file a federal return, you must file Georgia Form 500. Complete Schedule 3 to work out your Georgia taxable income. The IT-511 booklet explains the part-year calculation.
Source: Georgia DOR, Residency Filing RequirementsRent from a house you kept means a Georgia return every year
Nonresidents with income from Georgia sources must file Form 500 if they must file a federal return. Rents are Georgia source income, and so are wages for work done here. One exception covers employees only. You need not file if your only Georgia activity is working here for an employer and that pay is no more than the lesser of 5% of your total wages or $5,000.
Source: Georgia DOR, Residency Filing RequirementsGeorgia DMV & Registration
Cancel the Georgia registration before you cancel the insurance.
- Georgia requires continuous liability coverage on every vehicle with an active registration, and the Department of Revenue says to cancel the registration first to avoid fines and penalties.
- Cancel online through DRIVES e-Services, or at your County Tag Office with Form MV-18J.
- Have the plate number or VIN ready, plus your driver license number or a Letter ID.
- Keep a copy of the cancellation.
- Your new state sets its own deadline for the license and registration there.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I do with my Georgia registration when I move out of state?
Cancel it, and do that before you cancel the insurance.
- You can cancel online through DRIVES e-Services, or in person at your County Tag Office with Form MV-18J, Application of Voluntary Registration Cancellation.
- You need the plate number or VIN, and your driver license number or a Letter ID, which appears on any letter the Department of Revenue has sent you about the vehicle.
- Keep a copy of the cancellation for your records.
When can I cancel my Georgia car insurance after moving?
After the registration is cancelled.
- While the registration is active, Georgia counts any gap in coverage as a lapse.
- That includes a gap of 10 days or more between policies, or a policy that ends with no new one reported within 30 days.
- A lapse brings a $25 fine.
- If the fine is not paid within 30 days, you can owe up to $160 more, and the registration can be suspended.
What Georgia tax return do I file the year I move away?
Form 500, with Schedule 3.
- If Georgia was your legal residence for only part of the year and you have to file a federal return, you file Form 500 as a part-year resident.
- Schedule 3 works out your Georgia taxable income, and the IT-511 instruction booklet explains the calculation.
- The rate is a flat 4.99 percent for 2026.
Do I still file Georgia taxes if I rent out my house after moving?
Yes, in most cases.
- Rents from Georgia property are Georgia source income.
- A nonresident with Georgia source income who has to file a federal return must also file Georgia Form 500.
- Plan on a nonresident return for each year the house is rented.
Where do most people move to from Georgia?
Using Census ACS 2023 state-to-state flows: Florida (about 44,500), North Carolina (about 23,500), Alabama (about 19,300), Texas (about 17,400), South Carolina (about 17,400), and Tennessee (about 12,600).
- Florida, Texas, and Tennessee each sent more people to Georgia than they received from it.