How to Get Cheap Auto Insurance in Georgia

Georgians who commute to Atlanta for work, head to Athens for a Bulldogs game, or set out to see Savannah’s gothic architecture (and haunted houses) all have one thing in common: the quest to save on auto insurance. The average cost of auto insurance in Georgia is about $1,780 annually for a full coverage premium, only 5% higher than the national average of $1,670. 

However, there are plenty of ways to get below-average premiums in the state. Let’s take a look at how you can get the cheapest insurance in Georgia while meeting all the requirements for a car insurance policy in the Peach State.

The first step to finding cheap car insurance in Georgia is selecting the type of policy you need. To choose the best policy for your needs, you’ll first need to decide what kind of coverage you want. Car insurance laws in the state require drivers to have at least $25,000 in bodily injury liability per person, $50,000 in bodily injury liability per accident, and $25,000 in property damage liability per accident, otherwise known as 25/50/25 liability coverage. A policy containing just this limit of liability coverage is considered a minimum coverage policy.

If you lease or finance your vehicle, your lender or lease may require you to have collision and comprehensive coverage as one of the terms in your legally binding agreement. If this is the case for you, you’re legally required to have this coverage, thus boosting your required policy from a minimum liability policy to a full coverage policy.

Insurers use several factors to determine the risk they take by insuring you. The risk an insurer takes when insuring you is reflected in your premiums, as high-risk drivers tend to pay more in premiums than low-risk drivers.

Premiums are subjective and vary from driver to driver. Insurers may use your age, gender, ZIP code, and several other factors to determine your rates. While affordable car insurance in Georgia will be available to many drivers, keep in mind that the factors insurers use to determine your rates may work against you rather than for you.

For example, teenage boys are statistically more likely to get into a car accident than any other age group. Due to this statistic, teenage boys pay incredibly high premiums. 

Knowing how your unique characteristics will affect your rates is crucial to finding the best and cheapest car insurance in Georgia. If you know that your rates will be higher due to your age or gender, you’ll want to do some extra research to find insurers that offer low base rates for the type of policy you desire or other ways you can lower your premiums until they go down naturally.

If you value a policy with expansive coverage options and don’t mind the additional cost for additional coverage, you’ll likely want a full coverage policy. While a full coverage policy may not be the most inexpensive option, there are plenty of cheap insurance companies in Georgia. The best way to maximize your savings with a full coverage policy is to find an insurer offering lower-than-average base rates and plenty of stackable discounts you can add to your policy.

Many insurers offer enrollment-based discounts where policyholders can take a safe-driving course to receive a discount upon completion. Some insurers also offer usage-based insurance programs where policyholders can enroll and track their mileage and driving date using a telematics device.

Those who drive under the national average of 12,000 miles annually and those who practice safe driving habits behind the wheel may be eligible for a discount of up to 20%.

Many insurers also offer discounts for policyholders who meet a set of criteria. For example, some insurers offer discounts for those who bundle policies or bundle multiple cars on one policy.

Some insurers also offer discounts for those who have newer cars with certain anti-theft or other safety features and for those who drive hybrid or electric cars. Some insurers even offer a good student discount for young drivers who earn good grades. 

Adding discounts to your policy allows you to maximize your savings without sacrificing coverage. Here at Clovered, we always recommend getting a full coverage policy with several discounts applied as opposed to a minimum coverage policy when it comes to those who want to save on their insurance. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

If you need the cheapest policy available, a minimum coverage policy will be best for you. Typically, minimum coverage policies cost about half of the average full coverage premium in the state since you’re getting only about half of the coverage. Since the average full coverage premium in the Peach State is about $1,780 annually, a minimum coverage policy will likely be about $900 annually. 

The cheapest liability insurance in Georgia will be from an insurer that offers lower-than-average base rates and several opportunities for discounts so that you can lower your premiums even further. While such a dramatic reduction in premiums may sound enticing, ensure you know what you’re getting into before purchasing a liability-only policy.

Sacrificing your coverage to maximize your savings means you’re far less protected on the road. For example, let’s say you have a liability-only policy, and while you’re driving home from the American Prohibition Museum in Savannah (where you had a few too many drinks), you cause an accident. 

In this scenario, on top of the legal penalties you may face, once you reach your deductible, your liability insurance will only cover any medical expenses or vehicle repairs accrued by the victim in the accident up to your 25/50/25 policy limit. After that, you’re liable to pay the remainder of the expenses the victim accrues, plus any that you incur from your own pocket.

So, while liability-only coverage is the most inexpensive car insurance in Georgia, it isn’t always the safest option. In many scenarios, drivers are much better off springing for a full coverage policy from an insurer with low base rates and several opportunities for discounts than sacrificing their coverage to save a few hundred dollars.

To get the lowest insurance rates in Georgia, drivers should choose a policy with their desired amount of coverage from an insurer that offers low base rates and plenty of opportunities for discounts. While a minimum coverage policy will almost always be the cheapest policy, it may not have all the coverage options you desire. It’s always important to carry a coverage limit you feel you won’t exceed, or if you do exceed it, you have enough savings to make up the difference.

Let’s take a look at the cheapest policies in the state and where you can find them.

While a minimum coverage policy will be the least expensive policy anywhere you go, the key to finding the best cheap car insurance in Georgia is to find a policy that meets your needs with an insurer that offers low base rates and several discounts. While the rates for a minimum coverage policy won’t vary too much from insurer to insurer, it doesn’t hurt to do a little digging to find the insurer with the lowest rates.

Minimum coverage policies will undoubtedly save you some money on your premiums, but they don’t always help you save in the long run. While it’s perfectly legal to have a liability-only policy, you open yourself up to financial ruin by not carrying coverage that protects you as the policyholder.

Here at Clovered, we recommend finding a full coverage policy from an insurer with low base rates and plenty of opportunities for discounts so you’re fully covered by a policy with collision coverage, comprehensive coverage, medical payments coverage (MedPay), and uninsured motorist coverage (UM).

The insurers with the cheapest insurance rates in the state are Nationwide and Progressive. These insurers’ average annual full coverage policies are about $1,520 and $1,680, respectively. These insurers offer cheap car insurance in Georgia with a low down payment, a wide range of stackable discounts, and top-tier customer service.

However, the best insurance company in the state may not always have exactly what you need. For example, those looking for low-income car insurance in Georgia may find the cheapest policy with Geico, as this insurer may offer more discounts or a more competitive rate. Car insurance is highly subjective and will always differ from driver to driver. 

The best way to get cheap auto insurance in Georgia online is to get and compare quotes from several of the Peach State’s top insurers. This allows you to see all the rates available to you, plus all the coverage options offered by different insurers.

Lucky for you, you’ve come to the right place to compare auto insurance quotes for Georgia. Here at Clovered, we have a free quoting tool you can use to get quotes from several insurers in minutes.

If you prefer to get your quote from an agent, or if you have any questions about how to get the best policy in the state for the lowest rate, you can chat with one of our agents by calling 833-255-4117 or emailing [email protected].