Georgia Car Insurance Requirements & Minimum Coverage

Georgia requires all drivers to carry minimum liability insurance of 25/50/25. Here’s what that means for you — and why it’s almost never enough after a serious accident.

Georgia’s Mandatory Minimum Liability: 25/50/25

Every driver in Georgia must carry at least the following liability insurance:

CoverageMinimumWhat It Covers
Bodily Injury (per person)$25,000Maximum paid for one person’s injuries
Bodily Injury (per accident)$50,000Maximum paid for all injuries in one accident
Property Damage (per accident)$25,000Maximum paid for vehicle/property damage

Driving without at least these minimums is illegal in Georgia. Penalties include fines, license suspension, vehicle registration suspension, and a lapse-in-coverage fee.

What Each Number Means in Practice

The 25/50/25 designation represents three separate coverage caps:

  • $25,000 per person— If you are hit by a driver carrying minimum coverage, their insurer will pay no more than $25,000 for your injuries — regardless of how much your medical bills actually total.
  • $50,000 per accident— If multiple people are injured in the same accident, the total payout for all injuries is capped at $50,000. In a multi-victim crash, this amount is split among all injured parties.
  • $25,000 for property damage— This covers vehicle repair or replacement and other property damage. With the average new car costing over $48,000, this limit is easily exceeded in a total-loss situation.

Why Minimums Are Rarely Enough for Serious Injuries

Georgia’s minimum coverage limits were set decades ago and have not kept pace with modern medical costs. Consider these real-world scenarios:

Emergency room visit + ambulance: $5,000 – $15,000
Spinal surgery: $50,000 – $150,000+
6 months of physical therapy: $10,000 – $30,000
Lost wages (6 months):$25,000 – $50,000+

Total: $90,000 – $245,000+ — far exceeding the $25,000 per-person minimum.

When the at-fault driver’s policy maxes out, the remaining balance falls on you— unless you have your own UM/UIM coverage to fill the gap.

Uninsured & Underinsured Motorist Coverage (O.C.G.A. § 33-7-11)

Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM) is arguably the most important coverage on your auto policy. It protects you in two common situations:

  • Uninsured motorist (UM): The at-fault driver has no insurance at all. Approximately 12% of Georgia drivers are uninsured.
  • Underinsured motorist (UIM): The at-fault driver has insurance, but their limits are not enough to cover your damages.

Under O.C.G.A. § 33-7-11, Georgia law requires every auto insurer to offer UM/UIM coverage with every liability policy. You can only decline it by signing a written rejection. If the insurer cannot produce your signed rejection, the coverage is automatically included at the same limits as your liability coverage.

We recommend carrying UM/UIM coverage at the highest limits you can afford. It is your safety net when the other driver’s policy falls short — which happens far more often than most people expect.

Other Important Coverage Types

Collision Coverage

Pays to repair or replace your vehicle after an accident, regardless of fault. Not required by Georgia law, but essential if you have a loan or lease on your vehicle. Without collision coverage, you bear the full cost of vehicle repairs if the at-fault driver is uninsured.

Comprehensive Coverage

Covers non-collision events like theft, vandalism, hail, flooding, and animal strikes. Optional under Georgia law but typically required by lenders.

Medical Payments Coverage (MedPay)

MedPay covers your medical expenses (and your passengers’) regardless of who caused the accident, up to your policy limit. It pays out quickly — often within days — helping cover immediate bills while your injury claim is being processed. MedPay is optional in Georgia but highly recommended.

How to Check If You Have Adequate Coverage

Review your auto insurance declarations page (dec page) — the summary document your insurer provides at each renewal. Look for:

  • Bodily Injury Liability limits — Are they above the 25/50 minimum?
  • UM/UIM coverage — Is it listed? At what limits? Does it match your liability limits?
  • MedPay — Is it included? At what limit?
  • Collision and Comprehensive — What are your deductibles?

If you’ve been in an accident and aren’t sure what coverage you have, our attorneys can review your policy at no cost as part of your free consultation. We frequently discover UM/UIM coverage that clients didn’t know they had.

Related Services & Resources

Understanding your insurance coverage is critical after an accident. Our attorneys review your policy for free and help you recover every dollar available.

Insurance Requirements FAQs

What is the minimum car insurance required in Georgia?
Georgia requires all drivers to carry minimum liability insurance of 25/50/25: $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 per accident for property damage. Driving without at least these minimums is illegal and can result in license suspension and fines.
What does 25/50/25 mean?
The three numbers represent coverage limits: $25,000 is the maximum the policy pays for one person's bodily injury; $50,000 is the maximum for all bodily injuries in a single accident; and $25,000 is the maximum for property damage per accident. If your medical bills exceed $25,000, the at-fault driver's minimum policy won't cover the full amount.
What is uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage?
UM/UIM coverage protects you when the at-fault driver has no insurance (uninsured) or insufficient insurance (underinsured) to cover your damages. Under O.C.G.A. § 33-7-11, Georgia insurers must offer UM/UIM coverage with every liability policy. You can reject it in writing, but we strongly recommend keeping it — it is often the most important coverage on your policy.
Is UM/UIM coverage required in Georgia?
No, but Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 33-7-11) requires every insurer to offer UM/UIM coverage when you purchase a liability policy. You must actively reject it in writing. If the insurer cannot produce a signed rejection form, the coverage is deemed to exist at the same limits as your liability coverage. Many accident victims are surprised to learn they have UM/UIM coverage they didn't know about.
Why are Georgia's minimum insurance limits often insufficient?
A single emergency room visit after a car accident can easily exceed $25,000. Add surgery, physical therapy, lost wages, and long-term care, and damages often reach $100,000 or more. The at-fault driver's $25,000 minimum policy would cover only a fraction of those costs. This is why UM/UIM coverage and higher liability limits are so important.
What is MedPay coverage and should I have it?
Medical Payments coverage (MedPay) pays for your medical expenses regardless of fault — up to your policy limit. It covers you, your passengers, and sometimes family members in other vehicles. MedPay is optional in Georgia but can be invaluable because it pays out quickly, helping cover immediate medical bills while your injury claim is being resolved.

Not Sure What Your Policy Covers?

We review your insurance policy for free as part of every consultation. Call us to find out what coverage you have.

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