Turkish-Speaking Immigration Attorney in Georgia

1. Fill in the online form first. Whatever you come for, DDS wants the Online License/ID/Permit form completed before your visit. You do it in DRIVES e-Services, free of charge.
2. Appointments are only for road tests. Everything else is walk-in. Book the road test in DRIVES e-Services. Call center: (678) 413-8400.
3. Get your documents in English. You need one identity document, your SSN, two proofs of residency from separate sources (no P.O. box) and, if you are not a U.S. citizen, one document showing lawful status. DDS does not accept translated documents and wants to see the original immigration papers at every single visit. The name on the card must match the name on your immigration document exactly.
4. SSN or DDS-351. DDS puts it plainly: an applicant must provide either a Social Security number or a Certification of Social Security Denial Status. If you are not eligible for an SSN, you pick up and complete form DDS-351 at a customer service center. Anyone with DHS work authorization must apply for an SSN, so that route is not open to you if you hold a work permit.
5. Take the knowledge exam. Two parts, road rules and road signs, 20 questions each, 15 correct to pass. No appointment, available at every center, but you must start at least 30 minutes before closing. No phones and no pens in the exam room.
6. Bring your own car to the road test. A four-wheeled vehicle with valid registration, plate and insurance; the examiner also safety-checks the car. The pass mark is 75 out of 100. You can retake it the next day after a first failure and after seven days following a second; if you failed because of a crash or a violation, you wait 30 days.
7. Wait for the card. You leave with an interim document and the permanent card arrives by mail within 30 days. TSA does not accept the paper interim, so carry your passport when you fly until the card arrives.

Is the written exam offered in Turkish?

Yes. According to the DDS language list, both the road rules and road signs parts of the non-commercial knowledge exam are available in 26 languages, and Turkish is one of them. The road test itself is in English. There is a conflict here that you should know about: the 2023-2024 driver manual text still published on the DDS site says the road signs test is given "in English only", while the newer language list and the testing page say both sections are translated. Call (678) 413-8400 and confirm that you can take the signs section in Turkish before you go. One accompanying person, including an interpreter, is allowed.

Which documents are required?

All of it has to be in English. A Turkish civil registry extract, a Turkish address certificate or a sworn translator's version will not be taken, so use U.S. bills and leases as your proofs of address. If you moved here from a state that is more flexible about foreign paperwork, such as Washington or Massachusetts, it is better to notice the difference now than at the counter.

What does LIMITED-TERM mean?

Georgia licenses and ID cards issued to people who are not U.S. citizens are printed with the words LIMITED-TERM. The card expires with your approved period of stay and is valid for no more than five years, rather than the eight-year term citizens get. DDS says the card carries the same driving privileges as a regular one but cannot be used to verify citizenship for voting. DDS also states two things clearly: a Georgia license is not proof of lawful status, and an expired LIMITED-TERM card does not mean the holder is in the country illegally. If your status is being extended, you can get a one-time 120-day extension: you must already be a DDS customer, your card must be expired or expiring within 30 days, and you must show an original I-797C with your extension request.

What does it cost?

Is a Georgia card a REAL ID?

Yes. DDS says every Georgia license and ID issued since 2012 is REAL ID compliant, marked with a star in the top right corner, at no extra charge. Only one physical card may carry the star, so you cannot have it on both a license and an ID. The card arrives by mail within 30 days, and because TSA does not accept the paper interim document, carry your passport on flights until then.

Two routes for a first-time adult applicant

• Straight to a Class C license: bring every document, pass the knowledge and road tests, and sign an affidavit of 40 hours of supervised driving, six of them at night.
• Permit first: get a Class C instructional permit (two-year term, $10 per attempt), practice, then take the road test.

Whether a holder of a Turkish license is excused from the 40-hour affidavit is not stated on any DDS page we could read. Call (678) 413-8400 and ask before you go; the answer can vary between centers.

Where are the DDS centers?

Centers are generally open Tuesday to Friday 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturday 7:30 a.m. to noon, closed Sunday and Monday. Around Atlanta: Atlanta, 400 Whitehall St SW 30303 (no road tests); Decatur, 2801 Candler Rd Ste 82; Lithonia, 8040 Rockbridge Rd; Forest Park, 5036 State Route 85; Marietta, 1605 County Services Pkwy; Kennesaw, 3690 Old 41 Hwy NW; Norcross, 2211 Beaver Ruin Rd; Lawrenceville, 310 Hurricane Shoals Rd NE; Alpharetta, 11575 Maxwell Rd (no road tests). If you live in Atlanta, the nearest road-test centers are Decatur and Forest Park. Holiday closures are posted on the DDS home page, so check before you go. Atlanta detail is in our Atlanta guide.

When do you count as a resident?

The timing of the license depends on this definition. DDS treats a non-citizen as a Georgia resident if either is true:

• you have been present in the state for 30 days or more, or
• you have a job and have enrolled your children in school within 10 days.

From the moment you are a resident you have 30 days to hold a Georgia license. Until then you may drive on your foreign license as a tourist or business visitor. Georgia law does not allow a license to be issued to someone without lawful status, so valid status is a precondition.

How the process works

• Three tests: the vision test, the knowledge exam (road rules and road signs, 20 questions each, 15 to pass) and the road test (75 out of 100).
• Exam language: the knowledge exam is offered in Turkish, the road test is in English. The conflict about the road signs section is described above; ask at the center.
• Your Turkish license: you present it and in most cases you get it back. A card is surrendered only for a commercial license (CDL) or if you hold a license or ID from another U.S. state or Washington, D.C.
• Coming from another U.S. state: that state's card is surrendered and you switch to a Georgia one, again within 30 days.
• An international driving permit is not a license on its own. It is a translation carried alongside a foreign license and cannot be used for a DDS license transaction.

The practical order: take the knowledge exam walk-in during your first 30 days, in Turkish, then book the road test in DRIVES e-Services and bring an insured, registered car. If your own car is not registered in Georgia yet, you may take the test in someone else's vehicle as long as you have its registration and insurance with you.

1. License first, then registration. The Department of Revenue (DOR) requires a valid Georgia license or ID to register a vehicle, so you visit two different offices: DDS for the license and the county tag office for the car.
2. Register within 30 days. That is the deadline after a move; if you buy from a private seller it is seven business days. Fines run up to $100.
3. Bring the paperwork. Form MV-1, the original out-of-state title (or the registration if you came from a state that does not title), form T-17 if there is a lien or lease, proof of Georgia liability insurance (electronic record or an insurer's binder), and an emissions certificate if you live in one of the 13 counties.
4. Pay the tax. TAVT is collected when the title is issued (see below). The title is $18 and the plate and registration $20 a year.
5. Put renewal in your calendar. Registration expires on the birthday of the first person listed on it. Renewal opens 30 days before your birthday, or up to 90 days before online. Most counties renew year-round, through DRIVES e-Services, a kiosk or the tag office.

TAVT: a new resident pays 3 percent

Instead of a sales tax on the purchase, Georgia charges a one-time Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT) when the title is issued. The current rate is 7 percent of fair market value, but someone who has just moved to the state and brought a vehicle along pays 3 percent (in force since July 1, 2019). A transfer within the family is taxed at 0.5 percent. Vehicles titled before March 1, 2013 stay on the old system and still pay the annual ad valorem tax.

The difference is real money: on a vehicle worth $25,000, 7 percent is $1,750 and 3 percent is $750. So tell the clerk at the tag office that you are a new resident who brought the car from another state, and take along something that shows your move-in date, such as a lease or an employer letter.

What are the fees?

How much insurance do you need?

Collision and comprehensive cover are not required by law, but a lender or lessor will insist on them. Uninsured motorist coverage must be offered to you, and if you do not want it you are asked to reject it in writing. Georgia tracks insurance electronically, so a lapse shows up immediately and triggers the fine and reinstatement fee above.

Inspections and emissions

• No general safety inspection. Georgia has no annual vehicle inspection. The only check is the one the examiner performs on the car you bring to the road test.
• Emissions testing in 13 counties: Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Paulding and Rockdale. The program is run by Georgia's Clean Air Force. The test is annual and due before your registration renewal date (your birthday); four to six weeks early is recommended.
• Which vehicles: for 2026 registration, gasoline cars and light trucks (8,500 lb GVWR or less) of model years 2002 to 2023. Exempt: the three newest model years (2024 and newer in 2026), vehicles 25 model years old or older (2001 and older in 2026), diesels, motorcycles and RVs. From January 1, 2027 the window moves up a year: 2027 registration covers model years 2003 to 2024, and 2025 and newer are exempt.
• Cost and retests: up to $25, posted at the station. It is an OBD test plus a visual check of the catalytic converter. If you fail, you get one free retest at the same station within 30 calendar days. You do not have to test in the county where the car is registered.
• Vehicles new to the area: a 2003 to 2024 model vehicle newly bought or newly moved into one of the 13 counties needs proof of a passing test within the last 12 months and must be registered within 30 days (seven days if bought from an unregistered dealer).
• Exceptions: a senior exemption (owner 65 or older, vehicle 10 or more model years old, driven under 5,000 miles a year, applied for each year), an out-of-area extension and a repair waiver. Help line 1-800-449-2471. Program materials exist in Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese and Mandarin, not Turkish.

If you sell a car in one of the 13 counties, it is your responsibility as the seller to make sure it has a valid passing emissions test at the time of sale. Tag office addresses vary by county; the Fulton and DeKalb offices are listed in our Atlanta guide.

Opening an account

• Where: peachpass.com, by phone on 1-855-724-7277, or in person at the Peach Pass Retail Center, 245 Peachtree Center Ave NE, ground floor, Atlanta 30303 (weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). The DDS centers in Lawrenceville (310 Hurricane Shoals Rd NE), Locust Grove (619 Tanger Blvd) and Kennesaw (3690 Old 41 Hwy NW) also open accounts, Tuesday to Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to noon.
• What they ask for: name, address, phone, email and the vehicle's year, color, make, model and plate. A personal toll account needs a prepaid balance of at least $20, paid by credit or debit card; cash and money orders are taken only at the Retail Center.
• Temporary plates: tick the "temporary plate" box when you sign up, then update the account when the permanent plate arrives.
• The transponder is a free sticker. It goes in the middle of the windshield, about three quarters of an inch from the mirror and two inches from the top; metalized windshields get a headlamp sticker instead. It cannot be moved between vehicles, and a new one is mailed within 7 to 10 business days.
• No card? BancPass Pay n Go is a licensed, cash-reloadable alternative. The starter kit is $20 ($5 activation plus $15 in tolls) with a $2 reload-card fee, sold at Kroger, CVS, Walgreens and Costco. It is not eligible for the carpool free-toll benefit.
• An expired card on file stops the account from topping up, which turns your trip into a violation. Keep the card details current.

Which roads are tolled?

The reversible lanes run 24 hours and GDOT sets the direction, which changes during the day, so check the direction banner on peachpass.com before you set off. The lanes are open to vehicles with two axles and no more than six wheels; trucks and trailers are not allowed. There are no express lanes inside the City of Atlanta itself, the nearest start north of the I-285 perimeter.

How the price is set

• Dynamic pricing: the toll rises with demand and has a floor of 10 cents a mile. The sign before the entrance shows two figures: the top one is the toll to the next exit, the bottom one to the last exit. Once you enter, the rate does not change, so you pay what you saw. Dollar amounts move within minutes, which is why we do not print one here.
• Who rides free: on the I-85 express lanes, carpools of three or more people with a Peach Pass Toll personal or corporate account and the free Peach Pass Verify app (verification at the start and end of the trip, minimum $5 balance). Certified motorcycles, state-registered transit buses (MARTA, Xpress) and registered vanpools also ride free. The I-75 lanes have no carpool benefit.
• Electric cars no longer ride free: since September 30, 2025 alternative-fuel and electric vehicles pay like everyone else in the I-85 HOT lanes. A paragraph repeating the old rule still sits on the Peach Pass FAQ page; the newer rule is the one that applies.
• Other states' transponders: E-ZPass, Florida SunPass, E-Pass and NC Quick Pass all work on the Georgia express lanes, and a Peach Pass works in 19 E-ZPass states. Check the current list on the Peach Pass site.

What happens if you do not pay?

If no transponder is detected, a camera photographs the plate and SRTA mails a notice to the registered owner. A $25 administrative fee per violation is added on top of the toll. Unpaid notices go to collections, the Attorney General and the Office of State Administrative Hearings, and can end in a civil penalty of up to $70 per violation and suspension of the vehicle registration. To pay or dispute: from inside Georgia 1-855-724-7277 or 1-833-448-4398, mail P.O. Box 92386, Atlanta GA 30314. For out-of-state plates, 1-833-426-2406, SRTA PO Box 2644, Atlanta GA 30301-2644. You can also use the "Pay Toll Violations" section on peachpass.com.

MARTA fares

• better Breeze: the new fare system is live. Old silver Breeze cards, paper tickets and the Breeze Mobile 2.0 app do not work. New physical cards are orange ($2); reduced-fare and Mobility cards are black. You can tap a contactless bank card or a phone or watch wallet straight at the faregate and the bus validator. A virtual Breeze card in your phone wallet is also $2; a paper ticket carries a $1 fee and expires after 90 days. The new Breeze Mobile app manages the account only and does not pay fares.
• If you have an old balance: transfers from old cards and Breeze Mobile 2.0 close on Friday, October 30, 2026. You need the orange card first, then transfer at breezecard.com.
• Transfer rule: free transfers require the same payment method. Tap the same card or the same wallet for bus to bus and bus to rail.
• Hours: trains run 4:45 a.m. to 1 a.m. on weekdays and 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. at weekends. Frequency is 10 minutes at rush hour (6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 7 p.m.), 15 minutes off peak, 20 minutes at night and at weekends. Buses run 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. on weekdays and 5 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. at weekends. Information and customer service: 404-848-5000.

Suburban systems

• Ride Gwinnett (Gwinnett County): local one-way $2.50, 10-ride $22.50, monthly $80, half fare (65+, disabled, Medicare) $1.25, microtransit $3, ADA paratransit $4.00. A Breeze card or tap-to-pay gets four free transfers within three hours; cash fares get none.
• CobbLinc (Cobb County): local adult $2.50, senior and Medicare $1.00, youth under 18 $1.50, children under 42 inches free, 10-ride $18, 31-day local pass $72. The Circulator is free. A Breeze card is required for a free transfer between CobbLinc and MARTA, valid three hours in the same direction.
• Both systems are moving to the new Breeze infrastructure alongside MARTA, so old cards do not work. In Clayton, DeKalb and Fulton, the buses are MARTA's.

The airport: Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL)

• Where: 6000 North Terminal Parkway, Atlanta GA 30320, about 10 miles south of downtown. There are two terminals, Domestic (concourses T, A, B, C, D) and International (E, F). The Plane Train links both terminals and every concourse roughly every two minutes.
• By MARTA: the MARTA Airport station is inside the Domestic Terminal, between the north and south baggage claims, and the Red and Gold lines run straight there. After 8:30 p.m., passengers heading to Buckhead, Medical Center, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs or North Springs transfer at Lindbergh Center.
• International Terminal: take the free shuttle from outside Domestic baggage claim, or the Plane Train to Concourse F. Because you cannot re-enter the secure area after international baggage claim, a free 24-hour connector bus runs to the Domestic Terminal ground transportation (and MARTA) and to the Rental Car Center, about a 15-minute ride.
• Parking tip: nine MARTA stations offer long-term parking for air travelers at $7 a day (Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Medical Center, Lenox, Kensington) or $10 a day (North Springs, Doraville, Lindbergh, College Park).
• Turkish Airlines is on ATL's list of international carriers and flies nonstop to Istanbul Airport, averaging about 11 hours. U.S. phone (800) 874-8875. Check the airline for current days, times and terminal. The time difference is in the Türkiye section.
• Car rental: the Rental Car Center, with 13 agencies, is about five minutes away on the free SkyTrain.

Rail: the Amtrak Crescent

Georgia has one Amtrak route, the Crescent, running once a day each way between New York, Washington, Atlanta and New Orleans, about 30 hours end to end. The Georgia stops are Toccoa, Gainesville and Atlanta. The Atlanta station is Peachtree Station, 1688 Peachtree Street NW, Atlanta GA 30309 in Brookwood; there is a waiting room, and long-term parking is across the street at a hotel, paid at the hotel desk. Amtrak has posted service adjustments south of Washington, D.C. for October 16 to 26, 2026, so check before booking.

Atlanta line maps, the streetcar and station detail are in our Atlanta guide.

Sales tax depends on your address

The state share is 4 percent and county and city shares are added on top. The official chart effective October 1, 2026 gives these metro rates:

The next chart takes effect on January 1, 2027. You can look up your own rate in the DOR sales tax charts. Income tax is covered in the taxes section.

• County or city: Georgia has 159 counties, the second most of any state. The county handles vehicle registration, property tax, vital records and marriage licenses; water, trash and policing usually belong to the city. The practical upshot is that you need to know which county you moved into, because that decides which offices you visit.
• Atlanta spans two counties: most of the city is in Fulton, part of it in DeKalb. Water, trash, the library and the school district stay the same, but property tax, vehicle registration and the energy-assistance agency change with the county.
• Emissions testing in 13 counties only: Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Paulding and Rockdale (see the car section). Moving outside the metro saves you that cost.
• Turkish mission: there is no Turkish consulate in Georgia; the state is served by the Consulate General in Miami (below).
• Useful numbers: 211 for social services, 811 before you dig, 511 for road conditions. Inside Atlanta, ATL311 (3-1-1) for city services.

Electricity: the address picks the company

According to the Public Service Commission (PSC), household electricity in Georgia was never deregulated. The Territorial Electric Service Act of 1973 gives a one-time choice of supplier only to loads of 900 kW or more, that is to large commercial and industrial customers; a household cannot choose. Georgia Power serves about 2.7 million customers in 155 counties, and 41 member cooperatives and 52 municipally owned systems cover the rest. In the City of Atlanta electricity is Georgia Power throughout; there is no city electric utility. Check the PSC territorial maps for your own address, because we cannot tell you address by address which cooperative serves which suburb.

Starting service without an SSN, provider by provider

None of the sources we read asked for an ITIN. What Georgia Power requires on the standard plan from someone with no SSN and no credit history is not written on its public pages; the route with a written rule behind it is PrePay. For a first year, that usually means either a prepaid plan or applying in person and paying a deposit.

Gas: you choose the marketer

• How it works: Georgia deregulated its retail gas market in 1998, but only inside Atlanta Gas Light (AGL) territory, which covers most of metro Atlanta and much of the state. AGL only delivers: it owns and operates the pipes, reads the meter, repairs lines and connects or disconnects at the marketer's request. It does not sell gas. You pick a certified marketer, who sets the price and bills you, and AGL's delivery charge appears on that bill.
• Starting service: if the home already has a meter, call a marketer directly. If there is no meter, use AGL's online form and it replies within two business days. Stopping or transferring service also goes through a marketer.
• Deposit cap: Commission Rule 515-7-9-.04 says a marketer's deposit for household use shall not exceed $150. On the PSC list of certified marketers, the companies describe themselves this way: Gas South, "no deposit required"; Georgia Natural Gas, SCANA Energy, Constellation, Fuel Georgia and Walton EMC Natural Gas, "based on credit information"; True Natural Gas, XOOM and Stream, "no deposit for customers with good credit". So a newcomer with no U.S. credit file may be asked for a deposit of up to $150 by some of them.
• Residential marketers and phone numbers (PSC list, September 2026): Constellation 866-743-5576; Fuel Georgia 833-903-3835 (678-774-6010 inside Atlanta); Gas South 877-472-4932; Georgia Natural Gas 770-850-6200 inside Atlanta or 877-850-6200; SCANA Energy 877-467-2262; Stream Energy 866-447-8732; True Natural Gas 770-502-0226; Walton EMC Natural Gas 770-267-2505; XOOM Energy 855-203-3808; Town Square Energy 888-998-1928.
• Comparing prices: the PSC publishes a monthly price-comparison chart. A gas bill has three parts: AGL's delivery charge (regulated by the PSC), the marketer's price per therm, and sales tax, plus the marketer's customer-service charge. Plans are variable or fixed, usually for 12 months and sometimes 24. Leaving a fixed plan early costs a cancellation fee that the PSC page says "does not, generally, exceed $100", and an expired fixed plan can roll onto a variable price.
• Switching marketer: sign up by the 19th of the month and the switch can take effect on the 1st of the next month; if it is not processed by 3 a.m. on the 20th, it slips a month.
• If every marketer turns you down: the PSC runs a Regulated Provider as the fallback for low-income customers and for anyone who cannot get or keep service from a marketer. PSC pages describe a $150 deposit refunded after six consecutive on-time payments, but those pages are out of date and we could not confirm who the current provider is. Call the PSC before you apply.
• Outside AGL territory: Liberty Utilities is the state's only regulated local gas distribution company, and 84 municipal gas systems exist. In those areas there is no marketer to choose.
• Gas leaks: AGL answers 24 hours a day. A PSC page lists 770-907-4231 for metro Atlanta and 1-877-427-4321 outside the metro, but that page is old, so confirm the number on AGL's own safety page, and if you smell gas, leave the building first and call 911.

If you cannot pay the bill

• LIHEAP and immigration status: federal energy assistance in Georgia is run for DHS and DFCS by local Community Action Agencies, and this needs saying plainly: the applicant must be a U.S. citizen or a lawfully admitted immigrant, and Social Security numbers are requested for every member of the household. The page lists no ITIN alternative. So someone without lawful status cannot use this program, and should know that before making the trip. (Some states, Illinois for example, let an applicant apply without an SSN or ITIN. Georgia is not one of them.)
• Other LIHEAP conditions: household gross income at or below 60 percent of the state median, and you must be responsible for the primary heating or cooling bill. In the 2026 cooling season the limit was $34,549 for a household of one and $77,071 for a household of five. Cooling opened on April 1, 2026 for people 65 and over and the medically homebound, and May 1, 2026 for everyone else; the heating season normally opens on the first working day of December for those groups and the first working day of January for everyone else. You apply by appointment with the agency for the county where you live, not online. One heating and one cooling benefit per year, and you keep paying the bill while the application is pending. LIHEAP cannot pay a water bill.
• Agencies: for Fulton County, Fulton Atlanta Community Action Authority, 341 Kelly Street, Atlanta GA 30312. For DeKalb, Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale, Partnership for Community Action, 3597 Covington Hwy, Decatur GA 30032. For Clayton, Fayette and Henry, Clayton County Community Services Authority, 1000 Main Street, Forest Park GA 30297. Use the agency finder for other counties.
• Georgia Power Income-Qualified Discount: $33.50 a month off the bill. You need household income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines and either to be 65 or over or to hold a federal Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). The discount applies only to the metered electric service and fuel-cost parts of the bill, not to sales tax.
• Other senior programs: Georgia Power's EASE program gives free insulation and HVAC servicing to homeowners 65 and over with income at or below 200 percent of poverty (1-877-310-5607). On the gas side, AGL's senior discount takes up to $14 a month off the AGL delivery charge for households 65 and over with income below 200 percent of the poverty guideline.
• Bill increases: the PSC approved a plan freezing Georgia Power's base rates through at least the end of 2028. The freeze does not cover pass-through fuel costs or storm-recovery costs, so your bill can still move.

Water, sewer and trash are not state matters but city or county ones. In Atlanta, water and sewer come from the city's Department of Watershed Management (to open an account you need a deed or lease, a government-issued ID, an $80 deposit and a $15 fee; no SSN is on the list), while the trash fee is billed once a year on the property-tax cycle. Detail is in our Atlanta guide.

First thing to know: nobody intervenes

The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) handbook says it outright: "In Georgia, there is not a government agency that can intervene in a landlord-tenant dispute or force the landlord or tenant to behave a particular way." There is no office to complain to; the route is court. That is a fundamental difference from states where an attorney general fines landlords, and it means you have to keep your own paper trail.

Deposit rules

Note the limit on that: the move-in list and move-out inspection duties bind only landlords with more than ten units or a management agent. If you rent from a small landlord, the formal list is not mandatory, though you can still ask for one. Either way, photograph every room on the day you move in and email the photos to the landlord with a date. In a deposit dispute, that is often the only evidence you have.

The refund is mailed to your last known address. If the letter comes back undelivered and the landlord cannot find you, the deposit becomes the landlord's 90 days after mailing, so give notice of your new address in writing when you leave. Normal wear and tear cannot be deducted.

Rent increases and ending a tenancy

• Rent control is banned: O.C.G.A. 44-7-19 bars any county or municipality from enacting, maintaining or enforcing any ordinance regulating the rent charged for privately owned residential property. So Atlanta, Fulton and DeKalb have no rent cap and cannot create one.
• Increases during a lease: only if the lease allows. If the property changes hands, existing leases generally bind the new owner too.
• Month-to-month (tenancy at will): the landlord gives 60 days notice to end it or to change the rent (an increase starts a new tenancy at will after 60 days). The tenant gives 30 days.
• Breaking a fixed lease early: only as the lease provides, with limited exceptions for military members and victims of family violence. Otherwise you can owe the remaining rent.

How eviction (dispossessory) works

• Written notice first: for unpaid rent the landlord must give at least three business days written notice before filing (Safe at Home Act).
• The case: filed in the magistrate court of the county where the property sits. You then have seven days from service to file an answer, and if you pay all rent, fees and court costs within those seven days the case stops (the tender defense). Failing to answer in time allows a default writ. An appeal must be filed within seven days of judgment.
• Not allowed: changing the locks or shutting off utilities without a court order. There is a separate and faster route for squatters who never had permission.
• Repairs and habitability: the landlord must keep the structure, electrical system, heating, cooling and plumbing working and exercise ordinary care. Report a fault promptly, in writing if you can. Retaliation for a repair request is illegal and is presumed if an eviction, rent increase or service cut follows within three months of a protected tenant action; the remedy includes one month's rent plus $500.
• Help: the handbook's legal-resource list includes the Georgia Senior Legal Hotline on 404-389-9992 for people 60 and over, and organizations such as the Salvation Army give emergency rent and utility help.

The application stage

Landlords commonly ask for your legal name, a Social Security number, employment and income details, references and consent to credit and criminal checks, and application fees are usually not refunded even if you are turned down. The handbook does not say the SSN is mandatory, so it is the landlord's choice. If you have no SSN and no credit file, ask whether they accept a passport or an ITIN, and offer a larger deposit up to the two-month cap, a co-signer or proof of income such as an offer letter or bank statements. Get a receipt for every payment. Fair-housing law covers most housing, and discrimination complaints go to HUD at the federal level.

1. The assessment notice arrives. The county values your home each year and mails a Notice of Assessment. It is not a bill. By law you have 45 days from the notice to appeal. In 2026 Fulton mailed notices on June 16 and the deadline for most owners was July 31, 2026. Appeals go online, by mail or at a Board of Assessors office.
2. Apply for the homestead exemption. Anyone can claim the basic exemption on a primary residence. The deadline is April 1, and in 2026 Fulton also opened a second window during the 45-day appeal period. Fulton asks for a valid Georgia driver's license or Georgia state ID (which may be supplemented by a prior-year utility bill or Fulton voter registration), vehicle registrations for cars owned by you and your spouse, a trust affidavit if the home is in a trust, and state and federal tax returns or a Social Security award letter. Reapply after buying, a name change on the deed, an inheritance or a refinance.
3. Pay on time. Interest starts the day after the due date, and Fulton adds a 5 percent penalty 120 days after the due date, repeating every 120 days up to 20 percent. Partial payments are accepted, with interest on the unpaid principal.

The 2026 oddity: temporary bills

Fulton County's 2026 property tax bills are temporary bills. Because the tax digest was delayed, the county obtained court approval on August 4, 2026 and mailed bills on August 15 based on the preliminary 2026 digest and each jurisdiction's 2025 millage rates. Due dates: September 30, 2026 for City of Atlanta taxes and October 15, 2026 for Fulton County and every other jurisdiction. If your bill had not arrived by September 15, call the Fulton County Tax Commissioner on 404-613-6100; bills are also online at fultoncountytaxes.org. The county proposed holding its general-fund rate at 8.87 mills for a fifth straight year. Whether a corrected bill follows once the rates are final is not stated on the official pages, so keep watching county announcements after you pay.

The floating homestead: a cap on value growth

HB 581, passed in 2024, created a statewide floating homestead exemption from the 2025 tax year: the taxable value of a homesteaded primary residence can rise only by inflation (an index set by the state Revenue Commissioner), using the 2024 value as the base year. As market value outruns inflation, the exemption grows. Local governments could opt in or out in early 2025, and Fulton County government voted unanimously to opt in on January 8, 2025; the assessor automatically applies whichever exemption benefits the owner more, Fulton's own long-standing floating exemption or the HB 581 one. People who already hold a homestead exemption get it without a new application. Only one floating exemption applies per bill, but it stacks with non-floating exemptions. We could not confirm on an official page whether the City of Atlanta and Atlanta Public Schools opted out in 2025, so we make no claim about that here.

Two laws signed in the 2026 session extended the system. SB 33 (May 11, 2026) widens the floating base-year exemption and sets uniform homestead rules for all counties, cities and school systems, and creates a Local Homestead Option Sales Tax (LHOST) of up to 1 percent that may start on January 1, 2028. SB 566 (effective April 22, 2026, for tax years from January 1, 2026) requires owners to report when they stop being eligible for a homestead exemption, with a penalty of 50 percent of the benefit received, creates a statewide homestead database at DOR, and requires bills to show each taxing authority separately.

New 2026 school-tax exemptions for people 65 and over

New school-tax exemptions with no income test took effect in 2026, reducing only the school portion of the bill. Fulton County School District: 25 percent of assessed value at 65 and 50 percent at 70 as of January 1, provided you have held a homestead exemption in the district for at least five of the last six years. In the Atlanta Public Schools district, up to $50,000 off assessed value at 65 and over; the amount varies with the number of applicants, because there is an annual aggregate cap. It is applied automatically to people who already hold a basic exemption and qualify. Fulton's low-income 50 percent exemption must be renewed every two years, and more than a dozen further exemptions exist based on age, income and disability.

Where to apply

Fulton County Board of Assessors offices: Peachtree Center, 235 Peachtree St. NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta; Fulton County Government Center, 141 Pryor St., Suite 1018, Atlanta; Fulton Customer Service Center, 11575 Maxwell Road, Suite 102, Alpharetta; Greenbriar Mall, 2841 Greenbriar Pkwy, Suite 124, Atlanta; North Fulton Service Center, 7741 Roswell Road NE, Suite 210, Sandy Springs; South Fulton Service Center, 5600 Stonewall Tell Road, Suite 224, Atlanta. Assessors: [email protected], 404-612-6440. Online applications at fultonassessor.org/exemptions. For homes on the DeKalb side of Atlanta, the DeKalb County Board of Assessors values the property and the DeKalb County Tax Commissioner bills it (3720 Leroy Scott Drive, Decatur GA 30032; 404-371-2886). Other counties have the same two-office structure under different names and addresses.

1. Find your district. Each district runs its own online registration and sets its own document list. Most of Atlanta is served by Atlanta Public Schools (APS), with small parts falling to Fulton County Schools or DeKalb County School District. Alpharetta, Johns Creek and Roswell are Fulton County Schools, and Athens has its own Clarke County School District.
2. Get the health forms ready. For pre-K, K-12, childcare and Head Start, the state requires two Department of Public Health (DPH) forms: Form 3231, the certificate of immunization, and Form 3300, the certificate of vision, hearing, dental and nutrition screening. Form 3300 is required the first time a child enrolls at any grade level and is completed by a physician, a qualified provider or the county health department.
3. Check the immunization schedule. Tdap and a meningococcal dose are needed at 7th grade entry (and for certain 8th to 12th graders new to Georgia), and an MCV4 booster at 11th grade for students 16 or older, unless the first dose came at 16 or later. A medical exemption goes on Form 3231 itself; a religious exemption needs the notarized Form 2208. During an outbreak, unvaccinated exempt children can be kept out of school.
4. Apply online, then call the school. At APS the order is: find your zone with the School Zone Locator, gather documents, complete the online New Student Enrollment Application, then call the school with your application number (printed in the top right of the application). For help: APS Student and Family Support HUB, 601 Dr. Thomas W. Cole Jr. Way SW, Atlanta GA 30314; Student Assignment 404-802-2233, Student Records 404-802-2150.

The APS document list, and what to watch for

The real trap for a new family is the electricity bill: it must be in the parent's name. If electricity comes with the rent, or the account is in the landlord's name, call the school before you go and ask what they will take instead (the electricity section explains how to get an account in your own name).

English language support

If a language other than English is spoken at home, the child is referred to English language support (ESOL). The APS ESOL and Title III program covers K-12, and its Multilingual Programs and Services unit provides interpretation and translation and states that all school-to-home communication must be in a language parents understand. Contact: [email protected]. Adult ESL and GED classes sit under APS Adult Education. Other districts have comparable ESOL units, so ask at enrollment.

What happens in an emergency

The federal EMTALA statute (1986) requires every Medicare-participating hospital with an emergency department to give a medical screening exam and stabilizing treatment to anyone who asks, regardless of ability to pay. You will not be turned away at the door. The bill is a separate matter: every hospital has its own financial assistance policy, so speak to the hospital's financial counselor before discharge and ask for the application. In Atlanta, Grady Memorial Hospital runs a program for Fulton and DeKalb residents with income up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level; that and the free clinics are covered in our Atlanta guide.

Children and pregnant women

• Children's Medicaid: income-based Medicaid for children under 19, with no resource test and limits that vary by age. Coverage runs to the end of the month of the 19th birthday.
• PeachCare for Kids: for uninsured children in families above the Medicaid limit, between 134 and 247 percent of the federal poverty level. Premiums start at $11 for one child and run to $36, with a family cap between $16 and $72. There is no premium and no copay for children under 6, and foster children are exempt too. There is a 45-day window for the first premium, and once that is paid, coverage is not lost for non-payment.
• The five-year bar: Georgia's Medicaid policy applies a five-year waiting period to "qualified immigrants" who entered on or after August 22, 1996, with exemptions for groups such as refugees, asylees, Cuban and Haitian entrants and trafficking victims. Since January 1, 2024, lawfully residing pregnant women and children under 19 are exempt from the five-year bar, because Georgia took up that federal option.
• How to apply: online at gateway.ga.gov, or by phone on 1-877-427-3224 or 1-877-423-4745.

Adults: Georgia Pathways

• What it is: Pathways is not a Medicaid expansion but a separate program run under a federal 1115 waiver. It covers people aged 19 to 64 with income up to the federal poverty level (the state FAQ gives $15,960 a year for one person and $27,320 for a household of three in 2026) who are not eligible for another Medicaid category, not pregnant and not on Medicare.
• The work requirement: 80 hours a month of work, community service, education, job training or a comparable activity. Since October 1, 2025 the activity is documented at application and at annual renewal rather than every month.
• Immigration status: the program is open to U.S. citizens and to "legally residing non-citizens".
• How long: the federal approval, a temporary extension CMS granted on September 23, 2025, runs through December 31, 2026. We found no official page confirming an extension for 2027, so we are not making a claim about how the program continues after that date.
• Changes on January 1, 2027: under the federal H.R. 1 the requirement is renamed a community engagement requirement: 80 hours a month of work, community service, a work program or at least half-time education, or monthly income of at least $580. Job readiness folds into education. Being the parent of a child under 6 is no longer a qualifying activity but becomes an exception for parents and caregivers of a dependent child aged 13 or under; pregnant and postpartum people, the medically frail, those complying with SNAP or TANF work rules, American Indians and Alaska Natives, 100 percent disabled veterans, former foster youth, people eligible for Medicare and anyone under 19 are also excepted. New applicants will be asked about the month before their application, so keep proof of your activities from December 2026 onward. Current members are not affected until their 2027 renewal. DFCS customer contact center: 877-423-4746.

The coverage gap, which nobody explains at the counter

Georgia's traditional "parent and caretaker" Medicaid category sits at a very low income line: the state's family limits table effective March 1, 2026 puts a household of one at roughly $310 a month. Pathways reaches the poverty line but carries the 80-hour test. And a marketplace premium tax credit requires income above the poverty line. Put together: an adult who is not a parent, not pregnant, not disabled and cannot meet 80 hours a month, with income below the poverty line, has no public coverage at all. Plan around that. Ask about employer insurance the moment you start a job, keep a record of your activities for Pathways, and use the hospital financial assistance program in an emergency.

The federal change on October 1, 2026

Under section 71109 of the federal Pub. L. 119-21, from October 1, 2026 federal Medicaid and CHIP matching funds are limited to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, Cuban and Haitian entrants and COFA migrants. Groups such as refugees, asylees and parolees fall outside federal funding. CMS says two things are untouched: emergency Medicaid and the state option for lawfully residing children and pregnant women. Georgia's own policy manual (June 2025) does not appear to have been updated for this change, so we could not verify the state's implementation on the pages we could read. If you fall into one of those groups, read your renewal letters carefully and talk to an attorney.

Emergency Medicaid (EMA) and visa holders

• What EMA is: people who meet every other Medicaid requirement but are not "qualified" because of status or an SSN can get Medicaid for the treatment of an emergency medical condition only. Labor and delivery count as an emergency; routine prenatal and postpartum care and organ transplants do not. A physician must certify it on form DMA 526, and EMA is not approved before an emergency happens.
• The hard news for visa holders: under Georgia policy, people in nonimmigrant status such as visitors, students, temporary workers and treaty traders and investors do not qualify even for emergency Medicaid, because they are not treated as meeting the state residency test. Someone who overstayed and has established Georgia residence can get EMA only. If a relative is here on a B-1 or B-2 visitor visa, travel health insurance is essential, and in Atlanta Grady's financial assistance program also excludes visitor-visa holders.

Buying insurance: Georgia Access

• Where: Georgia does not use healthcare.gov. The state runs its own marketplace, Georgia Access, through the Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire. Consumer line 888-687-1503 (TTY 711); Georgia Access for Business 844-424-2472.
• 2027 open enrollment: opens November 1, 2026; December 15, 2026 is the last day to enroll for coverage starting January 1, 2027; it closes on January 15, 2027. Enroll after December 15 and coverage starts February 1, 2027. Existing plans renew automatically.
• Who can buy: U.S. citizens, nationals and lawfully present immigrants, who must be Georgia residents and not incarcerated. The federal list of lawfully present categories includes refugees, parolees, EAD holders, nonimmigrant visa holders such as H, F, U and T, deferred action, TPS and pending adjustment of status. DACA recipients are not eligible, and undocumented people cannot buy marketplace coverage.
• Financial help: a premium tax credit requires income above 100 percent of the poverty level and that you are not eligible for Medicaid, Medicare or employer coverage; cost-sharing reductions need income between 100 and 250 percent and a silver plan.
• The narrowing from January 1, 2027: lawfully present people can still buy a marketplace plan, but financial help is limited to green card holders, Cuban and Haitian entrants and COFA migrants. Every other status listed above, including asylees, refugees, TPS holders and the nonimmigrant visa categories such as H, F, U and T, loses the premium tax credit from that date whatever the income. If you are on one of those statuses, price the 2027 plan at its full premium before you count on it. The change is set out on the federal marketplace’s own immigration status page.
• A special enrollment right for newcomers: moving to the United States from another country opens a special enrollment period, and no proof of prior coverage is required. Marriage, a birth or adoption, gaining citizenship or lawful presence and losing coverage (60 days) also qualify, and losing Medicaid or PeachCare opens a 90-day window. So you do not have to wait for open enrollment.

Low-cost clinics

For an uninsured adult the most common answer is a federally funded community health center (FQHC), which charges on a sliding scale by income and is not free. Find the nearest one with the HRSA health center finder. Genuinely free charitable clinics are defined differently: according to the Georgia Charitable Care Network, a "free clinic" provides everything at no charge and bills no insurer, while a "charitable clinic" charges a fee or uses a sliding scale. Because they run on volunteers, their hours can be irregular, and most see only uninsured patients and set income limits. We have gathered the free and sliding-fee clinics in and around Atlanta in our Atlanta guide.

Where to apply

• Which county: if either applicant is a Georgia resident you may apply in any Georgia county. If neither lives in Georgia, you can apply only in the county where the ceremony will be held.
• Fulton County Probate Court: 136 Pryor St SW, Suite C-230 (second floor), Atlanta GA 30303. Licenses 404-613-4583, main 404-612-4640. Also the North Service Center, 7741 Roswell Rd Ste 219, Sandy Springs 30350 (404-613-7638) and the South Service Center, 5600 Stonewall Tell Rd Ste 218, College Park 30349 (404-612-3048). The court's home page carries a "Licensing Division Has Moved" banner, so confirm the current address on the live site before you go. Cards are accepted but not American Express; the service centers are cashless and cash is taken only at the downtown office.
• DeKalb County Probate Court: by appointment only, in two steps: an online application through the Tyler portal, then you schedule your own appointment. Marriage licenses are handled at the DeKalb County Courthouse, B190 Judicial Tower (basement level); the mailing address is 556 North McDonough Street, 1100 Judicial Tower, Decatur GA 30030. Hours are weekdays 8 to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 4 p.m. The fee is $66 including one certified copy, or $26 with a premarital education certificate, plus $2 shipping and a 2.75 percent card fee (minimum $2). Money orders, Visa, MasterCard and Discover are accepted; personal checks are not. An old emergency banner is still on the home page, so check the live site.

What is required

• Both applicants in person, with current identification.
• Proof of age: a Georgia license or ID, an original or certified copy of a birth certificate (with a certified English translation), a valid passport or a military ID. DeKalb requires documents in a foreign language to come with a certified translator's translation. The minimum age is 17, with emancipation, a 15-day wait and premarital counseling.
• A previous marriage: a certified, stamped or sealed divorce decree, annulment or death certificate.
• No blood test, and the license has no expiry date, but it is valid only for a ceremony performed in Georgia.
• Waiting period: neither the Fulton nor the DeKalb page mentions one. We are not saying Georgia has no waiting period, only that the court pages do not list one; confirm with the county before you plan the date.
• The premarital education discount: you must have the certificate from a qualifying program in hand (DeKalb says at least six hours, under O.C.G.A. 19-3-30.1). You cannot bring it later and claim a refund. The saving is $40 in both counties.

After the ceremony

• The signed license is mailed back to the court (Fulton: Attn: License Division, 136 SW Pryor St, 2nd floor C230). Recording can take up to 30 days.
• Certified copies are $10 each, and the Fulton fee includes one mailed certified copy.
• Changing your surname: the license shows your pre-marriage name. You do not need a court order to change your name after marriage, because the marriage certificate is the legal document: take it to the Social Security Administration first, then to DDS (see the license section; DDS asks for name changes to be reported within 60 days), then to the passport office and USCIS.
• A court-ordered name change: for a change not connected to marriage, you petition the Superior Court of the county where you live (O.C.G.A. 19-12-1). Notice is published once a week for four weeks in the county's legal organ, there is a 30-day wait and then a hearing; georgia.gov describes the whole process as about five to seven weeks. Filing fees are set by each clerk. One caution: the georgia.gov page is written for a "U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident", so if you hold another status, ask the clerk and your attorney before filing.

• The state office: the State Office of Vital Records. Fees (the page was updated on March 11, 2026): a birth certificate $25 plus $5 per extra copy; a death certificate $25 plus $5; a marriage certificate $10 plus $5; an amendment $10 plus the cost of the certificate, with corrections within the current year free. Personal checks are not accepted and walk-ins are cash only. Online orders go through the state's ROVER system at $25 plus an $8 processing fee, with FedEx expedited delivery $16 (delivery only, the processing time is unchanged). Mail and online processing at the state office can run up to 10 weeks. Customer line (404) 679-4702. Amendments by mail: State Office of Vital Records, 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta GA 30349.
• Who may order: the person themselves, a legal spouse, the parents named on the record, grandparents, adult children, adult siblings and a legal guardian or representative. A physical photo ID is required and digital IDs are not accepted. The state form asks for the requester's SSN, so if you do not have one, call the county office before you go and ask what they take instead.
• County offices are faster: each of Georgia's 159 counties has a vital records office, and most can print any birth or death record registered in Georgia.
  • Fulton County Board of Health Vital Records: 141 Pryor Street, Suite 1029A (Fulton County Government Center), Atlanta GA 30303, walk-in weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Also the College Park Regional Health Center, 1920 John Wesley Ave, College Park 30337 and Health and Human Services North, 4700 North Point Parkway, Alpharetta 30022. The $25 search fee includes one certified copy, extra copies $5. Walk-ins can pay cash, certified check, money order, Visa or MasterCard, but not American Express. Phone 770-520-7500. Most records print on demand, some take up to 72 hours.
  • DeKalb County Vital Records: Richardson Health Center, Suite 191, 445 Winn Way, Decatur GA 30030, weekdays 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., (404) 294-3857. A $25 search fee (a multi-year search covers three years), extra copies $5, online orders $5 more. Accepted ID includes a foreign passport, a green card and a matricula card, so a Turkish passport is explicitly on this list. For a newborn, wait two weeks.
• At the hospital: new parents sign the birth filing form, but the first certified copy is not free and the hospital does not order it on your behalf. You request it yourself.
• Apostille: a document for use in Türkiye needs a certified copy. In Georgia the apostille is issued not by the Secretary of State but by the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority (below), at $3 per document.
• An SSN for the baby is a separate task, covered in the SSN section.

• What to bring: current immigration documents (green card, I-94 or EAD) with a valid passport, and a birth certificate if you have one. No photocopies or notarized copies. SSA suggests waiting a few days after arrival so DHS records can be verified.
• F-1 and J-1: an SSN is available only once you are authorized to work (on-campus job, CPT, OPT), not just for enrolling in school.
• Which office: SSA's Georgia list includes Atlanta Downtown, Atlanta West and Decatur, along with Albany, Athens, Augusta, Blue Ridge, Covington and Dalton. SSA assigns yours by ZIP code, not by distance. The Atlanta Downtown office is in the Peachtree Summit building: Suite 2860, 401 W Peachtree St NW, Atlanta GA 30308. We could not verify the street addresses of the other Georgia offices from a current official source this round, so we are not printing them; check the address and whether you need an appointment with the SSA office locator before you go.
• Appointments: SSA recommends booking one. Without an appointment the office may not be able to see you the same day.

What can I do in Georgia without an SSN?

• Driver's license: Georgia asks applicants who are not eligible for an SSN to file form DDS-351. So a missing SSN does not make a license impossible, but it does add a form and a document chain. See the driver's license section.
• School enrollment: an SSN is not required to enroll your child in school. See the school enrollment section.
• Marriage license: the Fulton and DeKalb probate courts accept a valid passport as proof of age and identity, and both parties must appear in person. See the marriage license section.
• Taxes: people who must file but cannot get an SSN use an ITIN (see the tax section below).
• Homestead exemption: Fulton County asks homeowners for a Georgia driver's license or Georgia ID card, so if you bought a home it makes sense to finish the license first. See the property tax section.
• LIHEAP (energy assistance): this program does require an SSN, for every member of the household, and the page offers no ITIN alternative. See the public benefits section.

Which taxes do I pay in Georgia?

• State income tax: 4.99 percent for tax year 2026. The cut came with HB 463, signed on May 11, 2026, and the law provides for further annual reductions. The 3.99 percent figure you may see in summaries is the long-run floor in the bill, not the 2026 rate. Check the current position on the Georgia Department of Revenue tax updates page.
• Two returns: unlike Texas and Florida, Georgia has you file a state return (Form 500) alongside the federal return (Form 1040). Both are due April 15.
• No city income tax: Atlanta, and as far as we could read every other Georgia city, has no separate income tax. If you are moving from New York City or Philadelphia, that line disappears from your pay stub.
• Sales tax (effective October 1, 2026): 8.9 percent inside the Atlanta city limits, on both the Fulton and the DeKalb side; 7.75 percent in Fulton County outside Atlanta; 8 percent in DeKalb outside Atlanta; 6 percent in Cobb and Gwinnett. The state share is 4 percent and the rest is local. The current chart is on the Department of Revenue sales tax page.
• Vehicles: new residents pay a 3 percent title ad valorem tax instead of 7 percent. See the car registration section.
• Property tax and homestead: if you bought a home, the homestead exemption deadline is April 1 and the application goes to your county Board of Assessors. See the property tax section.

How do I get an ITIN?

1. Complete Form W-7 and attach it to your federal return unless an exception applies.
2. Get documents verified. Mail originals to the IRS in Austin, use a Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA), or book an appointment at an IRS office that reviews ITIN documents. With a CAA or an IRS office, your passport does not go in the mail; documents are returned at the end of the appointment.
3. Wait. Processing takes about 7 weeks, or 9 to 11 weeks during tax season (January 15 to April 30).

• IRS offices: according to the IRS list, the Georgia offices that review ITIN documents in person are in Albany, Atlanta (Summit Building), Atlanta (Woodcock Blvd), Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon and Rome. The two Atlanta offices appear at 401 W. Peachtree St NW and 2888 Woodcock Blvd; confirm the address and floor with the IRS office locator before your appointment. Appointments: 844-545-5640, and it can take several weeks to get one.
• Expiration: an ITIN not used on a federal return for three years in a row expires.

Who can get an Atlanta business license?

Georgia makes the SAVE check mandatory for every agency that issues a business license. On the notarized SAVE affidavit in Atlanta's application, the applicant checks one of two boxes: being a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident aged 18 or over, or being a qualified alien or a nonimmigrant lawfully present in the U.S. (the second box also asks for your alien number). A copy of a government photo ID goes with it.

• Who can sign: citizens, green card holders, people who count as qualified aliens such as refugees and asylees, and nonimmigrants here in lawful status, for example E-2 or H-1B holders.
• Who cannot: anyone without lawful presence. In that case an Atlanta business license is not available.
• A separate question: being able to sign for the license does not mean you may work in the business. An E-2 investor can work in their own company; F-1 and H-1B holders generally cannot be self-employed. That is an immigration-law question, not a licensing one.
• E-Verify affidavit: private employers with 11 or more employees must be registered with E-Verify and give their user number on a notarized affidavit. Employers with fewer than 11 file an affidavit claiming the exemption. A prior-year affidavit is not accepted; a new one is filed every year.

Step by step

1. Form the LLC: Articles of Organization (Form CD 030) are filed with the Secretary of State through eCorp. The fee is $100 plus a $10 service charge, and annual registration is $50 plus $10. The Secretary of State's fee schedule PDF is closed to automated access, so confirm these figures in eCorp before you pay.
2. Trade name (DBA): if you do business under a name other than your own, you register it not with the state but with the Clerk of Superior Court of the county where the business is (O.C.G.A. 10-1-490). Fulton County's fee schedule shows $175 for this filing, which is high for a Georgia county; check your own county's current fee on its schedule.
3. Business license: every business inside the Atlanta city limits must hold an Occupational Tax Certificate, and it is not transferable. Applications, renewals and payments go through the ATLBIZ portal. The tax is a flat $50 on the first $10,000 of gross receipts, plus a rate set by business tax class, plus $25 per employee (the first employee is exempt). Payment is by card or ACH, with no installment plans. Operating without a certificate draws a citation.
4. Renewal: every year, with last year's gross receipts, employee count and financial documents.

Children

• Children's Medicaid: through the end of the month of the 19th birthday, with no resource test and income limits that vary by age.
• PeachCare for Kids: uninsured children under 19 in families between 134 and 247 percent of the federal poverty level. Premiums start at $11 a month for one child and reach $36 in the top band, with a family cap of $16 to $72. There is no premium or copay for children under 6, foster children or American Indian and Alaska Native children. You have 45 days to pay the first premium, and after that first payment coverage is not lost for non-payment.
• Status: both Medicaid and PeachCare require a Medicaid-qualifying citizenship or immigration status. Since January 1, 2024, lawfully residing children under 19 and pregnant women are exempt from the five-year bar, and Georgia keeps that option.
• Apply: gateway.ga.gov or 1-877-427-3224.

Adults

• Georgia Pathways to Coverage: ages 19 to 64, income up to 100 percent of the poverty level ($15,960 a year for one person in 2026), U.S. citizen or, in the state's words, a legally residing noncitizen, not eligible for another Medicaid category, and 80 hours a month of work, community service, education or job training. Since October 1, 2025 that activity is documented at application and at annual renewal rather than every month.
• How long Pathways lasts: the temporary extension CMS approved runs through December 31, 2026. From January 1, 2027, H.R. 1 renames the condition a community engagement requirement, adds monthly income of at least $580 as an alternative, and changes the exemption list (parents and caregivers of a child 13 or under, pregnancy and the postpartum period, the medically frail, veterans and others). Keep proof of your activities from December 2026 onward. Current members are not affected until their 2027 renewal.
• The gap: an adult who is not a parent, not pregnant, not disabled and cannot meet the 80 hours has no public coverage. Traditional parent and caretaker Medicaid stops at roughly $310 a month for a household of one. Above the poverty line the route is the state's own marketplace, Georgia Access, and its tax credits; we cover that in the health section.
• Emergency Medicaid (EMA): people who meet every Medicaid requirement except status and SSN can get Medicaid for the treatment of an emergency medical condition only. Labor and delivery count; routine prenatal and postpartum care and organ transplants do not. A physician has to certify the condition, and EMA is not approved in advance of an emergency.
• Nonimmigrants: visitors, students, temporary workers and treaty traders and investors do not meet Georgia's residency requirement, so they are ineligible for Medicaid, emergency Medicaid included.

The federal change on October 1, 2026

Section 71109 of Public Law 119-21 limits federal Medicaid and CHIP matching funds, from October 1, 2026, to citizens, lawful permanent residents, Cuban and Haitian entrants and COFA migrants. Categories such as refugees and asylees fall outside that federal funding. According to CMS, emergency medical conditions and the state option for lawfully residing children and pregnant women are not affected. Georgia's own policy manual had not been updated as these lines were written, so check your own situation through Gateway or on 1-877-427-3224 before you apply.

Other programs

• SNAP (food assistance): under federal law, since July 4, 2025, SNAP is limited to U.S. citizens, green card holders and a few other statuses. Refugees and asylees no longer qualify on that status alone; once they get a green card they qualify without the five-year wait. U.S.-citizen children in the household may still receive benefits in their own right.
• LIHEAP: for Georgia's heating and cooling assistance the applicant must be a U.S. citizen or a lawfully admitted immigrant, and a Social Security number is requested for every member of the household. The page lists no ITIN alternative. Unlike some other states, Georgia is not flexible here.
• Grady's financial assistance: open to Fulton and DeKalb residents with household income up to 400 percent of the poverty level, and it accepts a consular ID card as photo identification. B-1 and B-2 visitor visa holders are excluded. See the health section.

The public charge rule

• September 18, 2026 and after: for green card applications filed on or after that date, officers may consider any means-tested benefit (SNAP, Medicaid, housing assistance and others) received on or after that date. Benefits received earlier count only if they were cash assistance or long-term institutional care. Benefits received by family members, such as a child in their own right, are generally not counted.
• Who is exempt: humanitarian categories such as asylees and refugees, T and U visa holders, VAWA self-petitioners and TPS. Family-based, most employment-based and diversity visa applicants are subject to it.
• The state's own warning: the official Pathways page says enrolling may or may not make a person a public charge, and tells applicants to contact USCIS first.

1. Sign in to your USCIS account and open the Change of Address screen. The online report satisfies the legal obligation; you do not also need to mail a paper AR-11.
2. Enter the receipt number of every pending application. Otherwise mail can still go to the old address.
3. Tell USPS separately. A post office change of address does not update USCIS records, and USPS does not forward USCIS mail.
4. If you have a court case, file Form EOIR-33/IC within 5 days. The court changes an address only with that form. Atlanta has two separate immigration courts, so make sure it goes to the one holding your case.
5. If you have an ICE reporting obligation (for example regular check-ins), report your address to ICE through the ICE Portal as well.

Holders of A and G visas and visitors who entered under the visa waiver program are outside the USCIS reporting requirement.

• Why we are careful with addresses and hours: the USCIS office pages were closed to automated access this round. That is why we are not printing office hours. Whichever office you are called to, the address, the floor and the time are on your I-797C notice. You can also look offices up in the USCIS office list.
• Getting there: the Peachtree Summit building that houses the Asylum Office is about a block from the MARTA Civic Center station. Driving to the ASC, the center is on the right after the Chamblee Tucker Road exit; if you see Buckeye Road you have gone about a tenth of a mile too far.
• Appointments and questions: USCIS Contact Center 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833) or online appointment requests. Appointments are free.
• Biometrics: you do not choose the center; it is printed on the I-797C. If the center closes, the appointment is rescheduled automatically. To move it yourself, ask through your USCIS online account or the Contact Center. We explain what to bring in our article on the biometrics appointment.
• Processing times: on the USCIS processing times page, pick the form, the category and the office that holds your case. The numbers are updated monthly.
• Asylum: Form I-589 is not filed in person at the asylum office; it goes to the filing location USCIS designates. The asylum office does not discuss cases by phone, so call the Contact Center.
• Any other Georgia office: we could not confirm a separate USCIS field office or support center in Savannah, Augusta or Macon this round. If you live in south Georgia or on the coast, plan the drive to Atlanta.

If you live in or around Atlanta, the city-level detail is in our Atlanta guide.

• Hours: all three are open weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with window filing until 4 p.m., closed on federal holidays.
• Transit and parking: the Ted Turner Drive court is about a block from MARTA's Garnett station, with metered parking nearby. The W. Peachtree Street court is about a block from Civic Center station. Stewart in Lumpkin has free on-site parking, but the building is a DHS-controlled detention facility.
• What two Atlanta courts means in practice: two separate addresses in one city, more than two miles apart. Read the address and suite number on your notice again the day before; going to the wrong building means missing the hearing.
• Hearings are open to the public: no notice is needed to observe. If you want to see a courtroom before your own first hearing, you can.
• Online lookup: ACIS needs only your A-number (A plus 8 or 9 digits). The official source is still your hearing notice; the system can be slow to show new dates.

ICE Atlanta and check-ins

• ICE ERO Atlanta Field Office: 180 Ted Turner Dr. SW, Suite 522, Atlanta GA 30303, (404) 893-1290. Its area of responsibility is Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, so three states are handled from one office.
• Check-in: ICE's own page gives this office as the reporting location for Georgia and lists appointment times as Tuesday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you have a reporting obligation, talk to your attorney before you go.
• Detention: Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin; the detainee message line is (229) 838-5000 and the immigration court information line is 1-800-898-7180.
• Same building: the Ted Turner Drive court and the ICE ERO office are both at 180 Ted Turner Drive SW, on different floors. A hearing and an ICE check-in are not the same thing, so go by the suite number on your letter.

Where do I find my I-94, and what if it is wrong?

Download the I-94 for your most recent entry from CBP's website. Mistakes made at entry (wrong visa class, wrong name, wrong period of stay) are corrected by CBP's Deferred Inspection offices. The Georgia office is near Hartsfield-Jackson airport: 157 Tradeport Drive, Suite C, Atlanta GA 30354, phone (404) 675-1239, email [email protected]. Hours are Tuesday to Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; conviction and judgment records are handled only on Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The office corrects only errors made at entry, so call before you go.

O.C.G.A. 36-80-23: a local government cannot adopt a shielding policy

• Who it binds: the statute defines a "local governing body" to include a county, a consolidated government, a municipality, an authority, a school district, a commission and a board, and it separately names a sheriff's office and a law enforcement agency. A school district is covered, and so is a sheriff.
• What is forbidden: any regulation, rule, policy or practice that stops or limits local officials or employees from complying with an immigration detainer notice, or from communicating and cooperating with federal officials about immigration status information, while acting in their official duties.
• The penalty: a local official or employee who knowingly and willfully violates the section is punished as for a misdemeanor, and a second or later violation as for a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature. State funding, and federal funding passed through the state, can also be withheld, and funding agencies such as the Department of Community Affairs and the Department of Transportation must require a certificate of compliance under O.C.G.A. 50-36-4. A county commission is not subject to the funding penalty when it is the sheriff who violates the section.
• What this means for you: a Georgia city may use welcoming language, but it cannot give that language the legal effect the Cambridge or Evanston ordinances have. Do not choose where to live on the strength of such a statement.

O.C.G.A. 35-1-17: a yearly duty to apply for 287(g)

The same Act gives a local law enforcement agency a duty to seek a 287(g) memorandum of understanding every year in which no agreement is in effect. A peace officer acting within the scope of such an agreement gains the power to arrest on probable cause. The Act also directs state agencies to consider grants and incentive programs that encourage these agreements. The practical consequence: whether your county has an agreement today is not a settled fact, because the law asks agencies to apply in every year they do not. Do not read a current list and treat it as permanent.

The 48-hour rule at jail intake (O.C.G.A. 42-4-14)

When a person is confined in a county or municipal jail for any period, however short, a reasonable effort must be made within 48 hours to determine their nationality and whether they are lawfully present. If lawful status cannot be verified from the documents the person is carrying, verification is made within 48 hours by a query to the Law Enforcement Support Center at the Department of Homeland Security. If the person is determined to be unlawfully present, the keeper of the jail must notify DHS.

The documents the statute lists are a state driver's license or identification card from the approved list, a Form I-94, a permanent resident card (Form I-551), a valid Nexus card, a valid Global Entry card, or a valid passport showing that the person is a US citizen, has been issued a visa, or is a citizen of a visa waiver country.

The detail Turkish citizens should read closely: Turkey is not in the Visa Waiver Program. The passport item on that list therefore covers a Turkish passport only together with a visa record. Keeping the document that shows your status reachable, meaning your I-94 record, your green card or your visa, can be the difference between that 48-hour query chain never starting and starting.

Where a detainer notice exists, O.C.G.A. 42-1-11.5 requires the custodial authority, the sheriff at a county jail and the chief of police at a municipal facility, to comply with the request in the notice. The same section also requires that the person be told they are being held under that notice.

The statute frames the confinement as being in compliance with Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, the article that covers a detained foreign national's right to have their own consulate notified. If you are a Turkish citizen you can ask that the consulate be notified.

Reporting and data

The state corrections department has published aggregate data every 90 days since October 1, 2024 on inmates who are not US citizens and who have immigration detainer notices. Local agencies, sheriff's offices and law enforcement agencies must file an annual immigration compliance report with the Department of Audits and Accounts by December 31, and that department randomly reviews at least 5 percent of the reports. Its public page publishes the guidance documents but does not list which county or which sheriff filed, so you cannot look up your own county there. The Act also provides for a DNA sample from a person convicted of a felony who is subject to a detainer.

• The jury list is more than the voter roll: Georgia law builds one statewide master jury list. It combines DDS records for everyone aged 18 or over who holds a license or personal ID card with the Secretary of State's list of registered voters, and each county then draws names from its own list at random (O.C.G.A. 15-12-40.1). So a lawfully present noncitizen with a Georgia license can be summoned without ever registering to vote. People without lawful status cannot get a Georgia license, so they do not enter the list that way. A summons is not evidence that anyone made a mistake.
• Jurors have to be citizens: both the Fulton County and Gwinnett County courts say a juror must be a U.S. citizen. If you do not qualify, notify the county jury office as soon as possible. In Gwinnett County that is [email protected] or 770-822-7170 (Jury Services). In Fulton County it is the Jury Clerk at 404-612-4600 (Jury Duty). The procedure varies by county, so follow the instruction printed on your summons. Never ignore the letter or throw it away.
• The trap on the license application: DDS says every license and ID application has a voter registration section. It tells you that your information will be used for voter registration unless you tick the Opt-Out box (DDS Drivers Manual, Section 4). As the form words it, signing that section is a sworn statement, under penalty of perjury, that you are a U.S. citizen. If you are not a citizen, tick Opt-Out before you sign anything in that section.
• What to do at the counter: read the voter registration part of the form and tick Opt-Out. The requirements for registering are listed in the Secretary of State's guide to registering to vote, and the first one is U.S. citizenship.
• The penalty is heavy: registering while knowing you do not have the qualifications the law requires, or knowingly giving false information when registering, is a felony in Georgia, punishable by one to ten years in prison or a fine of up to $100,000, or both (O.C.G.A. 21-2-561). Registering or voting without citizenship can also have serious immigration consequences (USCIS Policy Manual).
• Do not fill out voter registration forms handed out door to door or at events, even if a campaign worker tells you it is fine.

If you have just naturalized: to register you must be a U.S. citizen living in Georgia and in your county, at least 17 and a half to register and 18 to vote. Online registration needs a valid DDS license or ID. The details are in the Secretary of State's guide.

Fulton County Clerk locations

• Which cases: first-time adult applicants, children under 16, passports that were lost, stolen or damaged, and passports issued before age 16 or more than 15 years ago. Ordinary renewals go by mail and need no acceptance facility.
• Two separate payments: the $35 execution fee goes to the clerk, the passport fee to the State Department. Cards are not accepted for the execution fee, so bringing a money order from home is the safest plan.
• Appointments: the Fulton Clerk books through its own appointment system. For post offices and other acceptance facilities, use the passport acceptance facility search.

• Urgent travel: you need proof of travel within 14 days, or of a foreign visa needed within 28 days. Passport agencies work by appointment only.
• Atlanta Passport Agency: there is an agency in Atlanta, but we could not open its official page this round. Take its address and time from your appointment confirmation, not from third-party listings online.
• Appointments: free, through the online appointment system or 877-487-2778. Sites that charge to book an appointment are scams.

How park fees work

National park areas: at Chattahoochee River NRA and Kennesaw Mountain entry is $5 per vehicle per day or $40 a year, and no cash is accepted. The America the Beautiful pass, valid on all federal lands, is free for families with a fourth grader.

State parks are a separate system. Georgia State Parks need a ParkPass on the vehicle. The price went up on January 1, 2026, from $5 to $10 a day, with the annual pass at $70 (50 percent off for ages 62 and up, 25 percent off for military and veterans). We read those dollar figures from a search summary of the official page rather than the page itself, so confirm them on the ParkPass page before you go. A ParkPass is not valid at Historic Sites.

Free with a library card: Georgia residents can borrow a ParkPass with a public library card. Getting a library card does not involve immigration status, which makes this the cheapest way into the parks for a family that has just arrived.

For parks, neighborhoods and events inside the city, see our Atlanta guide.

Free

• Atlanta BeltLine: the Eastside and Westside trails are open to everyone. There is outdoor art along the way and free fitness events, and either trail easily fills a day of walking or cycling.
• High Museum of Art: free for everyone on the second Sunday of the month, noon to 5 p.m., and free for adults on the third Wednesday. Children 5 and under are always free.
• Tallulah Gorge: the permit you need to reach the gorge floor is free, with 100 issued a day. The rim trails and the suspension bridge need no ticket either; only vehicle parking needs a ParkPass.
• Jekyll Island: arriving on foot or by bike is free; the fee is for vehicle parking.
• Fee-free days: October 27 and November 11, 2026 in the national park areas. NPS defines these days as being for U.S. citizens and residents, so nonresident visitors still pay.
• Library card: Georgia residents can borrow a state-park ParkPass with a public library card.

With children

• Children's Museum of Atlanta: with a SNAP EBT card and a photo ID in the same name, tickets are $5 for up to four people (bought online; out-of-state EBT cards work, WIC and P-EBT do not). There are four Family Free Days a year; registration opens at 7 a.m. the day before, so watch the museum's page for the dates. Regular tickets are $19.95 for children (1 to 18) and $21.95 for adults, with under 1 free.
• Zoo Atlanta: with a SNAP/EBT or WIC card and photo ID, $9 plus tax per ticket for up to 6 tickets; the SNAP/WIC family membership is $60. Under 3 free.
• Georgia Aquarium: children 2 and under are always free. Georgia residents get a discount after 4 p.m., and SNAP or eWIC cardholders get a discount seven days a week. Some Tuesdays in 2026 are priced at $20 plus tax; check which dates on the official site.
• Fernbank and the Atlanta History Center: at Fernbank the giant screen theatre, the WildWoods play area and the forest walk are all included in the ticket. At the History Center ages 0 to 3 are free and 4 to 12 pay a reduced price.
• National parks and fourth graders: families with a child in fourth grade get the America the Beautiful pass free through Every Kid Outdoors, which removes the vehicle fee at Chattahoochee and Kennesaw Mountain.
• Stone Mountain: the Christmas program with two million lights starts on November 7, and on December 31 there is an early New Year countdown for children at 9 p.m.

What renewing a passport from Atlanta actually costs you

Passports are issued in person by appointment only and cannot be handled by mail. Because all of Georgia belongs to the Miami district, renewing a Turkish passport means a trip from Atlanta to Miami: about two hours by plane, more than ten hours by car. In-person applications stop at 1 p.m., so a same-day round trip is hard for most people; an early morning flight or an overnight stay is the realistic plan.

• Finish it in one visit: one missing document means a new appointment and another plane ticket. Go through the required documents item by item on the consulate's page before you book.
• Do not count on a mobile consulate: we found no announced mobile consular visit to Atlanta on the consulate's announcements page. Never make an urgent matter depend on one appearing.
• What can be done by mail or online: birth and marriage registrations can be done in person or by mail, and documents such as Formula A, B and C extracts and civil registry records can be requested by mail through online.konsolosluk.gov.tr. So not every matter needs the trip; try to group the ones that do into a single appointment.
• Power of attorney: issued only inside the consulate building. If you need one for a sale, an inheritance or a case in Türkiye, putting it on the same day as your passport appointment saves a journey.

Appointments are booked from the Make Appointment menu on the consulate's own site, under Consular Operations for Turkish Citizens. Fees and required documents change from time to time, so check the consulate's site before your appointment.

Registering a U.S.-born child with the Turkish civil registry

For a birth registration you use a certified copy of the birth certificate. In Georgia that comes from the Department of Public Health's vital records office or from any of the 159 county vital records offices; the fee is $25, with $5 for each additional copy. Mail and online orders can take up to 10 weeks, so order the certificate before you book the Miami appointment. See the birth certificate section.

Military service (askerlik)

Men born in 2007, and anyone without a deferment, must complete their registration (yoklama) by December 31, 2026, through the consulate or e-Devlet. For July to December 2026 the paid military service option (dövizle askerlik) is the foreign-currency equivalent of 472,653.60 TL, collected in U.S. dollars at the Turkish central bank rate on the day of payment; ask the consulate whether a transfer fee applies. The amount changes on January 1, 2027. It requires a U.S. residence or work permit, at least 3 years (1,095 days) of work abroad excluding time in Türkiye, the MSB online training and an in-person appointment. All of Georgia is in the Miami district. Dual citizens born in the U.S., or who came before turning 18, can defer until the end of age 35 once their U.S. citizenship is registered in Türkiye. F-1 students defer through an Education Attaché; ask the consulate which one serves Georgia. Because flights and appointments take time to arrange, do not leave this to the last week of December.

Why the Secretary of State is the wrong address

Search for "Georgia apostille Secretary of State" and you land on the Secretary of State's pages, but apostilles are not issued there. The Secretary of State only does Great Seal certification, for countries that are not parties to the Hague Apostille Convention (phone 404-656-2871). Türkiye has been a party since 1985, so your document goes to the GSCCCA. Start on the GSCCCA page and you save yourself a round of correspondence.

1. Get the right certified copy. An apostille goes only on a certified copy. Birth and death records come from the Department of Public Health or a county health department; a marriage license or certificate from the county probate court; a divorce decree from the Clerk of Superior Court. The GSCCCA recommends a copy issued since the year 2000, because the signature is on file.
2. Prepare payment. $3 per document: a check or money order payable to GSCCCA, or a credit card through the Authentication Pre-payment Voucher system.
3. Submit. In person: 1875 Century Blvd, Suite 100, Atlanta GA 30345, weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., no appointment. By mail: Attn: Notary Division at the same address, with a self-addressed stamped envelope or a prepaid return label, and the name of the destination country. Email: [email protected].

• Federal documents do not go to the GSCCCA: an FBI background check and other federal documents go to the U.S. State Department's Authentications Office.
• Out-of-state documents cannot be apostilled in Georgia; they go to the authority of the state that issued them.
• Translations: no translation is needed for the apostille itself, and a foreign-language document can be apostilled. To apostille a translation, the translator has to sign an affidavit before a Georgia notary.
• Coming from outside Atlanta: with one office in the state, the mail route makes more sense from Savannah, Augusta or Columbus, and it takes 1 to 2 business days once the package arrives.

• U.S. clock changes: daylight saving time starts on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November: November 1, 2026 and March 14, 2027. The gap therefore shifts twice a year.
• Calling Türkiye: a 7 or 8 hour difference means using early mornings in Atlanta to catch a Turkish office during its working day. When offices close at 5 p.m. in Türkiye it is 10 a.m. in Atlanta in summer, 9 a.m. in winter.
• Atlanta to Istanbul: the airline's own page says there are direct flights between ATL and IST, averaging about 11 hours. We could not find the weekly frequency on an official page, so check current days and times on the airline's Atlanta page. U.S. reservations: (800) 874-8875.
• At the airport: ATL has two terminals, Domestic (concourses T, A, B, C, D) and International (E, F). The MARTA train reaches the west end of the Domestic Terminal, so getting to the International Terminal needs the free shuttle or the Plane Train inside security. Coming back, you cannot re-enter the secure area after international baggage claim, so you take the free 24-hour shuttle to MARTA, a ride of about 15 minutes.