Insurance requirements for registering a car in Georgia
In the state of Georgia, drivers are required to have liability insurance or "financial liability" in order to operate a vehicle legally.
The minimum liability insurance required for vehicle owners under this law is as follows:
$25,000 bodily injury for one person. This means that each insurance policy must include at least $50,000 to cover the smallest possible number of people involved in an accident (two drivers).
$25,000 for property damage
This means that each driver must insure their liability for a total of $75,000 for each vehicle they own in Georgia.
Insurance types
While these are the only types of insurance required by the State of Georgia, other types of insurance are recognized for additional coverage. This includes:
Collision insurance, which covers damage to your vehicle in an accident.
Comprehensive insurance that covers damage to your vehicle that was not the result of an accident (for example, damage caused by the weather).
Health and funeral insurance, which covers medical bills or funeral expenses resulting from a car accident.
Uninsured driver insurance, which covers costs in the event of an accident involving an uninsured driver.
proof of insurance
Georgia is one of the few states that does not accept an insurance card from your insurance company as proof of insurance coverage. Instead, proof of coverage can be obtained through the Georgia Electronic Insurance Enforcement System. Your insurance company reports your status to this database.
Acceptable proof of insurance to register your vehicle, if insurance has not already been reported to GEICS, includes:
A bill of sale dated within 30 days of the purchase of the insurance policy, which includes a valid insurance declaration page.
A valid self-insured certificate issued by the Georgia Fire Authority.
Penalties for Violation
If a driver is found guilty of not having proper insurance in the state of Georgia, several steps will be taken and different penalties will apply at each step:
The first step is to suspend vehicle registration until proper insurance is restored.
To re-register, two fees must be paid upon presentation of a new certificate of insurance: a $25 de-registration fee and a $60 reinstatement fee.
A second violation within a five-year period will result in a longer registration suspension period.
For subsequent offenses within a five-year period, the registration of the vehicle will be suspended for a minimum of six months. The recovery fee at this level reaches $160.
Cancellation of insurance
If you want to cancel your liability insurance, you must first cancel your vehicle registration at the tax officer's office in the county where you live. If you cancel your coverage prior to deregistration, you will be charged reinstatement and expiration fees.
For more information, contact the Georgia Department of Revenue on their website.
