Car insurance in Georgia

Georgia vehicle insurance rates vary quite a bit. For instance, premiums are much higher in Atlanta, which has a dense urban population. This page features the latest available rates and statistics for people seeking car insurance in Georgia. Here is some useful information that will help you figure out the Georgia auto insurance plan that works best for you.

Georgia Minimum Liability Coverage

The minimum required car insurance coverage for each vehicle owned in the state of Georgia is $25,000 for Personal Injury Protection (PIP), $50,000 in per-accident protection for injury to others, and $25,000 in coverage for property damage. In insurance circles, this coverage is written as 25/50/25.

Still, the minimum requirement for car insurance is often not enough to cover the cost of accidents, and much of the cost often comes from the driver’s pocket. That’s why analysts at the Insurance Information Institute recommend that drivers buy above the minimum coverage required by state law. Their general suggestion is 100/300 coverage per vehicle.

Penalties for Driving Without Insurance in Georgia

The penalties for getting caught driving without insurance in the state of Georgia include fines, license suspension and reinstatement fees, at least. And that’s just for first offenders. Multiple violations result in stiffer penalties.

Auto Insurance Rates in Georgia

Car insurance premiums in the state of Georgia are affected by factors that include local weather conditions, local economy, percentage of uninsured drivers, availability of insurance companies and population density, to name a few. Other influences on annual premiums are the age, gender, marital status, occupation, driving record and vehicle owned by the driver, among other things.

The average annual premium for auto insurance in the state of Georgia was about $1,559 in 2016. This figure is above the national average rate for car insurance, which hovered around $1,347 at that time.

Low Cost Car Insurance Programs in Georgia

Georgia state law requires insurance carriers to grant a ten percent discount to drivers 25 years old or older with clean driving records for three years prior to applying for the discount. Georgia drivers under 25 can get a ten percent discount by completing a classroom-based training program.

Georgia car insurance carriers offer many incentive-based discounts on auto insurance. Available discounts for vehicles owned in the state of Georgia include Defensive Driving Course discounts for senior citizens, Safe Vehicle discounts for ownership of certain types of vehicles, and Good Student discounts for adults who are enrolled in school full time and excel academically.

Other available car insurance discounts are offered for the installation of anti theft devices, for purchasing more than one insurance policy, and for insuring more than one vehicle, among other things. Ask your local insurance agents about available discounts. Then compare quotes and choose the least expensive plan. It’s that simple.

Obtaining Auto Insurance Quotes in Georgia

Online customer satisfaction ratings and comparison studies from 2017 indicate that the most popular auto insurance providers in the United States are Allstate, Geico, Auto Owners Insurance, The Hartford, State Farm and 21st Century. However, comparison shopping is the best approach to finding the best car insurance. The state of Georgia has dozens of auto insurance carriers to choose from. Chances are that each one has an agent near you.

Georgia Car Insurance

This page details all the info you need to find the cheapest Georgia car insurance policy available to you.

The estimated population of the state of Georgia, as of 2016, was 10,310,371. This made Georgia the 8th most populous state in the country. The median age of the residents of Georgia is about 36 years. Roughly one out of six people in Georgia live at or below the poverty level. The state unemployment rate as of 2017 was 5.3 percent, not too far above the national average of 4.7 percent. The rate of uninsured vehicles on roads in the state of Georgia is about 12 percent.

Many people wonder about the statewide average annual premium for car insurance in Georgia.

Unfortunately, statewide averages on auto insurance premiums do not serve a useful purpose for most drivers in America. This is because statewide averages are often based on the lifestyle and demographics of an imaginary “average” driver, such as a 30-year-old married female with a clean driving record, a full time job, and a 2016 4-door Nissan Stanza that she drives less than 15,000 miles a year, for instance. A more reliable search for cheap Georgia car insurance would involve zip code comparisons within the state of Georgia. This would provide a somewhat more precise estimate of premium rates.

Just for fun, the “average” annual premium on auto insurance in the state of Georgia was around $1,160 in 2016. This figure is lower by a comfortable margin than the national average quote for car insurance, which was about $1,325 at that time.

Many factors can affect Georgia car insurance rates. For one thing, each insurance company has its own way of figuring premium costs, considering the zip code where the vehicle is parked, the driving record of the vehicle owner, and particular state laws, among other things.

Premium rates are also affected by population density, historical weather conditions, and local crime rates (particularly car theft, DUI, and speeding), as well as by the percentage of uninsured drivers on the road, to name just a few of the factors considered by underwriters who calculate auto insurance premiums. Even within the same zip code, car insurance premium rates will vary, often by more than a thousand dollars a year, based on the age, lifestyle, and auto insurance history of the driver.

Scroll down for a detailed analysis of both the cheapest and the costliest zip codes for Georgia car insurance. You’ll also find a list of Georgia’s favorite car insurance carriers, Georgia’s largest car insurance carriers, the types of auto insurance Georgia drivers should buy, some interesting Georgia traffic laws, and other info pertaining to car insurance in the state of Georgia.

Read on and learn all you need to know and more about Georgia car insurance.

Best Car Insurance Companies in Georgia

The top ten car insurance companies in the United States are Allstate, State Farm, Geico, Progressive, Nationwide, AAA, Liberty Mutual, 21st Century, GMAC, and AIG, in that order. In this case, “top” means highest revenue, or highest dollar amount of written premiums.

In 2016, a group of researchers at insure.com surveyed a sample of drivers whose vehicles were insured in the state of Georgia. The researchers requested that these drivers rank Georgia car insurance companies based on customer experience, premium rates, and insurance payout.

According to the data from the survey, the top providers of Georgia car insurance in terms of customer service are USAA, State Farm Insurance, Allstate Insurance, Travelers Group, and Nationwide, in that order. In terms of claims service, Georgia’s favorite car insurance carriers are USAA, Travelers Group, Liberty Mutual, Geico, and Progressive, in that order. In terms of value for the cost, Georgia’s favorites are USAA, Travelers Group, Progressive Insurance, State Farm Insurance, and Nationwide, in that order.

Finally, in terms of the annual dollar amount of premiums written, here’s a list of the ten largest car insurance companies in the state of Georgia. The dollar value of written premiums is a measure of a company’s market share. This information was sourced from A.M. Best, a national independent insurance company rater.

RankCompanyPremiums ($)Market Share (%)
1State Farm Insurance$1,621,878 23.65
2Allstate Insurance Group$802,102 11.7
3Geico$731,949 10.67
4Progressive Insurance Group$689,713 10.06
5USAA Group $532,563 7.77
6Liberty Mutual Insurance$305,377 4.45
7Nationwide Group$258,643 3.77
8Georgia Farm Bureau $229,391 3.35
9Travelers Group $171,815 2.51
10Auto Owners Insurance$136,400 1.99

You can find reviews about Georgia car insurance companies on various independent websites. Use these to help you decide which company should carry your auto insurance policy. There is no such thing as The One Best Georgia Car Insurance Company. One carrier may specialize in a particular group of people (such as military personnel, seniors, or high risk drivers, for instance), while another auto insurance company might focus on some other demographic. The most important thing you can do is shop around for car insurance quotes and make your best informed decisions. Compare quotes by entering your own demographic information and your own specific auto insurance needs. Be sure to check out most, if not all auto insurance companies that serve your area.

What Types Of Car Insurance Do Georgia Drivers Need?

Insurance analysts recommend that all drivers in America purchase more than the minimum state mandated car insurance required by law. Experts believe the appropriate amount of coverage for all driver in America would be $100,000 for personal injury protection, $300,000 in liability for injury to others, and at least $50,000 coverage against property damage.

Also a smart idea for Georgia drivers is comprehensive coverage and collision coverage. Collision coverage will pay the repair costs for anything your car crashes into, including the repair of the car itself. Comprehensive coverage pays for most types of non-accident damage, such as storms, floods and falling trees. Comprehensive coverage even pays for damage caused by deer collisions, a relatively common occurrence in Georgia.

Finally, Georgia drivers might consider buying Uninsured Motorist Insurance (UMI). Georgia is far from America’s biggest problem when it comes to uninsured drivers, but still, about one out of eight drivers in the state of Georgia is driving an uninsured vehicle.

Unusual Georgia Car Insurance Laws

  • It is illegal to drive a vehicle through a playground in the state of Georgia.
  • In Marietta, it is illegal to spit from a car or a bus.
  • Members of the Georgia Assembly cannot be issued traffic tickets while the Georgia State Assembly is in session.
  • Georgia state law requires car insurance companies to offer 10 percent discounts to drivers over the age of 25 who maintain clean driving records for three years or more.
  • Georgia is one of 31 states that allow drivers to show proof of insurance on their smartphones during traffic stops.

Best And Worst Zip Codes For Georgia Car Insurance

Here is a list of some of the most expensive zip codes to buy Georgia car insurance, where annual premium rates can exceed $1,600. Based on the demographic info of a typical, “average” driver, this list features the four zip codes where Georgia car insurance premium rates seem to be the steepest.

Zip CodePop Density Unemployed %Poverty %
30058 (Lithonia)1,75414.80%16.40%

The poverty rate in this Atlanta suburb is slightly below the state average of 17 percent. However, unemployment is nearly three times the state average of 5.3 percent. There could be a relatively high rate of uninsured drivers in this zip code, and this drives up the premium rates for those who do purchase car insurance.

Zip CodePop Density Unemployed %Poverty %
30088 (Stone Mountain)3,49718%15.80%

The population density of this zip code is average, and the poverty level seems under control. But the premiums in this zip code may be higher because of a sky high unemployment rate, a preponderance of motorcycle riders, and the presence of a well known tourist attraction featuring men on horses carved into the side of a mountain. People congregate there regularly for a laser light show, and drinking is among the festivities.

Zip CodePop Density Unemployed %Poverty %
30038 (Lithonia) 1,43512%15.10%

The population density is low in this Atlanta zip code, and the poverty rate is below the state average. However, unemployment is more than double the 5.3 percent state average.

Zip CodePop Density Unemployed %Poverty %
30034 (Decatur) 2,59116.90%18.40%

The population density is average here. However, unemployment is more than three times higher than the Georgia state average of 5.3 percent. With about one out of every six adults in this zip code unemployed, the roads must be rife with uninsured drivers.

In the least expensive zip codes for Georgia car insurance, annual premium rates can range anywhere from $500 to $1,400, according to quote comparisons on carinsurance.com. Here is an overview of four of the cheapest zip codes in which to purchase Georgia car insurance.

Zip CodePop Density Unemployed %Poverty %
31698 (Valdosta)10,66243%0%

Valdosta is a college town in southern Georgia, situated about 20 miles from the Florida border. Valdosta is home to Valdosta State University, which explains the median resident age of only 18.9 years. Unemployment is out of the ballpark in this zip code, but this mainly because most residents are college students whose parents are paying their way through school. This urban zip code spans less than one square mile.

Zip CodePop Density Unemployed %Poverty %
31632 (Hahira)1014.90%10.60%

Hahira is a little Georgia town located about 15 miles north of Valdosta. A very low population density helps keep the premium rates down in this rural neighborhood. Unemployment is also lower than the state average, as is the poverty rate.

Zip CodePop Density Unemployed %Poverty %
31602 (Valdosta) 85411.20%24%

The median resident age in this part urban, part rural zip code is 29.7 years. Unemployment is high, but not as high as in other parts of Valdosta. The poverty level is well above the state average of 17 percent. But because the population density is low, car insurance premiums are cheaper around here.

Zip CodePop Density Unemployed %Poverty %
31636 (Lake Park) 529.10%18.20%

Lake Park is a little town surrounded by lakes, about 10 miles south of Valdosta, and just a few miles from the Florida border. Unemployment is a little on the high side here, and the poverty rate is a bit above the state average, but population density is definitely low! Lake Park has a land area of almost 200 square miles, but is home to only about 10,000 residents.

Although rates will vary, Georgia is neither the cheapest nor the most expensive state to buy car insurance in America.

All in all, Georgia is home to 951 zip codes in 629 cities across 159 counties, from Abbeville to Zebulon and everywhere in between. Other things being equal, there is a difference of up to a thousand dollars in annual car insurance premium rates between the cheapest zip code and the most expensive zip code in the state of Georgia.

This information should give you a rough idea of the approximate cost of Georgia car insurance. You can learn a lot more about your premium rates by comparing online quotes

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.