Georgia lawmakers just sent a loud message to anyone tempted to “roll back” a car’s mileage: do it on purpose, and you could be looking at a felony.
On Wednesday, the Georgia House unanimously signed off on a bill that would make it a felony under state law to deliberately alter a vehicle’s odometer or falsify mileage on a title. Lawmakers said they pushed the change after an Atlanta News First investigation uncovered widespread mileage discrepancies in online used-car listings around metro Atlanta. Supporters say tougher penalties will give prosecutors more muscle to go after repeat offenders and scare off sellers who advertise suspiciously low miles.
What the bill would change
Senate Bill 293 would make it a felony to knowingly alter an odometer reading and to knowingly falsify the odometer reading on a certificate of title, and it would also prohibit making false statements on a title application, according to the Georgia General Assembly. State Rep. John Corbett, who chairs the House motor vehicles committee, presented the bill and pointed to the local investigation as a key motivator, as reported by Atlanta News First. Sponsors say their focus is on commercial sellers and brokers who repeatedly misrepresent mileage, not one-off casual private sellers.
State law versus federal penalties
Odometer tampering is already a felony under federal law, but Georgia has typically treated so-called “clocking” as a misdemeanor, according to guidance from the Georgia Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division. Lawmakers say that gap, and the consumer damage that comes with it, is a big part of why they are moving to raise the penalty at the state level.
ANF probe found big mileage gaps
The Atlanta News First investigation compared Facebook Marketplace ads to vehicle-history reports and found that six of nine checked cars had major mileage discrepancies. One example: a 2013 Honda Ridgeline that was advertised at about 153,000 miles but showed as many as 285,000 miles on Carfax. After the story aired, Gwinnett County police opened an investigation. An arrest warrant was issued for Dennis Lewis of DeDe Auto Brokers, and he turned himself in on misdemeanor charges in January 2026, although court records show he has not been convicted.
How buyers can protect themselves
The Attorney General's office advises buyers to get the vehicle identification number, pull a full history report and have an independent mechanic inspect any used car before handing over cash. The office also provides an odometer disclosure form and a complaint line for suspected fraud. If you think you were sold a vehicle with a misrepresented odometer reading, you are urged to file a complaint with the AG's consumer protection division or contact local law enforcement to get an investigation started.
