Best Car Insurance in Georgia
Last Updated on May 16, 2021
Georgia has some of the most expensive car insurance premiums in the United States. For various reasons, drivers in Georgia pay over $1,956 per year for full coverage car insurance, on average, across the state.
Car insurance is expensive in Georgia, but it doesn’t have to be. By understanding Georgia car insurance laws and comparing different car insurance quotes, you can maximize your car insurance savings in Georgia.
Table of Contents
- Best Auto Insurance Companies in Georgia
- Georgia Auto Insurance Requirements
- Driving Without Insurance in Georgia
- Car Insurance in Georgia with a DUI
- Car Insurance in Georgia with At-Fault Accidents
- Car Insurance in Georgia with Speeding Tickets
- Car Insurance in Georgia for Young Drivers
- Car Insurance in Georgia with Poor Credit
- SR-22 Insurance in Georgia
Top 10 Auto Insurance Companies in Georgia
All major car insurance companies have a strong presence in Georgia. However, some companies repeatedly rank better than others for customer service, claims satisfaction, and other metrics. We’ve ranked the top 10 best auto insurance companies in Georgia below.
1) USAA
USAA is one of the best car insurance companies in most states. Even in a state like Georgia that has high premiums, USAA beats the competition in price and has better customer service and claims satisfaction than most competing providers above. You can only buy USAA car insurance if you qualify for USAA membership (say, if you or a family member are active duty or retired military personnel). USAA charges roughly $1,002 per year for car insurance across Georgia.
| USAA | |
|---|---|
| Company Address | 9800 Fredericksburg Road San Antonio, TX 78288 |
| Phone Number | 1-210-531-USAA |
| Website URL | http://www.usaa.com/ |
2) Auto-Owners
Auto-Owners insures drivers across the United States, and the company has a particularly strong presence in Georgia. Auto-Owners charges average annual premiums of around $1,021. Although it’s not as cheap as USAA, Auto-Owners is known for a combination of good value insurance and strong claims satisfaction.
| Auto-Owners | |
|---|---|
| Company Address | 6101 Anacapri Blvd. Lansing MI, 48917 |
| Phone Number | 1-517-323-1200 |
| Website URL | https://www.auto-owners.com/ |
3) Travelers
Travelers covers drivers across the state of Georgia. The average Travelers customer pays around $1,423 per year for full coverage car insurance. Although that’s more expensive than the average nationwide car insurance rates, it’s cheaper than many competing providers listed here.
| Travelers | |
|---|---|
| Company Address | 485 Lexington Ave 10th Fl New York, NY 10017 |
| Phone Number | 1-866-218-5589 |
| Website URL | https://www.travelers.com/ |
4) Allied
Allied serves customers across the United States, including all of Georgia. Allied offers competitive prices on car insurance in both rural areas of Georgia and in urban areas of Georgia, like Atlanta, with drivers paying an average of $1,501 per year for full coverage car insurance.
| Allied Insurance | |
|---|---|
| Company Address | 1100 Locust Street Des Moines, IA, 50391 |
| Phone Number | 1-800-532-1436 |
| Website URL | https://www.alliedinsurance.com/ |
5) Georgia Farm Bureau
Georgia Farm Bureau is a Georgia-based insurance provider with a long history of insuring drivers across the state. Georgia Farm Bureau isn’t the cheapest insurance company in Georgia, but it remains well-rated for customer service, claims satisfaction, and overall value. Expect to pay around $1,522 per year with Georgia Farm Bureau.
| Georgia Farm Bureau Insurance | |
|---|---|
| Company Address | 1620 Bass Road P.O. Box 7068 Macon, GA 31209 |
| Phone Number | 1-800-342-1192 |
| Website URL | https://www.gfbinsurance.com/ |
6) State Farm
State Farm is America’s largest car insurance company, so it makes sense they would have a strong presence in Georgia. State Farm insures drivers across the state, with the average Georgian paying roughly $1,534 per year for car insurance. Georgians can save even more through State Farm’s extensive discounts, including safe driver discounts, safe vehicle discounts, and young driver discounts.
| State Farm | |
|---|---|
| Company Address | 1 State Farm Plaza Bloomington, IL 61701 |
| Phone Number | 1-309-766-2311 |
| Website URL | https://www.statefarm.com/ |
7) GEICO
GEICO has a dominant presence in most states, although they’re smaller in Georgia relative to other states. Nevertheless, GEICO charges fair prices for car insurance across the state, with drivers paying approximately $1,636 per year for full coverage car insurance with GEICO. GEICO policyholders in Georgia can save even more on auto insurance through GEICO’s DriveEasy program.
| GEICO | |
|---|---|
| Company Address | 5260 Western Avenue Chevy Chase, MD 20815 |
| Phone Number | 1-800-861-8380 |
| Website URL | https://www.geico.com/ |
8) Nationwide
Nationwide charges drivers roughly $1,801 per year for car insurance in Georgia. Although they’re not the cheapest provider on this list, Nationwide aims to impress drivers with good coverage, extensive discounts, and excellent claims satisfaction, among other benefits.
| Nationwide | |
|---|---|
| Company Address | One Nationwide Plaza Columbus, OH 43215 |
| Phone Number | 1-877-669-6877 |
| Website URL | https://www.nationwide.com/ |
9) Progressive
Progressive is a leading car insurance company that insures millions of drivers across the United States. In Georgia, Progressive drivers can expect to pay around $1,978 per year for full coverage car insurance, with Progressive being particularly popular in urban areas of the state. Through Progressive’s Name Your Price tool, Georgians can find very affordable auto insurance rates.
| Progressive | |
|---|---|
| Company Address | 6300 Wilson Mills Road Mayfield Village, OH 44143 |
| Phone Number | 1-800-776-4737 |
| Website URL | https://www.progressive.com/ |
10) Safeco
Although not as well-known as other insurance companies listed above, Safeco is one of America’s largest providers. Safeco provides reasonably-priced car insurance across the state of Georgia, with drivers paying roughly $1,578 per year for coverage.
| Safeco Insurance | |
|---|---|
| Company Address | 175 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116 |
| Phone Number | 1-800-332-3226 |
| Website URL | https://www.safeco.com/ |
Georgia Insurance Requirements
Georgia has similar insurance requirements to other states. Drivers in Georgia must have a specific amount of bodily injury liability coverage, property damage liability coverage, and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage:
- $25,000 of bodily injury liability coverage per person
- $50,000 of bodily injury liability coverage per accident
- $25,000 of property damage liability coverage
- $25,000 of uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per person and $50,000 per accident
- $25,000 of uninsured motorist property damage coverage with a $250, $500, or $1,000 deductible
Any auto insurance policy you buy in Georgia will (at least) meet these minimum requirements. An auto insurance policy that matches these requirements is labeled as a 25/50/25 plan.
Driving without Insurance in Georgia
Driving without car insurance in Georgia is illegal. If you are caught driving without insurance in Georgia, you could face fines, penalties, vehicle impoundment, prison time, and other penalties.
If caught driving without insurance in Georgia, you will be charged with Driving Without Insurance. Driving Without Insurance is a misdemeanor that could lead to fines of up to $1,000 and up to 12 months in jail. You will also lose driving privileges for 60 to 90 days.
If you have insurance but were unable to provide proof of insurance, then you may be charged with No Proof of Insurance. If you are later able to prove you had valid insurance when ticketed, you will only pay a $25 fine.
If you are caught driving without insurance two or more times, then you could face jail time and other more severe penalties.
Convictions for driving without insurance will be reported to your insurance company. Drivers caught without insurance face higher insurance premiums in the future.
Car Insurance in Georgia with DUI
Being convicted of a DUI in Georgia will cause car insurance premiums to rise. Drivers with a DUI are significantly riskier to insure than drivers without a DUI. Insurance companies charge higher rates to offset this risk.
Fortunately, not all Georgia car insurance companies treat DUIs the same way. Some treat it as a relatively minor offense, while others treat it more severely.
If you were convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while intoxicated (DWI) in Georgia, you still might be able to find affordable rates. Consider requesting a quote from the following insurance companies:
- State Farm: $2,022 per year
- Georgia Farm Bureau: $2,101 per year
- Auto-Owners: $2,236 per year
- Progressive: $2,410 per year
- GEICO: $2,511 per year
If you were convicted of a DUI in Georgia, you can expect car insurance premiums to rise 40% to 60%. Most car insurance companies use a lookback period of 3 to 7 years for a DUI, which means the DUI will affect rates for the next 3 to 7 years.
Car Insurance in Georgia with At-Fault Accidents
If you have an at-fault accident on your record in Georgia, then you will pay higher rates for car insurance. An at-fault accident makes you a riskier driver to insure in Georgia.
Fortunately, like DUIs, at-fault accidents are treated differently by different insurance companies. While some insurance companies treat an at-fault accident as a serious violation, others have accident forgiveness policies for minor accidents, which means one accident will not raise rates.
The best car insurance companies in Georgia for drivers with an at-fault accident include:
- Travelers: $1,982 per year
- Allied: $1,992 per year
- Georgia Farm Bureau: $2,005 per year
- Nationwide: $2,102 per year
- Mercury: $2,258 per year
Generally, an at-fault accident raises rates by 30% to 50% in Georgia.
Car Insurance in Georgia with Speeding Tickets
A single speeding ticket raises premiums with some companies – but not others. Many insurance companies ignore a minor speeding ticket if it’s your first offense, but they’re more likely to raise premiums if this is your second offense or if it’s a more severe speeding ticket. Some companies even have incident forgiveness, which will not let your first violation raise your rates.
The best car insurance companies in Georgia for drivers with one or more speeding tickets include:
- Auto-Owners: $1,123 per year
- Travelers: $1,298 per year
- Allied: $1,302 per year
- Georgia Farm Bureau: $1,638 per year
- GEICO: $1,563 per year
Car Insurance in Georgia for Young Drivers
Georgia has some of the highest insurance premiums in the United States, but young drivers pay particularly high rates for car insurance in Georgia.
The average young driver in Georgia pays $3,000 to $6,000 per year for full coverage car insurance. Many young drivers remain on their parents’ policies to reduce costs.
The best car insurance companies for young drivers in Georgia include:
- USAA: $2,600 per year
- Georgia Farm Bureau: $2,709 per year
- State Farm: $3,201 per year
- GEICO: $4,001 per year
- Allstate: $4,256 per year
The rates above are based on a young driver (under 25) with a clean driving record. If you are in your teens or have any incidents on your record, then you could pay considerably more for car insurance as a young driver – even with the companies above.
Car Insurance in Georgia with Poor Credit
Georgia, like most states, allows insurance companies to use credit scores to calculate car insurance premiums. As a driver with poor credit, you’ll pay significantly higher rates than a driver with good credit.
The average driver in Georgia with bad credit pays roughly $2,600 per year for car insurance – or 40% higher rates than an identical driver with good credit. In fact, drivers with bad credit pay higher rates than drivers with an at-fault accident, DUI, or speeding ticket.
Fortunately, some companies treat credit differently than others:
- USAA: $1,602 per year
- GEICO: $1,884 per year
- Allied: $1,983 per year
- Georgia Farm Bureau: $2,043 per year
- Auto-Owners: $2,403 per year
SR-22 Insurance in Georgia
Georgia requires certain drivers to obtain an SR-22 certificate to prove they have insurance.
If you have recently been penalized for a vehicle violation, or if you had a lapse in insurance coverage, then the Georgia DDS may require the SR-22 form to verify you have legal car insurance.
Most car insurance companies in Georgia can provide the SR-22 certificate. However, if you’re a particularly high-risk driver (say, if you have multiple accidents or DUIs), then you may need to use a special high-risk insurance provider, as normal insurers deny your quote request.
Georgia’s DDS may require an SR-22 certificate in all of the following situations:
- Caught driving without insurance
- Caught driving without a license
- License suspension or revocation
- DUI or DWI convictions
- At-fault accidents without insurance
- Too many points on your driving record
Overall, many high-risk drivers need to obtain an SR-22 certificate after committing multiple offenses within a brief window. Georgia suspends your driver’s license if you receive 15 or more points within a 24 month period, for example. If your license is suspended because of points, then you may need to provide the Georgia DDS with an SR-22 certificate to reinstate your license.
Typically, you need to hold the SR-22 certificate in Georgia for three years without interruption after your license suspension. You cannot let your auto insurance lapse at any point during these years.
Conclusion: How to Find the Best Auto Insurance in Georgia
Georgia has some of the costliest car insurance premiums in the United States. Drivers in Georgia pay some of the highest insurance premiums in the country, with Georgia ranking among the top 10 most expensive states for car insurance.
Fortunately, by shopping around and comparing quotes, you can find the best auto insurance in Georgia.
