Rachel Bodine graduated from college with a BA in English. She has since worked as a Feature Writer in the insurance industry and gained a deep knowledge of state and countrywide insurance laws and rates. Her research and writing focus on helping readers understand their insurance coverage and how to find savings. Her expert advice on insurance has been featured on sites like PhotoEnforced, All...

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Leslie Kasperowicz holds a BA in Social Sciences from the University of Winnipeg. She spent several years as a Farmers Insurance CSR, gaining a solid understanding of insurance products including home, life, auto, and commercial and working directly with insurance customers to understand their needs. She has since used that knowledge in her more than ten years as a writer, largely in the insurance...

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Reviewed by Leslie Kasperowicz
Former Farmers Insurance CSR

UPDATED: Nov 12, 2020

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Georgia State FlagKnown as the “Empire State of the South” and leading with its motto of Wisdom, Justice and Moderation, the state of Georgia is one of the shining stars in the Southern United States. Georgia was one of the original thirteen colonies, and quickly jumped on board with the forming of the country as the fourth state to ratify the new US Constitution in 1788. As one of the fastest-growing states in the country, Georgia is constantly seeing more and more drivers on its roads, and if you’re a new driver in Georgia, you’re going to need to know a bit about insurance. Let’s take a look at Georgia auto insurance, and how it affects you.

Auto Insurance Laws And Requirements In Georgia

In Georgia, the state liability coverage minimums are:

  • Bodily Injury Liability – $25,000 per person
  • Bodily Injury Liability – $50,000 per accident
  • Property Damage Liability – $25,000 per accident

Take a look at how Georgia’s minimum rates compare with surrounding states.

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Optional coverage options in Georgia include:

  • Comprehensive Coverage
  • Collision Coverage
  • Loan/Lease Payoff
  • Medical and Funeral Services
  • Rental Car Reimbursement Coverage
  • Roadside Assistance / Towing Coverage
  • Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury
  • Uninsured Motorist Property Damage

As is typical with many states, Georgia auto insurance laws follow a “tort” system, which means that in an accident, someone will be considered “at fault” and that person and their insurance company will be on the hook for damages. Georgia law requires drivers to prove financial responsibility through purchasing auto insurance, and mandates that drivers have minimum coverage in three different areas.

The first two minimum coverage requirements focus on Body Injury Liability insurance. This type of insurance pays out to cover the medical treatment, rehabilitation and other costs stemming from injuries that you have caused in an accident where you are determined to have been the “at fault” party. Georgia state law requires that drivers have a minimum of $25,000 of BIL coverage per person, per accident, and a minimum of $50,000 BIL coverage for all persons in a single accident. As anyone who has been in a high speed crash can attest to – these numbers are somewhat low, and any Georgia drivers that have room in their budget should purchase a higher coverage amount. A single trip to the hospital for one person can quickly max out one’s BIL coverage – and then the driver is left paying the rest of the medical bills out of pocket.

The other area that Georgia law mandates that drivers have minimum coverage is Property Damage Liability insurance. This type of policy covers the costs of damage that you have caused to someone’s automobile or other property in an accident where you are deemed at fault. The minimum required amount of PDL coverage is $25,000, which is a fair amount of coverage. Again, those who have space in their insurance budget would do well to increase this, as a crash with something like a luxury car can cause significant amounts of expensive damage.

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Auto Insurance Rates In Georgia

Average insurance rates for Georgia drivers tend to fluctuate over the year, but on a statewide basis they remain below average when compared to the rest of the country.

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A driver in Atlanta can count on annual premiums of around $1450, or about $120 per month, whereas a driver in Augusta will see premiums of around $1400 per year – a small savings.

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Drivers in smaller cities in Georgia see further discounts, and can count on paying an average of about $108 per month, which works out to about $1300 on an annual basis.

There are a lot of factors that auto insurance companies take into consideration when determining your rates. Take a look at our overview here.

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While many of these factors are simply based on your own driving record, two things that affect even the safest of drivers are age and gender. As with most states, males typically pay higher auto insurance rates than females.

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Insurance rates have been trending upwards in Georgia over the past year, so it’s best to get in and renew your auto insurance as soon as possible to avoid being stuck with further price increases.

Georgia Auto Insurance Rates by Company

Though the state boasts very cheap auto insurance rates overall, let’s take a look at how rates vary between some of the largest companies.

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But which companies are the largest, holding the most market share percentage in the region?

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State Of Georgia Driving Statistics

Sadly, Georgia’s crash statistics don’t bode well for drivers in the state – or their insurance rates. The most recent data available from the Georgia Department of Transportation is up to 2006, but shows that crash rates have been trending upward. In 2000, Georgians saw a total of 310,000 automobile crashes, with a total of 1549 fatalities. In 2006, the numbers were far worse, with a total of 342,000 crashes and 1703 fatalities. The one bright light is that the 2006 numbers were down from 2005, so future data may show that drivers in Georgia are taking road safety more seriously and are bringing these totals down.

The news is much better in regards to auto theft statistics in Georgia. After peaking at a total of 43,411 incidences of grand theft auto in 2005, the theft rates plummeted. 2009 saw just 32,535 auto thefts, a drop of about 25 percent and cause for celebration. It’s clear that law enforcement and theft prevention activities in Georgia are paying off. The 2009 numbers were a rate of 331 auto thefts per 100,000 citizens, a huge drop from the rate of 478.5 per 100,000 citizens in 2005.

Whether you’re new to Georgia or you’re a long time Georgian who’s just in need of auto insurance – it pays to do your homework. Spend some time researching online or speak to an auto insurance agent who can give you some advice. Finally – don’t forget to drive safe!

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Georgia Auto Insurance Agents

Georgia Auto Insurance Agents

Additional Auto Insurance Resources For Georgia