Georgia doesn't require a title on any car over 14 years old. If you have a bill of sale (I've used a hand written on notebook paper bill of sale before . . . it doesn't even have to be notarized) and insurance you can get a tag and legally drive it. You really need a title . . . but finding an old car that has changed hands more than once since it turned 15 years old is a rare find in Georgia.
You shouldn't be able to, but I've actually got a tag at the LaFayette tag office without even have to show the bill of sale. They run the VIN through the computer and as long as it doesn't come up as a stolen vehicle and there is insurance on it, they will "usually" give you a tag without any questions. Of course, there is always a chance that a Barney Fife is working at the tag office and will follow every letter of the law. I think they are actually supposed to see the car and verify the VIN if you don't have a title.
In Tennessee you MUST have a title to get a tag. If you buy the car from a state that doesn't require a title you can apply for a TN title. I think you have to show a NOTARIZED Bill of Sale and (I think) proof that it was registered in the previous state at the time you purchased it. TN can be anal when it comes to titles, but it is possible to get one if you have the right paperwork and lots of time and patients.
