IMPORTANT INSURANCE NOTICE
Motor vehicle owners and lessees in this state are required to maintain continuous
Georgia liability insurance coverage on their vehicles.
They must have acceptable proof of insurance to be able to:
• Register and obtain a Georgia license plate (tag) for their vehicle;
• Renew, transfer or replace their existing Georgia license plate (tag);
and,
• Legally drive their vehicle.
The Department of Revenue (DOR) is required by law to suspend and/or revoke the
registration of any vehicle that does not
have continuous Georgia liability insurance coverage.
Anyone driving a motor vehicle without acceptable proof of Georgia liability
insurance coverage will be subject to fines and vehicle impoundment when discovered
by law enforcement or if the vehicle is involved in an accident. See the information
under the heading “Acceptable Proof of Georgia Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance”
for what is acceptable proof of insurance coverage.
Acceptable Proof of Georgia Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance
The following is acceptable proof of Georgia motor vehicle liability insurance:
•A valid insurance coverage indicator on your vehicle’s record
on this Department's tag and title database is acceptable proof of Georgia liability
insurance coverage. Law enforcement and County Tax Commissioner personnel in this
state have access to this database and can easily check on the insurance status
of any vehicle registered in the State of Georgia. You may check on the insurance
status of your vehicle with the vehicle identification number (VIN) and title or
control number from this web site. Your vehicle's identification number (VIN) and
title or control number can be found on your current Georgia registration (a/k/a
tag receipt) or title. When a Georgia title has not been issued for the vehicle
in the registered owner’s name, a fifteen-digit control number beginning with “17”
or “99” will appear on the vehicle's registration certificate (a/k/a tag receipt)
instead of a title number. Click here to access the Insurance State Inquiry screen.
If no information is found and you do not have acceptable proof of insurance coverage
as shown under the heading “Acceptable Proof of Georgia Motor Vehicle Liability
Insurance”, check with your insurer since only your insurer can add, delete or modify
insurance information on the insurance database.
•A valid fleet insurance policy information card issued
by an insurer, licensed in Georgia, is acceptable proof of Georgia liability insurance
coverage for a vehicle insured under a fleet insurance policy. This card must be
carried in the vehicle at all times while the vehicle is in operation. Neither the
vehicle identification number (VIN) nor the registrant’s name is required on this
card.
•A bill of sale dated within thirty- (30) days of the vehicle’s
purchase date and a valid insurance declaration page (usually
the top page of an insurance policy) issued by an insurer, licensed in Georgia,
is acceptable proof of Georgia liability insurance coverage for a recently purchased
vehicle. The bill of sale and the insurance declaration page must be carried
in the vehicle at all times while the vehicle is in operation until an electronic
insurance record is received by this Department from the insurer. A bill of sale
and an insurance declaration page used as proof of insurance are only valid for
thirty- (30) days.
• A valid self-insured insurance information card and a certificate of
self-insurance issued by the Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner’s
office (ICO) are acceptable proof of insurance coverage for a self-insured vehicle.
Both this card and the certificate of self-insurance must be issued in the registered
owner’s name and be carried in the vehicle at all times while the vehicle is being
driven.
Definition: A self-insurer is any owner who has on file with the
Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner’s office (ICO) an approved self-insurance
plan providing coverage, benefits, and an efficient claims handling procedure equivalent
to those provided by an automobile liability insurance company and complies with
all state laws, rules and regulations. A self-insured insurance information card
must be accompanied by a current certificate of self-insurance issued by the Georgia
Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner’s office (ICO) for it to be acceptable proof
of insurance coverage.
• A valid insurance policy information card issued by
an insurer, licensed in Georgia, in the registered owner’s name reflecting the vehicle’s
identification number (VIN) is acceptable proof of liability insurance coverage for
a vehicle that is registered with the Georgia International Registration Plan
(IRP). This card must be carried in the vehicle at all times while
the vehicle is in operation.
• A rental agreement is acceptable proof of insurance
coverage for a vehicle that is rented, not leased, and must
be carried in the rental vehicle while it is being driven.
Insurance Policy Information Cards
In addition to electronically transmitting insurance information to this Department's
insurance database, your insurer must issue you, their insured, an insurance policy
information card for each vehicle they insure. Even though this card is unacceptable
proof of insurance coverage for all vehicles except self-insured vehicles, fleet
vehicles and vehicles registered in Georgia under the IRP Plan, this card must
be carried in the vehicle at all times while it is being driven. Insurance
policy information cards may be needed in the following situations.
• For travel in other states where they may not recognize the information
on our database;
• To easily exchange insurance information in case the vehicle is involved
in an accident;
• For proof of liability insurance coverage for a fleet and self-insured vehicle
as well as vehicles registered in Georgia under IRP (International Registration
Plan). A certificate of self-insured issued by the Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner's office must
accompany a self-insured insurance information card for the card to be acceptable
proof of insurance coverage.
Insurers Must Electronically Transmit Insurance Information*
Insurers are required by law to electronically transmit insurance information
to this Department's insurance database for each vehicle* they insure. For more
information regarding the insurer's responsibilities, click here.
*Note: Self-insured vehicles, fleet vehicles and vehicles registered
in Georgia under IRP (International Registration Plan) must have Georgia liability
insurance coverage, but are exempt from the electronic transmitting requirements.
Voluntary Cancellation of Vehicle Registration by Registered Owner
You may voluntarily cancel your vehicle registration with your County Tax Commissioner’s
office without surrendering your vehicle's license plate (tag) when the vehicle
is not going to be driven.* Do not drive or let someone drive your
vehicle with a cancelled, suspended or revoked registration or while the vehicle
is uninsured.
*Important: To avoid any lapse and restoration fees from being
charged, you must cancel your vehicle’s registration before canceling your
vehicle’s insurance coverage.
Voluntary Cancellation of Registration by Military Personnel
Resident or non-resident military personnel on active military duty may voluntarily
cancel their vehicle Georgia registration with their County Tax Commissioner’s office
when the vehicle is not going to be driven during their absence.
Upon their return, the military service member may have their vehicle registration
reinstated at their County Tax Commissioner’s office with the following:
• Payment of all applicable vehicle ad valorem taxes and registration
fees, when applying for reinstatement during the owner's registration period. If
the vehicle owner did not receive a pre-printed bill showing the amount of ad valorem
taxes due, they should contact their County Tax Commissioner's office for this information.
Click here to
determine the owner's registration period
.• Acceptable proof of Georgia motor vehicle liability insurance coverage.
See the information under the heading "Acceptable Proof of Georgia Motor Vehicle
Liability Insurance” for what is acceptable proof of insurance coverage.
• A properly completed and signed Service Member’s Affidavit for Mandatory Insurance Relief, Form MV-18G.
Click on the form name or number to complete it on-line for printing, signing and
submission. The signature on this form must be notarized. The notary must affix
their notary seal or stamp and record the date their notary commission expires.
The service member’s commanding officer must complete and sign the “Certification
of Service Member’s Commanding Officer” section at the bottom of the affidavit,
Form MV-18G.
• Submission of acceptable proof that the vehicle has passed an emission's
inspection, if an emission’s inspection is required for the vehicle in the owner's
county of residence. For more information regarding emissions’ inspections, please
contact the Georgia Clean Air Force or
click here to connect to their web site.
Incorrect VIN
If your insurance policy information card does not reflect your vehicle’s
complete and correct vehicle identification number (VIN), contact your insurer immediately
since only your insurer can modify the information on the insurance database.
If your vehicle registration (tag receipt) and/or title do not
reflect your vehicle's complete and correct VIN, contact your County Tax Commissioner's
office for assistance in obtaining a new registration and/or title reflecting the
correct information.
Notice of Insurance Termination
If a Notice of Insurance Termination is received by this Department, thirty- (30)
days is given for new insurance information to be electronically transmitted by
an insurer to this Department's insurance database. If new insurance information
is transmitted and there is no lapse in coverage, i.e. The
new insurance policy's effective date and the old insurance policy's termination
date are the same, a valid insurance coverage indicator will remain on the vehicle’s
record on this Department's tag and title database.
If there is a lapse in insurance coverage, a Notice of Lapse in Mandatory Liability
Insurance Coverage is mailed to the vehicle's registered owner requesting the payment
of a $25.00 lapse fee within thirty- (30) days of the date on the notice.
If the owner pays the $25.00 lapse fee within the thirty- (30) day timeframe given,
a valid insurance coverage indicator will remain on the vehicle's registration record.
If the owner fails to pay the $25.00 lapse fee within the timeframe given (Thirty-days
from the date on the Notice of Lapse in Mandatory Liability Insurance Coverage),
it will result in the suspension and/or revocation of the vehicle's registration.
When this happens, a Notice of Suspension is mailed to the vehicle's registered
owner advising him or her that their vehicle registration has been suspended and
what is required for reinstatement.
If the vehicle's registration is suspended or revoked, it may result in a period
of time of up to six- (6) months during which the vehicle's registration cannot
be renewed or reinstated and/or the imposition of fees up to $160.00 in addition
to the $25.00 lapse fee. To drive this vehicle while the registration is suspended,
revoked or cancelled is a misdemeanor. Additional penalties will apply if the vehicle
owner has been convicted of driving a vehicle with a suspended or cancelled registration.
For more information regarding penalties, fines, lapse of insurance coverage, registration
suspension and registration reinstatement,
click here.