Crypto ATM laws in Georgia: a guide for operators (2026)

Licensing in Georgia

Money transmitter license from the Department of Banking and Finance (DBF) under O.C.G.A. 7-1-680 et seq. Georgia's definition of virtual currency means transmitting crypto is money transmission, and DBF guidance applies this to kiosk operators. HB 945 (2026, Act 478) added a kiosk part (O.C.G.A. 7-1-699.1 to 7-1-699.10), effective 2026-07-01, and DBF adopted kiosk rules effective 2026-07-06. CSBS lists Georgia as a partial MTMA adopter (2022 and 2023).

Regulator: Georgia Department of Banking and Finance · License: Money transmitter license

Sources: DBF Virtual Currency Kiosks guidance (licensure) · O.C.G.A. 7-1-680 (Justia, showing HB 945 history) (secondary) · CSBS MTMA update August 2026 (Georgia partial) (secondary)

Georgia's kiosk law

O.C.G.A. 7-1-699.1 to 7-1-699.10 (HB 945, 2026) · effective 2026-07-01

• Total fees, commissions, spreads and other charges may not exceed 18% of the fiat currency exchanged or transmitted (7-1-699.7).
• The aggregate daily limit is $2,500 for a new customer and $10,000 for an existing customer (7-1-699.8).
• A defrauded new customer gets a full refund of all transactions made in the new-customer period, if they contact the operator and a government or law-enforcement agency within 5 days of the last transaction in that period (7-1-699.9).
• Any defrauded customer, new or existing, gets a refund of all fees. Refunds are due within 72 hours of the request and must be paid in fiat, by at least electronic or wire transfer or paper check.
• The operator must give disclosures, get the customer's acknowledgment, and give a receipt that includes DBF's email and a statement that customers may complain to DBF (7-1-699.1 to 7-1-699.6).
• The operator must keep a copy or scan of each customer's government ID, stop more than one customer from using the same wallet, and be able to block designated wallets.
• The operator must regularly use a third-party blockchain analysis firm, under contract, to block high-risk or sanctioned wallets, and must have a risk-based monitoring policy (DBF rule).
• Kiosk locations must be reported to DBF each quarter through NMLS ('Georgia VC Kiosk Location Report'), within 45 days after each quarter. The report lists the address, the business name at the site, the host contracted with and the kiosk owner.
• The Act requires live customer support (per the Legislative Counsel summary).
• DBF fines: $10,000 per occurrence for exceeding the daily limit, $5,000 per transaction over the fee cap, $5,000 per refund not paid, and $1,000 per occurrence for disclosure, receipt or general-operations violations.

Sources: HB 945 text (version with $2,500/$10,000 limits and 18% cap) · Legislative Counsel 2026 summary of acts (Act 478; HB 945, effective 2026-07-01) · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 80-3-1-.07 (location reporting, refunds) · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 80-3-4-.01 (fines) · DBF notice of final rulemaking (adopted 2026-06-16, effective 2026-07-06)

Practical hurdles

• Every kiosk location must be reported to DBF each quarter through NMLS.
• A contract with a third-party blockchain analytics firm is required.
• Fines are per occurrence and large ($10,000 per daily-limit breach).

What we couldn't confirm

• Length of the 'new customer time period' and the 'new customer' definition. Neither appeared in the excerpts we saw.
• Required hours for live customer support.
• Whether legis.ga.gov document 245690 is the final enrolled version. Its numbers match the earlier versions 241018 and 241822, so the risk is low.
• No Georgia AG or DBF actions against kiosk operators and no local bans were found. Crypto.news says only that Georgia 'imposed new restrictions short of a full ban' on 2026-07-01.