What are the minimum auto insurance requirements in Georgia?

All FAQs

Quick answer: Georgia law requires minimum liability coverage of 25/50/25 under O.C.G.A. 33-34-4: $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 property damage.

Georgia law requires every driver to carry liability coverage before operating a vehicle on public roads. The state sets the minimum at 25/50/25: $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident for total bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage you cause. The Georgia Electronic Insurance Compliance System (GEICS) tracks coverage in real time, and no vehicle registration stays active without a policy on file.

What are Georgia’s minimum auto insurance limits?

The minimum liability limits set by Georgia law are:

  • $25,000 for bodily injury to one person per accident
  • $50,000 for bodily injury to all people injured in one accident
  • $25,000 for property damage you cause in one accident

The Georgia Office of Commissioner of Insurance confirms these as the legal floor: "$25,000 per person and $50,000 per incident for bodily injury, and $25,000 per incident for property damage." These limits are written as 25/50/25 in policy shorthand.

What does liability coverage actually pay for?

Liability coverage pays the other party when you are at fault in an accident. It covers the injured person’s medical bills and the repair or replacement of property you damaged. It does not pay for your own vehicle repairs or your own medical bills. Separate coverages handle those: collision, comprehensive, medical payments, or personal injury protection.

Georgia is a fault-based state. Under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33, a person injured in a crash can seek damages from the at-fault driver, but only if that injured person bears less than 50 percent of the fault. If the injured driver is found 50 percent or more at fault, they cannot recover damages from you.

Are the minimums enough to cover a real accident?

The minimums define what is legal, not what a serious accident can cost. A single emergency room visit for trauma-related injuries can exceed $25,000. A new midsize sedan carries an average sticker price above $30,000, which means the $25,000 property damage minimum would not fully cover a total loss on most vehicles sold in Georgia today. When damages exceed your policy limit, the at-fault driver is personally responsible for the difference.

For example, a rear-end collision on I-285 that sends one person to the hospital for two days could produce $40,000 in medical bills. The 25/50/25 policy pays $25,000; the driver owes the remaining $15,000 out of pocket.

Does Georgia require uninsured motorist coverage?

Georgia requires carriers to offer uninsured motorist (UM) coverage alongside any liability policy. Drivers may reject it in writing, but the offer must be made. UM coverage pays when you are hit by a driver who carries no insurance or not enough to cover your losses. Georgia’s uninsured driver rate runs near 12 percent according to the Insurance Research Council, which means UM coverage addresses a measurable gap on state roads.

For example, a driver with only the state minimum and no UM coverage who is rear-ended by an uninsured driver has no policy to pay their own medical bills or lost wages. That cost falls entirely on them unless they carry UM or MedPay coverage.

What happens if you drive without the required minimum coverage?

Driving without required coverage in Georgia carries concrete consequences: fines, suspension of vehicle registration, and reinstatement fees before the registration can be restored. The GEICS system flags coverage gaps to the state, so a lapse is not easy to conceal.

A free coverage review with a licensed advisor at Olive Insurance Services, LLC covers your current auto limits and whether they match your assets, vehicle value, and exposure on Georgia roads. Learn more about auto insurance options available through Olive Cover.