Insurance Requirements

Vehicle owners are required to maintain Georgia liability insurance coverage on all vehicles registered in the state of Georgia. Failure to do so will lead to fines and the eventual suspension of your vehicle registration.

Insurance cards are not considered acceptable proof of insurance for vehicle registration purposes in Georgia.

Insurance companies are required to transmit insurance information electronically into the State of Georgia’s Motor Vehicle Division’s database within 30 days of your obtaining insurance. You will need to verify the accuracy of their VIN number on your insurance card. If the VIN is incorrect, then the insurance information will not be transmitted properly.

Acceptable Proof of Insurance

When the Motor Vehicle database does not indicate valid proof of insurance, the following are acceptable:

• An original Insurance Binder with an effective date that is less than 30 days. Our office will accept a fax directly from the insurance company for the owner’s Insurance Binder. Our office fax number is 229-671-2599.
• The original Declaration Page from your existing auto insurance policy if the newly acquired vehicle occurred within the last 30 days.
• A Georgia fleet insurance card with the words “Georgia Fleet” on it.
• A Self-Insured insurance card and a Certificate of Self Insurance.

Your insurance card is still valid proof of insurance for the following:

• Traveling in another state that may not have access to the Georgia Motor Vehicle Division database.
• Exchanging information if you are involved in an accident.
• Vehicles covered on a Fleet Policy.
• Vehicles covered on a Self-Insured Policy.

Cancel Your Insurance - Cancel Your Tag

If insurance is to be canceled for any of the reasons listed below, you should cancel your vehicle registration BEFORE canceling your insurance. If you fail to cancel your vehicle registration timely you will be assessed a $25 lapse fee. If the $25 lapse fee is not paid within 30 days of the letter mailed to you by the Motor Vehicle Division, a $60 suspension fee will also be assessed, for a total of $85. If this $85 is not paid timely, suspension of vehicle registration will occur.

Valid reasons for canceling a registration are:

• Vehicle is now registered in another state
• Vehicle was sold or traded to a dealer
• Vehicle was repossessed, stolen, wrecked, salvaged by insurance company or junked
• Vehicle is not being operated because the vehicle is inoperable or stored and used seasonally for agricultural or other purposes
• Military Personnel ONLY: Vehicle was stored during absence from the State of Georgia pursuant to military orders

You must come into our office to “voluntarily” cancel your registration or go online here. You will need to have your driver’s license and vehicle tag number of the vehicle you are canceling.

If the vehicle is to be placed back into operation and you have established valid Georgia insurance coverage once again, you must visit our office or go online here to have the current vehicle registration reinstated. If the vehicle registration has since expired, you will need to renew the vehicle registration at that point.

Lapse of Insurance and Suspension

A lapse in insurance occurs when a vehicle has not carried valid Georgia liability insurance coverage for a period of more than 10 days. Insurance companies are required to report termination of insurance to the State of Georgia’s Motor Vehicle database.

The Motor Vehicle Division will send notification to the vehicle owner when a lapse has occurred and you will be assessed a $25 lapse fee. If the $25 lapse fee is not paid within 30 days of the letter mailed to you by the Motor Vehicle Division, a $60 suspension fee will also be assessed, for a total of $85. If this $85 is not paid timely, suspension of vehicle registration will occur.

Click here for more information regarding suspension fees: dor.georgia.gov/penalties-and-fines-lapse-insurance-coverage