Car insurance options in GA?

November 25, 2019 1:29 PM

Any suggestions for a young driver that has let her car insurance lapse in Georgia? Trying to come up with options for my niece..

My niece has let her car insurance lapse because she couldn't afford it - I am hoping to get hivemind wisdom on what her best options are.

She had State Farm, which was $250/month, but it was one of the only insurance companies that would go month to month. She's been told she could lose her license - the internet also says up to 12 months jail + a fine, but I am not sure how accurate that is.

Any suggestions on insurance companies, or experience with what happens next for her if she doesn't get re-insured?

posted by needlegrrl to Travel & Transportation (5 answers total)

Best answer: just personally, progressive was the cheapest for me and state farm the most expensive in georgia, but getting quotes is pretty quick and easy. progressive was easy for me to cancel mid-six month policy with no cancel fee, too; i'm not sure if that helps the month-to-month need? the consequences laid out on this page match what happened to me with an insurance lapse in NC, but i reinstated and paid the fee as soon as i got the notice in the mail.
posted by gaybobbie at 1:49 PM on November 25, 2019

What sort of coverage was the $250/month for? If it included comprehensive/collision coverage for her own car, then she could likely get a cheaper liability-only policy with just the minimum coverage required by the state. (This is what I do, though in my case it's because I drive a 25-year-old car that's not worth insuring.)
posted by bassooner at 2:52 PM on November 25, 2019

Best answer: Was her car registration suspended because of a lack of coverage? Regular insurance companies will often refuse policies to drivers who have gone too long without continuous coverage. In that case she'll be considered a high risk driver and have to apply for an assigned risk plan, which in Georgia is called the Georgia Automobile Insurance Plan, or GAAIP. The rates will be even higher than what she was paying before she stopped, but if she pays on time for at least six months (and maybe longer) she should eventually qualify for a regular plan again.
posted by fedward at 3:05 PM on November 25, 2019

best call the state first, find out what you need to do then shop the insurance ASAP
posted by patnok at 6:42 PM on November 25, 2019

Response by poster: Just as a followup, in case anyone is looking at this in the future - State Farm wouldn't reinstate her without a co-signer, but she was able to get other insurance. She already had the lowest coverage possible, but she is young, and it is expensive. Her registration was canceled, but she was able to get that fixed for $85 or so. I am still not sure exactly when her insurance lapsed, but I'm helping her out for a couple months while she is looking for fulltime work, so fingers crossed!

Thanks to all!
posted by needlegrrl at 11:50 AM on December 28, 2019