What car insurance costs in Georgia

Where a Georgia premium goes

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) tallies what insurers charged per insured car in each state; its latest state year is 2023. Georgia's average expenditure that year was $1,555, up 16% from $1,345 in 2022, one of the steeper one-year increases in the table. That figure averages liability-only policies with full ones. With liability, collision and comprehensive together, the average was $1,746.

Liability is the line that pulls Georgia up: $1,046, about 42% more than the national $737. Collision is only slightly above the U.S. figure and comprehensive slightly below it. In other words, coverage for the damage you might do to others costs a Georgian far more than average, while coverage for your own car is priced close to the national norm. The NAIC data stop at the numbers; for the personal side of the price, see how credit-based scores are used and the other factors behind a quote.

The coverage Georgia builds in

The Georgia Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire lists the liability minimums as $25,000 per person and $50,000 per incident for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage, or 25/50/25. Georgia's uninsured motorist statute, O.C.G.A. § 33-7-11, then adds more:

• Uninsured motorist coverage comes with the policy at 25/50/25 or more unless a named insured rejects it in writing. You can choose limits up to your own liability limits.
• Added-on is the starting point. The standard version pays on top of the at-fault driver's liability coverage. A reduced-by version, which subtracts what that driver's insurer pays, applies only if you reject added-on coverage and pick it in writing.
• Collision and comprehensive aren't required by the state, but a lender or lessor will usually insist on them.

The Insurance Research Council estimates that 19.0% of Georgia drivers were uninsured in 2023, close to one in five. Before you drop or shrink uninsured motorist coverage to save money, weigh that number; our guide to limits and deductibles shows where cutting coverage makes sense and where it doesn't.

Two tracks for Georgia rate filings

Under O.C.G.A. § 33-9-21, how a rate gets approved depends on the policy. For personal auto policies with only the mandatory minimum limits, a new rate can't take effect until the Commissioner approves it or 45 days pass without a disapproval; the Commissioner can extend that by up to 55 days. For policies with higher limits or optional coverages, a filing takes effect 60 days after it is made, without approval, though an insurer may choose the prior-approval route instead.

Credit can play a part. O.C.G.A. § 33-24-91 doesn't let an insurer deny, cancel or nonrenew a personal policy, or set a renewal rate, solely on credit information; another underwriting factor has to be considered. A score can't be built from income, gender, race, address or ZIP code, among other traits.

The Commissioner's auto guide adds two protections worth knowing. After three years with the same company, you can't be nonrenewed because of a single claim, even one you caused. And if you want to contest a nonrenewal, you can send the Commissioner a written request for review within 15 days of the notice.

If no regular insurer will sell you a policy

The Georgia Automobile Insurance Plan, in place since 1949, covers drivers who can't get insurance in the voluntary market. Only an agent can apply for you, and any agent with a Georgia property and casualty license can place business through it. Non-standard insurers, which serve drivers with trouble getting regular coverage at higher premiums, are the other option. Our guide to assigned risk plans explains how to use either as a temporary step.

Ways to trim a Georgia premium

1. 1 Claim the good student discount. The Commissioner's guide says insurers must reduce liability, first-party medical and collision rates for students in the top 20% of their class, with a B or 3.0 average, or on the Dean's List or Honor Roll. More in our good student discount guide.
2. 2 Shop several companies at once. Ask for quotes on the same liability, uninsured motorist and deductible choices so the prices are comparable.
3. 3 Read the declarations page before you renew. It shows whether your uninsured motorist coverage is added-on or reduced-by, and what each line costs; our guide to reading your declarations page walks through it.
4. 4 Bring disputes to the Commissioner. Consumer Services answers at (404) 656-2070 or toll-free (800) 656-2298, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern, and the office takes complaints online.

Questions drivers ask