Georgia Car Insurance

Car insurance laws and requirements aren’t the same in every state. Georgia drivers are in the right place to learn how to buy the best car insurance coverage for their particular situations by reviewing policy recommendations and comparing rates. We outline average car insurance rates in Georgia by ZIP code so you can see what to expect to pay. We also provide details about car insurance laws in Georgia.

The average car insurance rate in Georgia is $1,340 a year, according to an analysis of rates across the state. The price you pay for car insurance is based on the severity and frequency of claims in your neighborhood, your driving record, the type of car you drive, your credit and other factors. And each insurer uses its own formula to calculate your rate after reviewing this information about you. That’s why the price for the same coverage can vary by hundreds of dollars among insurance companies — and why you should compare rates. For example, in Atlanta, $2,300 is the highest rate among six carrires for ZIP code 30310. That’s $1,323 more than the lowest ($977). To get an idea of what rates are for your area, enter a ZIP code to see the average premium for that location. You will also see the highest and lowest rates from the six major carriers surveyed. This way you can tell if your quotes are too high and if you should keep shopping for a lower rate.

Cheap car insurance in Georgia

Georgia car insurance requirements

You must have at least minimum liability coverage limits of 25/50/25 to drive in Georgia. Buying the state required limits is definitely the cheapest way to go. But your assets and savings aren’t shielded from lawsuits and you won’t be covered for damage to your own car.

It does cost more to buy more protection, but as you’ll see in the chart below, additional coverage is typically affordable. Increasing your insurance from the state minimum to full coverage with a $500 deductible costs, on average, $808 more, or $67 a month.

*The table shows the average annual rate of nearly every ZIP code in Georgia from up to six major insurance companies. Rates are for a male driver, age 40, with a clean record and good credit for a 2016 Honda Accord. Data was provided for CarInsurance.com by Quadrant Information Services.

Recommended car insurance coverage

Deciding how much car insurance to buy depends on a few factors. To drive legally, you must buy at least the minimum liability insurance required by your state. If your car isn’t financed or leased and you don’t have a lot of money or assets to protect, that might be a wise choice. If, however, you don’t own your car outright, you will be required to get additional comprehensive and collision coverage. Additionally, if you want to shield your home and savings from lawsuits, it’s prudent to buy more coverage. If you want more protection, it will cost more, but as you’ll see in the chart above, it's not that much more.

Use our How Much Car Insurance Do You Need? tool to get a recommendation.

Liability

We recommend you buy more insurance than is required to legally drive a car in your state, especially if you have savings and assets. If your net worth is:

• less than $50,000, choose at least 50/100/50
• between $50,000 and $100,000, choose at least 100/300/100
• more than $100,000, choose at least 250/500/100

If you're leasing or financing your car, you must get coverage of 100/300/100 or higher.

Collision and comprehensive

Collision and comprehensive are optional. In Georgia, the average cost per year for collision is $313. Comprehensive costs $151. Collision coverage pays for damage to your car after an accident that you cause. Comprehensive insurance pays to replace stolen cars and for damages from vandalism, flooding, hail, fire and animal strikes. If your car is:

• less than 10 years old, you should strongly consider buying collision and comprehensive.
• more than 10 years old, only buy collision and comprehensive if your car is worth $3,000 or more, if you couldn’t afford to replace your car if it’s wrecked, or if you just want more protection on your policy.

If you buy comp and collision, check our guide to choosing a deductible amount.

Uninsured/underinsured motorist

Uninsured motorist coverage and underinsured motorist coverage pays for damages if you’re hit by a driver with no insurance or a driver with coverage that’s insufficient to pay for your repairs and medical expenses. These are also optional.

Medical coverage (MedPay)

Medical payments coverage can help pay for the medical or funeral expenses of covered drivers and passengers after an accident, regardless of fault, up to $25,000. In most states, including Georgia, it's an optional addition to your car insurance policy. MedPay does the following:

• Covers you and your passengers’ medical expenses
• Pays for expenses after health insurance limits are exceeded
• Offers additional protection to insured drivers who are hit by a car while walking or biking

If you and your passengers:

• Don’t have health insurance, or have a plan that doesn’t cover car accidents or has low limits, we recommend that you add medical coverage of at least $5,000 to your car insurance policy.
• Do have health insurance, it’s still a good idea to have medical coverage if you want the best protection in your policy, as it can pay out after your health benefits are maxed out.

Gap insurance

If you don’t own your car outright and have an accident, gap insurance pays the difference between the cash value of your car and the current outstanding balance on your loan or lease.

• If you’re financing your car, your car is less than one year old and you’ve put less than 20 percent down on it, you should buy gap insurance. If not, you don’t need gap insurance.
• If you’re leasing your car, it’s a good idea to buy gap insurance if you aren’t already required to in your lease agreement.
• If you own your car outright, you don’t need gap insurance.

Georgia car insurance rates by company

Below you'll see average annual rates for Georgia, ranked cheapest to most expensive, for three coverage levels:

• State minimum liability requirements
• Liability limits of $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident and $50,000 property damage
• Liability of $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident and $100,000 property damage, with comprehensive and collision at $500 deductible

To see Atlanta car insurance rates by ZIP code and company, visit our Atlanta car insurance page.

Best car insurance companies in Georgia

Scores are based on Insure.com’s “Best Insurance Companies” customer review survey of 3,700 customers. Companies not in the top 10 of market share do not qualify. All scores are out of 100.

Best customer service:

1. USAA -- 100
2. State Farm—92
3. Allstate – 91.8
4. Travelers – 90.6
5. Nationwide – 90.4

Best claims service:

1. USAA – 100
2. Travelers – 97.5
3. Liberty Mutual – 96
4. Geico –93.9
5. Progressive – 92.5

Best value for the price:

1. USAA – 91.3
2. Travelers – 88.8
3. Progressive – 86.3
4. State Farm – 84.6
5. Nationwide – 83.2

Largest car insurance companies in Georgia

Source: A.M. Best market share rankings are based on direct premiums written in 2015.

Customer review rankings based on Insure.com's "Best Insurance Companies" survey.

Georgia car insurance laws and resources

Uninsured/underinsured motorist:

State law requires that you be offered uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury and uninsured motorist property damage but allows you to reject them in writing.

Discounts for a clean record:

A clean driving record pays off here. Georgia state law requires a 10 percent discount to drivers age 25 or older who have a clean driving record for three years prior and no at-fault accidents and complete an approved defensive driver course. Drivers under 25 can get a 10 percent discount for three years if they complete classroom and practical training.

Non-renew for accidents:

Georgia auto insurance companies are permitted to non-renew a policy if an insured driver has more than one at-fault accident in the past three years or claims payments that total $750 or more.

Uninsured motorist penalties for Georgia:

You may be fined $200 to $1,000, be sentenced to one year in jail, have your license and registration suspended and be required to file an SR-22 form.

SR-22A:

The SR-22A, a document showing proof of financial responsibility, is similar to an SR-22 but only used in Georgia, Texas and Missouri. In Georgia it is usually used by repeat violators of financial responsibility laws.

No grace period:

Georgia does not have a grace period for car insurance. This means you must have insurance on the vehicle you buy, either from a dealership or private individual, before you drive away with it.

Electronic proof of insurance:

Georgia allows drivers to show proof of insurance on a smartphone during a traffic stop.

Expired license:

Driving with an expired license in Georgia is a misdemeanor and fines range widely from under $100 up to $1000.

Driver's license points:

Georgia driver's license points system has a couple of unusual details:

• No points are assessed for speeding convictions of less than 15 mph over the posted speed limit.
• The state's relatively new Super Speeder law levies an additional $200 fine for anyone convicted of speeds of 85 mph or more (75 mph on a two-lane road).

Points for even minor violations stay on your driving record for 24 months in Georgia.