Photo: erluko, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Georgia requires every driver to carry liability insurance of at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per incident for injuries, plus $25,000 for property damage (25/50/25). This guide is for new Georgia drivers and parents of teens. It explains what that minimum does and doesn’t cover, the optional coverages worth knowing, and what Georgia law expects you to do after a crash, as of November 2026.
Key facts
- Minimum liability: $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per incident, $25,000 property damage, according to the Georgia Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire (OCI).
- Georgia is a tort (at-fault) state. The driver who causes the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the other side’s injuries and damage.
- Coverage must be continuous on any vehicle with an active registration, and your insurer reports it electronically to the state, according to the Department of Revenue (DOR).
- Report crashes to police immediately when anyone is hurt or killed, or property damage appears to be $500 or more. Failure to report is a 3-point offense.
- Collision and comprehensive are optional under Georgia law, but lenders and leasing companies usually require them.
What Georgia’s 25/50/25 minimum covers
| Number | Coverage | What it pays |
|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | Bodily injury, per person | The most paid for any one person you injure |
| $50,000 | Bodily injury, per incident | The total for everyone you injure in one crash |
| $25,000 | Property damage, per incident | Other people’s cars and property you damage |
OCI’s guide points out that the legally required cover only pays for damage you do to others. It does nothing for your own car or your own injuries. Costs above your limits can come back to you. See how Georgia compares in minimum car insurance by state.
Worked example
You hold the minimum and cause a crash. One driver’s injury claim is $32,000 and their car needs $28,000 of repairs. Your policy pays up to $25,000 for the injury and $25,000 for the car. The remaining $7,000 and $3,000 may be claimed from you personally. Your own car’s damage is not covered at all without collision.
Optional coverages in Georgia
- Uninsured motorist: pays you if an uninsured driver causes a crash that damages your car or injures you or your passengers. OCI says you are paid as if the other driver had been covered.
- Collision: pays for damage to your car from hitting another vehicle or object.
- Comprehensive (“other than collision”): theft, vandalism, fire, weather, broken glass and hitting an animal.
- Medical payments: covers injuries to you or your passengers, in amounts you choose.
- Rental reimbursement and towing: optional extras.
OCI notes you can claim under your own physical damage cover even if someone else may have caused the crash.
New and teen drivers: what to know about Georgia insurance
- Good student discounts must be offered. OCI’s guide says insurers are required to offer lower liability, medical and collision rates to drivers who qualify as good students, for example a B average or 3.0 GPA, top 20% of the class, or the Dean’s List or Honor Roll. Other conditions may apply.
- Driver education is on OCI’s list of discounts to ask about.
- Age and gender affect price. OCI says young male drivers generally pay more than young women because of claims statistics.
- Delivery jobs: most personal policies exclude cover when the car is used to carry property for a fee, so check before delivering food or parcels.
- Points raise risk and price. See the Super Speeder law and points for new drivers and the Class CP and Class D rules.
- When to add a teen: each insurer sets its own rule. See adding a teen driver to car insurance.
What to do after a crash in Georgia
- Stop. Leaving the scene of a crash is a serious offense that counts toward habitual violator status under DDS rules.
- Check for injuries and call 911 if anyone is hurt.
- Report it to police. Georgia Code section 40-6-273 requires the driver to notify the local police immediately, by the quickest means, when a crash causes injury or death or apparent property damage of $500 or more. Failure to report is a 3-point violation on the DDS points schedule.
- Clear the road when it is safe. The DDS points schedule lists “failure to remove vehicle from roadway” (section 40-6-275) as a 3-point violation. If no one is hurt and the cars can be driven, moving them out of the travel lanes is the safer choice.
- Hit an unattended car or fixed object? You have a legal duty to stop and report it; violating it is a 3-point offense (sections 40-6-271 and 40-6-272).
- Swap names, insurance companies and policy numbers, and note the other vehicles’ plates and any witnesses.
- Notify your insurer promptly and keep records of every call.
The full national checklist: what to do after a car crash in the US.
If you can’t pay a claim: Georgia’s Safety Responsibility Law
If you fail to satisfy a damage claim from a crash and a claim is filed against you under the Safety Responsibility Law, DDS will order your license suspended. To avoid it, DDS says you can:
- have your insurer file Form SR-21 with DDS, if you were insured at the time, or
- file a general or conditional release signed by the injured party, or
- post security for the damages, plus proof of financial responsibility (Form SR-22A).
Security is held for at least one year. You can ask for a hearing within 10 days of receiving the suspension order.
Driving uninsured in Georgia
- A lapse brings fines and possibly suspension of the vehicle registration, according to DOR.
- Driving on a suspended, revoked or cancelled registration is a criminal offense and the vehicle may be impounded.
- Limited driving permits are not available after a no-insurance conviction, according to the DDS Drivers Manual.
- Taking a car off the road? DOR says cancel the registration before cancelling the insurance to avoid penalties.
Common questions
Is Georgia a no-fault state?
No. Georgia uses the tort system, where the at-fault driver’s liability insurance pays the other side. OCI lists bodily injury liability, property damage liability and uninsured motorist coverage as the basic coverages sold under a tort system.
Do I need to carry a paper insurance card in Georgia?
Your insurer sends your coverage to the state database electronically. You can check your status with DOR’s online insurance look-up. Carrying proof of insurance in the car is still sensible, for example after a crash or a traffic stop.
Do I have to call the police for a small parking lot bump?
The legal duty to notify police applies to crashes with injury, death or apparent property damage of $500 or more. Repairs often pass $500 quickly, so if in doubt, call.
Can my insurer drop me after one claim?
OCI says that if you have been with your insurer for at least three years, it can’t non-renew you for just one claim, even if the crash was your fault. You can ask the Insurance Commissioner to review a non-renewal in writing within 15 days of the notice.
My lender says I need full coverage. Is that allowed?
Yes. OCI says it is normal for lenders to require comprehensive and collision on a financed car, because the car is their collateral.
Does 25/50/25 cover my teen in my car?
Liability cover protects other people your teen injures, up to the limits. It does not pay for your teen’s injuries; medical payments coverage or health insurance does that.
Back to the full route: learning to drive in Georgia.
Sources
- Georgia Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire, “Auto Insurance” and “Guide for Automobile Insurance” (oci.georgia.gov)
- Georgia Department of Revenue, “Vehicle Insurance Requirements” (dor.georgia.gov)
- Georgia Department of Driver Services, “Points Schedule” (dds.georgia.gov)
- Georgia Department of Driver Services, “Drivers Manual, Section 10: Losing Your Driving Privileges” (dds.georgia.gov)
- Georgia Department of Transportation, “Statutory Rules” (O.C.G.A. 40-6-273), Crash Reporting Manual (crashmanual.dot.ga.gov)