Compare Auto Insurance Quotes in Georgia to Get the Best Rates

Compare Auto Insurance Quotes in Georgia to Get the Best Rates

Sunday, June 11 2017 By Larry Canonica

Georgia is known as the Peach State. Here at QuoteWizard, we’ve compiled useful insurance information from industry and government sources which Georgia residents can use to find some sweet car insurance rates.

This page will show you which types of coverage are legally required in Georgia, inform you about important insurance laws, and provide you with both information about the cost of driving, and some insights about insurance risk in Georgia, all to help you protect yourself and your family.

Average Georgia Car Insurance Rates

Depending on what part of Georgia you call home, your car insurance rates could be well below the national average. Your prices may vary depending on your car, driving record, zip code, limits, and the number of claims filed in your neighborhood.

The average cost of car insurance in Georgia is $839.94 per year. The national average annual cost is $866.31.

Georgia Average Annual Car Insurance Rates

Coverage	Rates
Liability	$516.63
Collision	$320.57
Comprehensive	$154.05
Total Cost Per Year	$839.94
Price Per Month	$69.99

If you want car insurance in Georgia that offers reliable coverage at an affordable price, you have to shop around. To do this, you have to compare quotes from multiple insurance companies. But that can be a hassle if you do it on your own. Thankfully, QuoteWizard makes it a lot easier.

We’ll help you by introducing you to a number of top insurance companies. Then you can compare rates and decide which coverage options are the best for your situation. That means less legwork and, better yet, lower costs.

Last year, 115,555 people used QuoteWizard to compare car insurance quotes in Georgia from multiple companies, and find the cheapest rates.

Top 10 Vehicles in Georgia

These are the most common vehicles owned by Georgia drivers requesting car insurance quotes through QuoteWizard in the past year.

Best Car Insurance Companies in Georgia

Last year, these were the most common car insurance companies reported by QuoteWizard users living in the state of Georgia. Out of the 115,555 Georgia drivers that used QuoteWizard to request insurance quotes last year, 11,251 were uninsured.

Georgia State Auto Insurance Laws

Car Insurance Minimum Coverage

If you drive a vehicle registered in Georgia, you must maintain a minimum level of insurance coverage of 25/50/25. This means that you must have:

• $25,000 of coverage for bodily injury liability per person
• $50,000 of coverage for bodily injury liability per accident
• $25,000 of coverage for property damage liability per accident

SR-22 Requirements

In Georgia, you won’t need to file an SR-22 for a first time offense. Your first DUI conviction will result in the following penalties:

• Spending between 10 days and 1 year in jail
• Paying a fine of between $300 and $1,000
• Losing your driving privileges for up to 1 year
• Performing a minimum of 40 hours of community service
• Paying a $210 fee to have your license reinstated

In addition, you may also be required to file an SR-22, which is a way of proving financial responsibility. “SR” stands for safety responsibility and it certifies that a driver has the minimum amount of insurance required by state law.  You may also need to file an SR-22 if you:

• Were in an accident, did not have insurance, and failed to pay compensation to victims
• Refused to take a Breathalyzer test
• Lost your license because of too many traffic infractions or a reckless driving citation
• Are subject to mandatory insurance supervision

Georgia State law requires that an SR-22 be carried for 36 consecutive months following a first offense.

State of Georgia Traffic Safety Laws

Distracted Driving Laws

While Georgia does not prohibit most drivers from using cell phones, novice drivers and bus drivers are banned from all cell phone use including both handheld and hands-free devices.

There is a statewide ban on texting while driving for all drivers.

Implied Consent Law

Georgia’s Implied Consent law requires that any driver submit to testing to determine the alcohol or drug content of their blood, breath, or urine when arrested by law enforcement for suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI). Refuse the test and you’ll face the following penalties in addition to the penalties for a DUI:

• First Offense: driver’s license suspended for 1 year. One month after the suspension you can apply for reinstatement after completing an alcohol and drug-use risk reduction program and pay a fee of $210 ($200 by mail)
• Second Offense: driver’s license suspended for 3 years. One month after the suspension you can apply for reinstatement after completing an alcohol and drug-use risk reduction program and pay a fee of $210 ($200 by mail)
• Third Offense: driver’s license suspended for 5 years. You must complete the alcohol and drug-use risk reduction program to get your license back but may only apply for a probationary license 2 years after the suspension

DUI Law and Penalties

If you drive or operate a motor vehicle in the State of Georgia with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0.08% or higher, you are guilty of Driving While Under the Influence (DUI).

The penalties for a first offense DUI conviction are:

• Between 3 days and 1 year in jail
• A fine of between $600 and $1,000
• 3-year suspension of driver’s license
• The court may allow use of an ignition-interlock device

The penalties for a second offense DUI conviction are:

• Between 15 days and 1 year in jail
• A fine of between $1,000 and $5,000
• 5-year suspension of driver’s license
• Ignition-interlock device required

The penalties for a third offense DUI conviction are:

• Between 1 and 5 years in jail
• A fine of between $1,000 and $5,000
• Driver’s license suspended indefinitely
• Ignition-interlock device required

Booster Seat Law

Georgia requires that children aged 8 years old and under ride in the back seat, if possible. Georgia also requires that all children less than 8 years of age use approved child safety seats appropriate for their height and weight, unless they're over 4 feet 9 inches tall.  Children taller than 4 feet 9 inches are allowed to use regular seat belts.

  

If you are pulled over by law enforcement and it’s discovered that children are not legally secured, you’ll be fined $50 for a first offense. Second and subsequent violations will be met with a fine of not more than $100.

Graduated Driver’s License Program

Georgia has implemented a 3-tier graduated driver's license program beginning with a learner’s permit and ending with full driver privileges once all conditions are met.

Teens are allowed to apply for a learner's permit on their 15th birthday. The learner stage lasts for a minimum of 12 months. During the learner stage, teens are required to complete 40 hours of supervised driving, with a minimum of 6 of these hours occurring at night. Once these conditions are satisfied, and the driver has reached the age of 16, the driving test can be taken. If the driving test is passed the driver enters the intermediate stage and is issued a license.

Young drivers must abide by the following rules until they turn 18:

• They cannot drive between the hours of 12 am and 6 am
• For the first 6 months they cannot have more than one passenger in the car with them who is under 21 years of age
• For the second 6 months they cannot have more than 3 passengers in the car with them

Drivers receive full passenger privileges when they reach 18 years of age if all other conditions have been met.

Senior Drivers in Georgia

The license renewal cycle in Georgia is every 10 years. Once drivers reach the age of 59, the period is reduced to every 5 years. At age 64, drivers are required to pass an in-person vision screening test. Non-commercial drivers must prove that they have a minimum of 20/60 vision in at least one eye, with or without glasses or contact lenses, and a field of vision of at least 140 degrees.

If a driver fails the eye test they will be given a Vision Report Form which must be completed by their eye doctor (optometrist or ophthalmologist) and sent to the Georgia Department of Driver Services.

Seat Belt Laws

Georgia requires that passengers between the ages of 8 and 17 wear seat belts at all times. Drivers 18 and older are only required to wear seat belts when they ride in the front seats of moving vehicles. The maximum seat belt violation fine is $15 for a first offense.

Vehicles Registered in Another State

When you drive a vehicle in Georgia that is required to be registered in another state, you must have the type of insurance required by that state. You must be able to provide proof of this insurance to law enforcement upon request.

The Cost of Driving in Georgia

Average Georgia Car Insurance Rates

The average cost of car insurance in Georgia in 2014, the most recent year for which data was available, was $839.94 compared to a national average of $866.31. Georgia is ranked the 18th most expensive state for car insurance.

Fuel Taxes

As of January 2016, the state of Georgia taxes gasoline at 31.02 cents per gallon. When added to the Federal fuel tax of 18.4 cents per gallon, residents of Georgia can expect to pay a total of 49.42 cents per gallon in taxes every time they fill up at the gas station.  Georgia taxes diesel fuel at 34.66 cents per gallon. When added to the Federal diesel tax of 24.4 cents per gallon, Georgians will pay a total of 59.06 cents per gallon in taxes for diesel fuel.

Car Insurance Risk in Georgia

Uninsured Motorists

In 2012 it was estimated that 11.7% of all drivers on Georgia roads had no car insurance. This number is slightly lower than the national average of 12.6% and ranks Georgia 26th in the nation for uninsured motorists.

Traffic Fatalities

In 2013, there were 1,179 traffic fatalities in Georgia, a 1% decrease from the 1,192 traffic fatalities reported in 2012.

	2010	2011	2012	2013
Total Fatalities	1,247	1,226	1,192	1,179

Vehicle Thefts

Georgia had 26,854 vehicle thefts reported in 2014, a 1% decrease compared to 2013 when 27,159 vehicles were reported stolen. In 2014, the vehicle theft rate was 266 per 100,000, a decrease of 2.1% from the 2013 rate of 271.7 per 100,000.

The vehicle theft rate in Georgia is slightly higher than the overall US vehicle theft rate, which was 216.2 per 100,000 in 2014.

Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles in Georgia

Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau - Hot Wheels Report 2014

1. 1996 Honda Accord
2. 1999 Chevrolet Pick-Up (Full Size)
3. 2006 Ford Pick-Up (Full Size)
4. 2000 Honda Civic
5. 2002 Dodge Caravan
6. 2006 Chevrolet Impala
7. 2000 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee
8. 2014 Toyota Camry
9. 2004 Dodge Pick-Up (Full Size)
10. 2013 Nissan Altima

Georgia Auto Insurance Company Market Share

Source: Insurance Information Institute

Rank	Market Share	Company
1	11.6%	Allstate Corp
2	11.2%	Progressive Corp.
3	10.2%	Berkshire Hathaway
4	7.7%	USAA Insurance Group
5	4.9%	Liberty Mutual
6	3.6%	Nationwide Mutual Group
7	3.3%	GA Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co.
8	2.4%	Travelers Companies Inc.
9	1.9%	Auto Owners Insurance Co.

Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner

Website:

http://www.oci.ga.gov/

Insurance Commissioner:

Ralph T. Hudgens

Mailing Address:

Two Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive
West Tower, Suite 716
Atlanta, Georgia 30334

Contact Consumer Services

Phone:

(404) 656-2070

Toll Free:

(800) 656-2298

Email:

Consumer@oci.ga.gov

File an Insurance Complaint

Website:

Complaint Portal

Sources:

• FBI Uniform Crime Report
• NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System
• Insurance Information Institute – Minimum Coverage Levels by State
• American Petroleum Institute
• National Insurance Crime Bureau
• Governors Highway Safety Association
• Insurance Information Institute – Insurance Expenditures by State
• Georgia Department of Driver Services - DDS
• Georgia Auto Insurance Market Share

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