Auctioneer License Requirements in Georgia
State license required. Georgia requires a state auctioneer license from the Georgia Auctioneers Commission, and auction companies register with the Commission as well.
What Online Auctioneers Need to Know
There is no online exemption: the exemption list in section 43-6-24 has no internet carve-out, so online-only auctioneers should expect the license to apply.
The Rules in Georgia
Georgia licenses auctioneers through the Georgia Auctioneers Commission, housed under the Secretary of State, under title 43, chapter 6 of the Georgia Code. Individual auctioneers are licensed and auction companies register. The statutory exemptions do not include internet sales.
The consignor-facing rules live mostly in Commission rules. Rule 55-5-.01 requires an executed contract with mandated elements, including a proposed settlement date. Rule 55-5-.02 requires proceeds to be deposited into a registered trust account within 48 hours or by the next business day unless the sale is settled within 24 hours. Georgia uses a Recovery Fund rather than a bond — a $150 initial contribution, with claims capped at $10,000 each.
Requirements at a Glance
- State auctioneer license from the Georgia Auctioneers Commission; auction companies register
- Executed written contract with mandated elements, including a proposed settlement date (Ga. Comp. R. 55-5-.01)
- Trust-account deposit within 48 hours / next business day unless settled within 24 hours (Ga. Comp. R. 55-5-.02)
- Recovery Fund instead of a bond — $150 initial contribution, up to $10,000 per claim
Authority: Georgia Auctioneers Commission (Secretary of State). Statute: O.C.G.A. tit. 43, ch. 6.
Not legal advice. Auction law changes — several states have amended their online-auction rules since 2019. Verify current requirements with the licensing authority above (or your city/county clerk) before your first sale, and have a local attorney review your consignment contract.
Licensed (or Exempt)? Here's the Rest of the Path
The license is usually the easy part. The business itself — platform affiliation, sourcing consignments, cataloging, settlement — is laid out in how to start an online auction business, and the earning math is in how much auctioneers make.