Georgia’s average gas price on June 2, 2026 was $3.80 per gallon, slightly down from last month’s average of $3.83. Maya Homan/Georgia Recorder
Georgia’s gas tax will return Wednesday after a two-and-a-half-month hiatus, causing gas prices to rise by roughly 33 cents per gallon.
Gov. Brian Kemp first signed off on a six-day suspension of the tax in March in response to rising gas prices stemming from the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran. In May, he extended the suspension for two more weeks, citing Memorial Day travel that was likely to drive gas prices up even further.
But with the holiday weekend in the rearview mirror — and oil prices holding relatively steady — Kemp said he will allow the suspension to expire for now.
“The state also keeps a financial eye toward any unexpected needs in the future,” Kemp Press Secretary Carter Chapman said in a statement.
Gas prices nationwide averaged about $4.29 Tuesday — marginally lower than last month’s $4.43 average, according to AAA. Georgia’s average gas price Tuesday was $3.80 per gallon, slightly down from last month’s average of $3.83.
At Tuesday’s price, it would cost the average Georgian $57 to fill a 15-gallon tank. If the average price rose by 33 cents, that gallon of regular would set you back $4.13, and a fill-up would cost $61.95.
Some residents are feeling squeezed by higher prices. James Smith, a supply coordinator for Emory Healthcare, said his family has cut back on vacations and other forms of travel as a result of high costs.
“It’s not only just gas prices, you’ve got rising property taxes, you’ve got grocery bills that have gone up substantially,” he said. “It’s troubling, because as of right now, I feel like our government doesn’t care about the American people.”
Rising oil prices have also negated any savings that may have come from suspending the gas tax, he said, adding that the government needs to go further to address affordability issues for everyday people.
“They’ve got to come up with other ways to help Georgians,” he said.
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, the Democratic nominee for governor, has also criticized the move. In a statement issued Monday, she called for Kemp to extend the suspension, and urged her opponents on the Republican side to join her.
“Georgia leaders should continue to extend the gas tax suspension to provide working families with relief from these spiking costs,” she said. “Georgians are paying the price for Donald Trump’s Iran war, and they need leaders who will take every action possible to lower the price of gas.
Health care executive Rick Jackson, one of the Republican candidates for governor, said he supports extending the gas tax suspension, according to campaign spokesperson Mike Schrimpf.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who is also running for governor on the Republican side, did not respond to a request for comment. Jones works for Jones Petroleum, a fuel distributor and gas station operator owned by his father.
Under Georgia’s Constitution, revenue generated by the gas tax is used to build and maintain roads and bridges around the state.
Kemp previously suspended the fuel tax in 2024 due to Hurricane Helene, and in 2023 after declaring a state of emergency due to high levels of inflation under then-President Joe Biden.
