Is motorcycle insurance required in Georgia?

Yes. Every registered motorcycle must carry at least 25/50/25 liability coverage before riding on public roads, according to the Georgia Department of Driver Services. You must also keep proof of insurance with you whenever you ride.

What does 25/50/25 mean?

These are your liability limits, the most your insurer pays for an accident you cause. That is $25,000 in bodily injury per person, $50,000 in total bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 in property damage. The per-person limit caps what is paid toward any one person's injuries, while the per-accident limit caps the total across everyone hurt. These limits only cover the other party, not you or your bike, so if the damage runs past them, you pay the difference yourself.

Do I have to wear a helmet in Georgia?

Yes. Georgia has a universal helmet law, so every rider and passenger must wear a DOT-compliant helmet at all times, no matter their age or experience, under O.C.G.A. Section 40-6-315. You must also wear approved eye protection unless your motorcycle has a windshield.

Does my Georgia liability policy cover my own injuries?

No. Georgia is an at-fault state, and liability coverage only pays for the other person's injuries and property when you cause a crash. To cover your own medical bills, you need MedPay or your health insurance.

What is comparative negligence in Georgia?

Georgia uses a modified comparative negligence rule. If you are partly to blame for a crash, your compensation is reduced by your share of the fault, and if you are 50 percent or more at fault you cannot recover at all. For example, if your damages are $10,000 and you are found 20 percent at fault, you would recover $8,000.

What happens if my insurance lapses in Georgia?

Georgia tracks coverage through the GEICS electronic system, so your insurer reports a lapse directly to the state. You can face a $25 daily fine, a registration suspension, and reinstatement fees. You may also need to file an SR-22 certificate to get reinstated.

Georgia Motorcycle Insurance Requirements: What Riders Need to Know

Key takeaways

Georgia requires every registered motorcycle to carry liability insurance, with minimum limits of 25/50/25, the same coverage as for cars.

Georgia’s state minimums let you ride legally, but consider carrying higher liability limits of 100/300/100 plus comprehensive and collision, so costs after a crash or theft are less likely to come from your own pocket.

Georgia has a universal helmet law, so every rider and passenger must wear a DOT-compliant helmet.

Georgia treats your motorcycle much the way it treats a car. Before you can register and ride on public roads, you need at least the state minimum liability insurance in place. Georgia is also an at-fault state, which means the rider who causes a crash is the one whose insurance pays for the damage.

Jerry customers typically pay between $8 and $31 a month for state minimum coverage in Georgia. Full coverage, which adds protection against theft and damage to your own bike, costs about $42 to $177 a month.

Jerry has helped 486 Georgia riders find motorcycle insurance. Here’s what the state requires, the helmet rule every rider has to follow, and why riding uninsured in Georgia can be costly.

See motorcycle quotes side-by-side with Jerry.

Compare quotes

What Georgia requires for motorcyclists

Georgia law requires every motorcycle owner to carry liability insurance before riding on public roads. The minimum liability limits are 25/50/25, according to the Georgia Department of Driver Services. That means:

$25,000 bodily injury per person. This covers one person’s injuries you cause in a crash.
$50,000 bodily injury per accident. This is the total available for everyone hurt in a single crash you cause.
$25,000 property damage per accident. This covers damage you cause to someone else’s vehicle or property.

Jerry recommends: Treat Georgia’s state minimums as a starting point. A single hospital stay can easily surpass $25,000, and once your limits run out, the rest comes from your pocket. If your budget allows, consider higher liability limits of 100/300/100.

How Jerry helps Georgia riders get covered

Jerry is the only company that lets you compare motorcycle insurance quotes and buy your policy right in the app. With Jerry, you can:

🔍 Compare insurers in one place. See prices and coverage from top carriers in one place. Instead of spending hours gathering quotes, Jerry pulls them together in minutes.

📱 Buy entirely online. Get covered without the unwanted phone calls or spam. Jerry never sells your data, backed by bank-level security.

💬 Get help when you need it. Not sure how much uninsured motorist coverage to carry, or whether MedPay fits your situation? Jerry’s licensed agents are a chat or call away, 7 days a week.

🔁 Stay protected over time. Jerry monitors your rate, tells you when it is time to reshop, and reminds you about renewals. We’re your insurance assistant, not just a one-time tool.

Why it matters: Insurers price Georgia’s risks differently than other states, so comparing quotes matters. Jerry does that comparison for you right in the app.

Compare quotes

Georgia’s helmet rule

Georgia has a universal helmet law. Every motorcycle rider and passenger must wear a DOT-compliant helmet at all times, regardless of age or experience. Riders must also wear approved eye protection unless the motorcycle has a windshield. Georgia is one of the strictest helmet states in the country, and the rule applies even to out-of-state riders crossing into Georgia.

Beyond following the law, all riders should wear a helmet. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows helmets sharply reduce the risk of fatal and serious head injuries, and the medical bills from a crash without one can run high.

Jerry recommends: Always wear a DOT-compliant helmet, not just to follow the law but to protect your life. Because Georgia uses comparative negligence, being out of compliance can also reduce the compensation you get if you are hurt in a crash.

What happens if you ride uninsured

Riding without insurance in Georgia is illegal and comes with real consequences.

🚫 Registration suspension. The state can suspend your motorcycle registration until you reinstate coverage and pay a fee.

💵 Daily fines. A lapse can bring a $25 fine per day of noncompliance, which adds up quickly the longer you go without coverage.

📋 SR-22 requirement. After certain violations you may have to file an SR-22 certificate through your insurer to prove coverage, which raises your premium.

⚖️ You are personally liable. If you cause a crash, the injured person can sue for your savings, wages, and assets to cover anything beyond your coverage.

Key takeaway: Skipping coverage in Georgia is illegal. Without it, you’re responsible for all injuries or damage you cause, and you face daily fines plus a possible registration suspension.

Insurance Georgia riders should consider

Georgia’s state minimums satisfy the law, but are generally too low to fully protect you. Here is what Jerry recommends Georgia riders consider when buying a motorcycle policy.

🛡️ Liability limits of 100/300/100. That means $100,000 in bodily injury per person, $300,000 per accident, and $100,000 in property damage.

🚗 Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. Roughly one in five Georgia drivers is uninsured, according to the Insurance Research Council. Georgia insurers must include UM/UIM coverage unless you reject it in writing. We recommend keeping it and matching your UM/UIM limits to your liability limit.

🏍️ Comprehensive and collision. Add comprehensive and collision if you could not easily replace your bike out of pocket. Comprehensive covers theft, weather such as Georgia hail and storms, and vandalism, while collision covers crash damage to your own motorcycle.

➕ Medical payments coverage. Georgia liability does not pay for your own injuries, so MedPay helps cover your medical bills after a crash, no matter who is at fault.

Jerry recommends: Consider carrying 100/300/100 in liability and keeping uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage at the same limits to protect yourself from Georgia’s many uninsured drivers. If you could not easily afford to replace your bike, add comprehensive and collision too.

Get covered and ride confident with Jerry.

Compare quotes

FAQ

Is motorcycle insurance required in Georgia?

Yes. Every registered motorcycle must carry at least 25/50/25 liability coverage before riding on public roads, according to the Georgia Department of Driver Services. You must also keep proof of insurance with you whenever you ride.
What does 25/50/25 mean?

These are your liability limits, the most your insurer pays for an accident you cause. That is $25,000 in bodily injury per person, $50,000 in total bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 in property damage. The per-person limit caps what is paid toward any one person’s injuries, while the per-accident limit caps the total across everyone hurt. These limits only cover the other party, not you or your bike, so if the damage runs past them, you pay the difference yourself.
Do I have to wear a helmet in Georgia?

Yes. Georgia has a universal helmet law, so every rider and passenger must wear a DOT-compliant helmet at all times, no matter their age or experience, under O.C.G.A. Section 40-6-315. You must also wear approved eye protection unless your motorcycle has a windshield.
Does my Georgia liability policy cover my own injuries?

No. Georgia is an at-fault state, and liability coverage only pays for the other person’s injuries and property when you cause a crash. To cover your own medical bills, you need MedPay or your health insurance.
What is comparative negligence in Georgia?

Georgia uses a modified comparative negligence rule. If you are partly to blame for a crash, your compensation is reduced by your share of the fault, and if you are 50 percent or more at fault you cannot recover at all. For example, if your damages are $10,000 and you are found 20 percent at fault, you would recover $8,000.
What happens if my insurance lapses in Georgia?

Georgia tracks coverage through the GEICS electronic system, so your insurer reports a lapse directly to the state. You can face a $25 daily fine, a registration suspension, and reinstatement fees. You may also need to file an SR-22 certificate to get reinstated.

Expert-driven. Built for you.

Our experts

Ben Moore

Ben Moore is a writer and editor at Jerry and an auto insurance expert. He previously worked as a writer, editor and content strategist on NerdWallet’s auto insurance team for five years. His work has been published in The Associated Press, Washington Post, Chicago Sun-Times, MarketWatch, Nasdaq and Yahoo News. He also served as a NerdWallet spokesperson, with appearances on local broadcast television and quotes in Martha Stewart and Real Simple magazine.

Ben has an extensive background in digital marketing, working on affiliate and programmatic advertising campaigns for brands like Cabela’s, H&R Block and Sears. He holds a bachelors degree in marketing from Olivet Nazarene University.