Georgia Car Insurance Laws: Everything you need to know

Do You Know 385,000+ accidents happened on Georgia’s roads in 2015, causing more than 1,400 deaths and 19,000 serious injuries? This is one of the major reasons that car insurance in Georgia is required to protect you and your passengers in case of an accident.

Like most states, Georgia car insurance laws requires all drivers to have a certain amount of car insurance coverage. This is meant to keep you and the other people on the road safe. As per the auto insurance laws in Georgia, you must have proof of insurance, which you must show to any law enforcement officer who asks for it.

What are the Minimum Requirements for Auto Insurance in Georgia?

All drivers in Georgia must fulfill at least a certain amount of Georgia auto insurance requirements:

Coverage Types	Amount
Bodily Injury Per Person	$25,000
Bodily Injury Per Accident	$50,000
Property Damage Liability	$25,000

These minimum auto insurance requirements in Georgia tell you how much your insurance company will pay out if you’re at fault in an accident. Body injury liability only pays for the medical care you give to another driver and their passengers if you hurt them. The only damage you do to another driver’s personal property is covered by property damage. It won’t pay for damage to your own property that you cause in an accident.

Is Georgia a “no-fault” State?

No, after an accident; you will have to pay to fix your car and get medical care. No-Fault auto insurance laws in Georgia have not been passed. Instead, it keeps the old rules about who was at fault, which means that people who were hurt can make a lawsuit with the insurance company of the driver who caused the accident.

They could also file a claim with their own insurance company and let them go after the other driver’s insurance company for compensation. In either case, the driver who hit you will have to pay you back for what you lost.

You must keep detailed records to help process your claim:

• Keep the estimates and receipts for repairs. These will help you show that you lost money.
• If the insurance company says that a loss isn’t covered, ask them to point out the exact part of the policy that they are using as a reason.
• Keep all letters and emails you send or receive from an insurance company.
• If you talk on the phone, write down the date, time, and person’s name. You should also inform what the conversation was about.
• Take pictures of any damage, even injuries to people. You will need proof of how bad the damage is.

When you’ve lost a lot, you should work with a Georgia car accident lawyer to help you get a negotiated deal for your claim.

Diminished Value in Georgia Car Insurance Laws

Georgia is a diminished value state, which means that drivers can get money back from the insurance company of the person who caused the damage. Even if your car is completely fixed back to the way it was before the accident, its resale value goes down. Your car is worth less because it was in an accident than similar cars that have never been in an accident. With a diminished value claim, you can get back any money you lose when you sell your car.

Since Georgia liability insurance is one among those 15 states that offer compensation for loss of value, you can file a claim by calling the insurance company for the person who caused the damage. To register a diminished value allegation in Georgia, you must meet the following auto insurance in Georgia requirements:

• If you were the one who caused the accident, you can’t get money for it.
• Make sure you have photos, records of repairs, and proof from a reliable source that your car is worth what you say it is.
• In Georgia, you can only get money for cars with a market value of $7,000 or more, more than $500 in property damage, low to normal mileage, and a clean title.
• The amount of time you have to file a claim for diminished value is 4 years.
• Georgia does have coverage for claims about drivers who don’t have insurance.

SR-22 Insurance in Georgia

To be clear, SR-22 insurance is not exactly a type of car insurance policy. It is a certificate that your car insurance company sends to the government when you break a serious traffic law. The Georgia SR22 form shows that you have fulfilled at least the minimum auto insurance requirements in GA.

DUI is a serious crime, so it can cost a lot to get insurance after DUI. Your car insurance company needs to file the SR-22 form for you, but you need to find out what their policy is for this service.

Every state has its own list of offenses that make SR-22 insurance necessary. If you break any of the following traffic laws in Georgia, you’ll need SR-22 coverage:

• Getting behind the wheel without insurance
• DUI
• Driving Recklessly
• Driving with a license that was taken away

Most minor violations don’t need SR-22 insurance. After a ticket or accident, insurance rates are usually cheaper than SR-22 costs, and you should shop around to find the best deal.

How can one have SR-22 Insurance in Georgia?

Georgia requires the convicted driver’s vehicle insurance provider to submit the SR-22 paperwork on their behalf. However, if an insurer deems the driver to be high-risk, they may decline to provide this service. Even if you are able to get SR-22 coverage, your premiums will likely be much higher than they were before the violation.

Optional Georgia Car Insurance Coverages

To lawfully drive, just Georgia liability insurance is required by law. Nonetheless, supplementary coverage might provide additional protection and should be evaluated carefully when you buy instant car insurance online.

• Collision Coverage: Collision coverage includes the expenses associated with repairing your car after an accident, regardless of who was at fault.
• Comprehensive Coverage: Comprehensive coverage compensates damages to your car resulting from causes other than accidents, such as floods, fire, wind, and ice.
• Gap Insurance: If your car is wrecked in an accident, your insurance company will only pay to replace it with a comparable model. If you owe more than your car is worth, this might result in a coverage gap. Gap insurance will cover the shortfall.
• Uninsured Motorist Coverage: It covers for your medical expenses and lost earnings if an uninsured driver is responsible for your losses. This protects you in the event that the other motorist has no or insufficient insurance to pay your losses. In Georgia, you may stack your uninsured limits, which allows you to choose between a lower rate and a higher rate that raises your limits.

Penalties are Levied in Georgia for Driving Without Proof of Insurance

If your insurance is canceled or has expired, your insurer will inform the Georgia Department of Driver Services online (DDS). You have 30 days from the expiry date to submit evidence of new insurance. According to the Georgia auto insurance laws, there are no fines if the new insurance information is received within 30 days and there is no gap in coverage.

First offense	Second offense	Third offense
For a first offense, your license and registration are suspended for 60 days.	Your license and registration are suspended for 90 days if you are discovered driving without insurance or with an expired registration for the second time within five years after a prior offense.	If you are convicted of a third offense within five years of your prior convictions, your license and registration will be suspended for six months.
You must pay a $25 lapse charge and a $60 reinstatement cost to regain access.	You must pay a $25 lapse charge and a $60 reinstatement cost to get them back.	You must pay a $25 lapse charge.
Depending on the circumstances, you might possibly face up to twelve months in prison.	A year of imprisonment is also a possibility, depending on how the second violation is handled.	To have your license and registration reinstated, you must also pay an additional $160 reinstatement charge and provide evidence of insurance for the minimum needed coverage period of six months. You may possibly be sentenced to up to one year in prison. Additional penalties may apply if you are found guilty of operating a vehicle with a suspended license.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)

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Sources:

• Visited the Website of Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner to understand auto insurance requirements in Georgia.