Georgia Auto Insurance Quotes and
Coverage Guide
Georgia Motor Vehicle Insurance
Questions & AnswersQ: Is
auto insurance mandatory?
A: As long as the Pope remains Catholic or
unless the members of the state legislature have a
major mass-frontal lobe malfunction, motor vehicle
owners in this state will be required to obtain and
keep Georgia liability insurance coverage on their
vehicle(s) in the present and foreseeable future in
order to:
-- Legally operate the vehicle(s)
-- To register and obtain Georgia license plates
(tags)
-- To renew, replace, or transfer their existing
Georgia license plates (tags)
Georgia's minimum liability insurance coverage is
25/50/25. That means your policy must cover up to
$25,000 for one person's medical expenses in an
accident, $50,000 for two or more people's medical
expenses per accident, and $25,000 coverage for
property damage you may cause. It's a shoo-in that
the Pope's not converting, and as for the other
thing, it could go either way, but it's better to go
ahead and play it safe -- get insured.
Q: Is Georgia a "tort" state?
A: Yes, indeedy. Georgia believes in your
God-given right to sue or get sued, depending on
whose fault it was. That way, you can get your pain
and suffering either way – by being hurt in the
wreck or by having to cough up the moolah for the
victim’s medical expenses as well as for his pain
and suffering. Hopefully, your insurance policy’s
coverage will be enough to cover you in the event
you fall in the latter category of pain and
sufferers.
Q: What type of insurance is required to purchase
and maintain a Georgia tag and registration?
A: Even if you just want to decorate your
bathroom walls with them, Georgia consumers must
have automobile liability insurance for at least the
minimum limits (25/50/25) required by law to get and
keep those tags and registration.
Q: I am not a resident of Georgia but I visit for
several months during the year. Do I need Georgia
insurance?
A: As long as you’re here for pleasure
purposes only (legal pleasure purposes, please),
you’re considered a “Visitor” and can stay for up to
90 days without registering your vehicle and
obtaining Georgia-approved insurance. But you still
have to have your plates (and we’re not talking
dentures, here) and registration up to date. Just
because you’re visiting doesn’t mean you can cheat
your home state here in Georgia.
If you’re here on business, however, (legal
business, please) you’re classified as a
“Non-Resident” and can only stay 30 days without
Georgia insurance. You, too, have to have your
state’s vehicle registration in order and valid
license plates.
Q: What if I fail to keep insurance on my vehicle
that I’ve registered in Georgia?
A: If you choose to ignore the Notice of
Insurance Termination the DMV will send to you as
surely as Georgia grows peaches, you will be given
30 days to get your act together and buy some
liability insurance. To fix all this now, you’ll
still be charged a $25 “lapse” fee, but the water
you’re in won’t be nearly as hot as it will be if
you continue to ignore this Really Big Problem. If
you still don’t do it, you’ll then be getting the
good old Notice of Suspension. This means the hot
water you’re in is boiling now: Your registration’s
been suspended and cannot be renewed or reinstated
for six months. Fees up to $160.00, in addition to
the $25.00 lapse fee, will also be imposed. To drive
this vehicle while the registration is suspended,
revoked or cancelled is a misdemeanor and punishment
for most misdemeanors in Georgia can be up to 12
months in jail with fines ranging from $200 to
$1000.
Q: What are Insurance Information Cards, and why
do I need to carry one if it is not proof of
insurance in Georgia?
A: Insurance Information Cards are not proof
of insurance, but still need to be kept in your car
for the following reasons:
-- If you’re in another state and get stopped, they
may not recognize the information that’s on
Georgia’s database.
-- If you get into an accident, your Insurance
Information Card is right there, handy-dandy in the
glove box, so you can exchange insurance information
(i.e., your insurance company’s name, policy number,
agent’s name, telephone number, etc.)
Don’t think Georgia’s going to let you get by with
not having an Insurance Information Card: The fine
is $25 if you get stopped, are asked to show it, and
hand the officer anything else, like a ham sandwich.
Q: If Insurance Information Cards are not
acceptable proof of insurance, what is?
A: When the officer, who has selected lucky
you as the one to pull over, runs your vehicle’s tag
on the Georgia Registration and Title Information
System’s (GRATIS) database, an insurance coverage
indicator shows up. If it’s valid, no sweat. If it’s
not, well, sweating is then permitted. Another
acceptable proof, if you’ve only just recently
purchased insurance, is the binder from your
insurer. This is good for 30 days, which should give
your insurer plenty of time to get your info to the
DMV and into their database. Also good for 30 days
is your bill of sale (if you’ve recently purchased
the vehicle) along with an Insurance Declaration
Page, also available from your insurer. You need
them both, though. Just a bill of sale or just an
Insurance Declaration Page alone will have you
sweating again.
If you just can’t come up with acceptable proof of
Georgia liability insurance as discussed above, go
ahead and buy deodorant in case lots – you are going
to be sweating a lot. Besides not being able to
register, renew, replace, or transfer your license
plate, you’ll be subject to fines and to getting
your car impounded if stopped by an officer –
especially if it’s the officer you tried to give
that ham sandwich to.
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