Cheapest car insurance in Georgia for 2024

Car insurance in Georgia is just slightly more expensive than it is in the nation as a whole. Georgia drivers pay an average of $2,562 per year for full coverage and $861 per year for minimum coverage, whereas the national average annual rates are $2,329 and $633, respectively. If you’re shopping for cheap car insurance in Georgia, Bankrate’s insurance editorial team has done the work for you. 

Key takeaways

• Cheapest company for minimum coverage: Encompass
• Cheapest company for full coverage: Mercury
• Cheapest company for drivers with prior incidents: Auto-Owners
• Cheapest company for young drivers: Allstate

The cheapest car insurance in Georgia is generally the state-mandated minimum coverage, which provides the baseline coverage required to drive legally on public roads. It does not offer financial protection for your own car in an at-fault accident—you would need full coverage for that. In Georgia, the minimum coverage includes only liability insurance, which helps pay for damages and injuries to the other car and passengers in an at-fault accident.

The average annual cost of minimum coverage in Georgia is $861, but you may be able to find more affordable insurance by shopping around and asking for quotes from a range of insurers. The insurers listed below have the lowest average minimum coverage rates and may be a good place to start.

Minimum coverage requirements for Georgia drivers

Driving without insurance in Georgia carries major penalties. To be compliant with Georgia’s minimum liability requirements for car insurance, drivers must have at least:

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

Liability insurance aims to protect the other party involved in an at-fault accident, so it will not apply to you or your vehicle. Georgia does not require drivers to purchase additional coverage types like comprehensive coverage, collision and medical payments, but having these included in your policy might offer you more financial protection for damage to your vehicle or immediate medical expenses arising from an incident. The average cost of this minimum coverage level in Georgia is $861 per year.

Both comprehensive and collision coverage may also be required if you have a loan on your vehicle or it is leased. Even though these coverage types add cost to your policy, they may help lower out-of-pocket expenses after an accident. The state of Georgia does not require drivers to carry uninsured motorist coverage or underinsured motorist coverage. Still, you may want to consider purchasing these coverage types in the event that someone who is uninsured or does not have enough insurance hits your vehicle.

If you have an auto loan, lease or a vehicle with a relatively high value, you will want to shop for full coverage insurance. Full coverage, which is composed of comprehensive and collision coverage in addition to liability insurance, provides coverage for damage to your own vehicle due to a covered claim. Again, Mercury averages the cheapest Georgia auto insurance rates for full coverage, but you may also find an affordable policy with one of the following providers:

Not all accidents and moving violations are rated the same; it varies between insurance companies. For example, Georgia drivers with prior incidents may find lower insurance premiums with a provider specializing in high-risk drivers. If you have an accident or driving activity, comparing rates between insurance companies is paramount.

• Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a ticket: Mercury
• Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident: Encompass
• Cheapest car insurance for high-risk drivers: Mercury

Cheapest car insurance companies in Georgia for drivers with a speeding ticket: Mercury

According to the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, of the 1,797 traffic fatalities in 2022, 422 involved speeding. Due to the risky behavior behind receiving a speeding ticket, insurance companies impose surcharge points that stay on your policy generally for three years. Our research found Auto-Owners and the following companies have the lowest average rates for drivers with speeding tickets in Georgia:

Cheapest car insurance companies for drivers with an at-fault accident: Encompass

If you are involved in an at-fault accident you will typically see a considerable increase in your insurance rates, unless you have earned or purchased accident forgiveness with your insurance carrier for a first at-fault collision. The premium increase will depend on various factors, including the severity of the accident, location, total cost of repairs and whether or not alcohol or speeding was a factor. With at-fault accidents, your rate may be affected for three to five years, but all companies rate at-fault accidents differently. Bankrate’s analyses found that Encompass and Auto-Owners have the lowest average insurance rates for drivers with an at-fault accident. You can see other low-cost insurance companies listed below:

Cheapest car insurance companies for high-risk drivers: Mercury

A single incident is not likely to immediately label you as a high-risk driver, but a string of them — especially a DUI conviction in Georgia, multiple speeding tickets or having a poor credit-based insurance score — may have a significant impact on your rates. A DUI is one of the most severe driving infractions you can have on your motor vehicle record, and can lead to being labeled a high-risk driver.

High-risk drivers may have a more difficult time qualifying with traditional insurance companies and face higher rates. In these situations, you could ask about any discounts you might be able to qualify for, drive a vehicle that’s cheaper to insure or explore companies that offer non-standard insurance.

In Georgia, age is a significant rating factor. Drivers under the age of 25 are often deemed “high-risk” due to their lack of driving experience. However, drivers approaching the age of 25 who keep a good driving record will see their insurance rates slowly decrease until they are moved into a standard risk pool. Since car insurance for young adults can be so expensive, it is crucial to compare rates among carriers and look for discounts.

• Cheapest car insurance for insuring a teen driver: Encompass
• Cheapest car insurance for teens with a ticket: Encompass
• Cheapest car insurance for teens with an at-fault accident: Encompass
• Cheapest car insurance for young drivers with a DUI: Allstate

Cheapest Georgia car insurance for insuring a teen driver: Encompass

Teen drivers are some of the most expensive to insure because of their inexperience behind the wheel, leading to a higher risk of accidents and losses. Insurance companies recognize that teens pose a higher risk than older drivers and typically charge higher rates to compensate for this risk. If you are adding a young driver to your car insurance policy and looking to save, consider insurance companies that offer teen driver discounts, like a good student discount, to offset some of the premium increase.

Cheapest car insurance for teens with a ticket: Encompass

Speeding is one of the leading causes of car accidents among teen drivers. According to NHTSA, 30 percent of all U.S. traffic fatalities in 2022 involved speeding drivers. Even without causing an accident, teen drivers with speeding tickets will see higher insurance rates since insurance companies must account for the higher risk. On average, Encompass has the lowest car insurance rates for Georgia teens with speeding tickets on their driving history. Our rates reflect an 18-year-old on their own policy.

Cheapest car insurance for teens with an at-fault accident: Encompass

Inexperience with avoiding road hazards and making mature decisions causes teen drivers to have more accidents than any other age group. Not only does this increase the chance of an accident, it increases the severity of the outcome. In 2021, it was reported that about half of all teens involved in car fatalities were not wearing a seatbelt. Encompass averages the lowest rate for teens with at-fault accidents.

Cheapest car insurance for young drivers with a DUI: Allstate

Drunk driving is a red flag for most insurance companies. A new driver ticketed with a DUI will face steep insurance rates and can have their insurance policy canceled by their carrier. Drivers who can not secure insurance with a standard carrier due to a DUI may have better luck with an insurance company specializing in high-risk drivers. In Georgia, Allstate has the lowest average annual premium for 21-year-old drivers with a DUI.

In addition to shopping around for cheap insurance, Georgia drivers may also get lower rates by taking advantage of car insurance discounts. Every company has a different set of discount opportunities. Some of them are easily earned and could significantly reduce your premium. Here are some common Georgia car insurance savings opportunities:

• Young driver discounts: Insuring young drivers may be expensive, but car insurance companies often offer ways to offset some of the costs. When shopping for cheap auto insurance, Georgia drivers with teens may want to look for good student, driver training or student-at-school discounts.
• Safe driver discounts: If you haven’t had an accident or ticket in a certain amount of time (often three to five years, but it depends on the company), you may automatically qualify for a safe driver or claims-free discount. You might consider enrolling in a telematics program as well, which rewards safe driving behaviors with a personalized discount.
• Other discounts: There are several other ways to save on car insurance in Georgia, including bundling your auto and home policies with one company, signing up for paperless billing, paying in full or reducing the number of miles you drive.

Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze the latest rates in August 2024 for ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Rates include the most recent approved rate increases filed by insurance companies and are weighted based on the population density in each geographic region so that policyholders can see the impact rates have in their areas. Quoted rates are based on a 40-year-old male and female driver with a clean driving record, good credit and the following full coverage limits:

• $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
• $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
• $50,000 property damage liability per accident
• $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
• $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
• $500 collision deductible
• $500 comprehensive deductible

To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements. Our base profile drivers own a 2022 Toyota Camry, commute five days a week and drive 12,000 miles annually.

These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes.

Incidents: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the following incidents applied: clean record (base), at-fault accident, single speeding ticket and single DUI conviction. Young driver DUI rates are for 21-year-old drivers on their own policy; other young driver incident rates are for 18-year-old drivers on their own policy.

Teens: Rates were determined by adding a 16-year-old teen to their 40-year-old married parents' policy. The rates displayed reflect the total cost of a driver this age added to their parents’ policy.

Age: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the ages 18 and 21 applied. Drivers are renters on their own policy. Age is not a contributing rating factor in Hawaii and Massachusetts due to state regulations.