How much does car insurance cost in Georgia?

In our research, we found that the average car insurance rate is $155 per month for a full coverage policy. Our guide to buying car insurance for Texas drivers is based on rate data research and expert advice from our veteran staff of insurance analysts and editors. You’ll learn how to find the cheap car insurance in GA without sacrificing coverage. We explain how much coverage to buy, how much it will cost and how auto insurance in Georgia works to protect you and your family.

How much is auto insurance in Georgia?

Here are average car insurance rates in Georgia for three common coverage levels:

• The average car insurance rate in Georgia is $1,865 a year ($155 a month) for full coverage for a driver age 30, according to an analysis of rates across the state. That’s $107 more annually than the national average ($1,758). Georgia ranks as the fifteenth most expensive state for car insurance.
• For standard protection of liability limits of 50/100/50 the average auto insurance cost in Georgia is $754 ($63 monthly).
• The average car insurance rate for state minimum coverage is $684, just under $60 a month.

To get an estimate of car insurance rates for your area, enter a ZIP code and age, then choose a coverage level 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.

Georgia Car Insurance Rates by ZIP Code

Zip Code: !

Age: 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75

Gender Male Female

Coverage Types

State Minimum Liability

Liability Only - $50K/$100K/$50K

Full Coverage - $100K/$300K/$100K

*Please enter valid Zip

State Minimum: Required liability coverage to drive legally in your state; some states mandate additional coverage, such as personal injury protection, uninsured motorist, underinsured motorist. Liability Only 50/100/50: $50,000 per person/$100,000 maximum per accident for bodily injury; $50,000 for property damage. Liability pays for injuries/damage you cause others. Full Coverage 100/300/100: $100,000 per person/$300,000 maximum per accident for bodily injury; $100,000 for property damage; comprehensive and collision coverage with $500 deductible. Liability pays for injuries/damage you cause others. Comprehensive and collision pay for damage to your car.

30310, Atlanta,  For 30 Year Old  Male  (Type:  Liability - Minimum )

Average Monthly Premium

$71

Highest Rate

$145/mo

Lowest Rate

$39/mo

Compare personalized quotes from up to 20 companies in Georgia now

Methodology

You might also be interested in

• What's the Cheapest Car Insurance in Georgia?
• Cheap car insurance for seniors in Georgia

Who has the cheapest car insurance in Georgia?

Geico, Owners and State Farm have the cheapest car insurance rates for Georgia drivers, among those surveyed by CarInsurance.com, for three common coverage levels.

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, how much coverage you buy and other factors. 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. You’ll see in the table below that the difference between the cheapest car insurance company and the most expensive ranges from about $602 to $1,400, which is how much you can potentially save by comparison shopping.

Cheap auto insurance in Georgia: Why it’s not always best choice

Georgia car insurance laws mandate that drivers carry minimum liability coverage limits of 25/50/25 on their vehicle. Buying the state required limits is definitely the cheapest way to go. But if you opt for the cheapest car insurance in Georgia, you are only covered for damage you do to other drivers’ cars and for others’ injuries. That means your insurer won’t pay for damage to your car or for your injuries if you cause an accident. Still, buying just the minimum coverage required is a good idea if you have an old car or don’t drive much.

It does cost more to buy more protection, but as you’ll see in the chart below, additional coverage is typically affordable.  Boosting your protection from the state minimum required to drive to full coverage costs about $98 more a month. For higher liability limits, the extra cost is only about $6 monthly. That’s not a lot to have peace of mind if you get into an accident. Even minor accidents can exceed the amount of coverage you get from a policy that just meets the state required needed to drive legally. That means you are left to pay the difference, which can be thousands of dollars.

Best car insurance in Georgia: Company customer satisfaction rankings

Scores are based on Insure.com’s “Best Insurance Companies” survey of 3,700 policyholders. Companies were ranked on claims handling, customer service, value, mobile apps/website usefulness and likelihood they’d be recommended or renewed for coverage. All scores are out of 100.

Tips for getting auto insurance quotes in Georgia

You should always be sure to compare quotes for identical amounts of coverage, from at least three insurance companies. An easy and effective way to do this is to compare car insurance online. You can also get recommendations for coverage and be matched to companies in your area by using our car insurance estimator tool.

Another tip: do a car insurance comparison upon renewal, or at these times when your rates are most likely to be affected, when you:

• Move
• Buy a home
• Add drivers
• Have a change in your credit
• Get married
• Buy a car
• Have multiple accidents or citations within 12 months

More advice for finding affordable coverage while comparing quotes:

• Maximize discounts, for instance bundling your home and auto with the same company can trim an average of 10% to 12% from your auto rates.
• Drop comprehensive and collision for cars that are worth less than $3,000
• Hike your deductible amount, for instance, from $500 to $1,000

Largest auto insurance companies in Georgia

Source: A.M. Best; State/Line (P/C Lines)  – P/C, US; Data as of:November 28, 2018

Georgia auto insurance rates by driver profile

Low cost auto insurance for Georgia drivers with recent accidents

Filing an accident claim means you are likely to pay more for your car insurance coverage. However, how much more you pay depends on several factors, and your car insurance company plays is one of those significant factors. Each company assesses risk differently, so that’s why the increase after an accident will vary among insurers. Here is how major carriers compare after at-fault accidents for the average Georgia driver with a full coverage policy:

Georgia auto insurance requirements and laws

The following limits are required to drive in Georgia:

• Minimum bodily injury liability $25,000/$50,000
• Minimum property damage liability $25,000

Recommended car insurance coverage in Georgia

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 $543, based on CarInsurance.com rate data. Comprehensive costs $158. 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 laws and resources

Georgia roads with the most fatal accidents

Here are the highways and roads where the most fatal accidents happened in 2017, according to the most recent data available from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System research compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

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.

Average annual car insurance rates for major cities in Georgia

Below you’ll see how average annual rates for several of the largest cities in the state compare to state and national averages. Rates are for coverage of $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident in liability and $50,000 of property damage coverage, with comprehensive and collision carrying a $500 deductible.

Michelle Megna

Contributing Researcher

Michelle is a writer, editor and expert on car insurance and personal finance. She's a former CarInsurance.com editorial director. Prior to joining CarInsurance.com, she reported and edited articles on technology, lifestyle, education and government for magazines, websites and major newspapers, including the New York Daily News.