Car insurance laws and requirements aren’t the same in every state. Georgia drivers are in the right place to learn how to buy the best car insurance coverage for their particular situations by reviewing policy recommendations and comparing rates. We outline average car insurance rates in Georgia by ZIP code so you can see what to expect to pay. We also provide details about car insurance laws in Georgia.
The average car insurance rate in Georgia is $1,340 a year, according to an analysis of rates across the state. 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 and other factors. And 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. For example, in Atlanta, $2,300 is the highest rate among six carrires for ZIP code 30310. That’s $1,323 more than the lowest ($977). To get an idea of what rates are for your area, enter a ZIP code 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.
State law requires the following coverages: | |
Minimum bodily injury liability | $25,000/$50,000 |
Minimum property damage liability | $25,000 |
You must have at least minimum liability coverage limits of 25/50/25 to drive in Georgia. Buying the state required limits is definitely the cheapest way to go. But your assets and savings aren’t shielded from lawsuits and you won’t be covered for damage to your own car.
It does cost more to buy more protection, but as you’ll see in the chart below, additional coverage is typically affordable. Increasing your insurance from the state minimum to full coverage with a $500 deductible costs, on average, $808 more, or $67 a month.
Coverage limits | Average annual rate |
Liability Only – state minimum | $532 |
Liability Only - 50/100/50 BI/PD | $577 |
Full Coverage - 100/300/100 BI/PD $500 Comp/Collision deductible | $1,340 |
*The table shows the average annual rate of nearly every ZIP code in Georgia from up to six major insurance companies. Rates are for a male driver, age 40, with a clean record and good credit for a 2016 Honda Accord. Data was provided for CarInsurance.com by Quadrant Information Services.
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.
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:
If you're leasing or financing your car, you must get coverage of 100/300/100 or higher.
Collision and comprehensive are optional. In Georgia, the average cost per year for collision is $313. Comprehensive costs $151. 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:
If you buy comp and collision, check our guide to choosing a deductible amount.
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 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:
If you and your passengers:
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.
Below you'll see average annual rates for Georgia, ranked cheapest to most expensive, for three coverage levels:
Company | State Minimum average annual rate |
Geico | $265 |
Nationwide | $411 |
State Farm | $535 |
Progressive | $573 |
Allstate | $875 |
Company | 50/100/50 |
Geico | $290 |
Progressive | $521 |
Nationwide | $534 |
State Farm | $604 |
Allstate | $936 |
Company | 100/300/100 |
Geico | $762 |
Nationwide | $1,303 |
State Farm | $1,372 |
Progressive | $1,563 |
Allstate | $1,701 |
To see Atlanta car insurance rates by ZIP code and company, visit our Atlanta car insurance page.
Scores are based on Insure.com’s “Best Insurance Companies” customer review survey of 3,700 customers. Companies not in the top 10 of market share do not qualify. All scores are out of 100.
Best customer service:
Best claims service:
Best value for the price:
Rank | Company Name | Direct premiums written | Market share % | Customer Review Ranking (out of 100) |
1 | State Farm Group | 1,621,878 | 23.65% | 90.4 |
2 | Allstate Insurance Group | 802,102 | 11.7% | 87 |
3 | Geico | 731,949 | 10.67% | 88.1 |
4 | Progressive Insurance Group | 689,713 | 10.06% | 89.6 |
5 | USAA Group | 532,563 | 7.77% | 97.2 |
6 | Liberty Mutual Insurance Companies | 305,377 | 4.45% | 86.4 |
7 | Nationwide Group | 258,643 | 3.77% | 89 |
8 | Georgia Farm Bureau Group | 229,391 | 3.35% | n/a |
9 | Travelers Group | 171,815 | 2.51% | 91.2 |
10 | Auto-Owners Insurance Group | 136,400 | 1.99% | n/a |
Source: A.M. Best market share rankings are based on direct premiums written in 2015.
Customer review rankings based on Insure.com's "Best Insurance Companies" survey.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Georgia allows drivers to show proof of insurance on a smartphone during a traffic stop.
Driving with an expired license in Georgia is a misdemeanor and fines range widely from under $100 up to $1000.
Georgia driver's license points system has a couple of unusual details:
Points for even minor violations stay on your driving record for 24 months in Georgia.