• Motorists in Georgia need to follow their state's laws regarding minimum auto insurance coverage.a car in a car show image by Gary from Fotolia.com
  
  Motorists in Georgia are required to purchase auto insurance to own or operate a car in the state. Motorists who ignore this requirement could have their licenses suspended. They may also face heavy fines. If you are a driver in Georgia, it's important to understand the state's laws regarding auto insurance.
  
  

Requirements

• Georgia requires that vehicle owners maintain continuous mandatory liability insurance to either own or operate a motor vehicle. They must also have this insurance to register and order Georgia license plates or renew these plates. Insurers are required under state law to electronically transmit the insurance information from new policyholders to a state database within 30 days of the date that the insurance coverage begins.
  
  

Minimums

• Georgia state law requires that vehicle owners in the state maintain at least 25/50/25 coverage. This means that Georgia residents must have $25,000 worth of insurance coverage to pay for the bodily injury or death of one person in an accident, $50,000 in coverage to pay for the injury or deaths of more than one person in a single accident and $25,000 in coverage to pay for any property damage that they may cause in one accident.
  
  

Penalties

• The penalties for driving without proper motor insurance vary in Georgia depending on the number of offenses motorists have on their record. For a first offense, vehicle owners can reinstate their license and registration by paying a $25 lapse fee and $60 reinstatement fee. They must also provide proof that they now have the minimum amount of insurance required in the state. Motorists who let their insurance coverage lapse for at least 10 days a second time in a five-year period have to pay a $25 lapse fee and $60 reinstatement fee. But the state will suspend their license and registration for 90 days. For a third lapse in a five-year period, motorists have to pay a $25 lapse fee and $160 reinstatement fee. The state will also suspend their license and registration for six months.