Reader’s question:

I live in Georgia. I would like to know what would happen if I stop paying for my car insurance?

Archie

Good question.

If you stop paying for your insurance policy, your insurance company will cancel your insurance due to non payment and that would definitely cause you trouble. This cancellation will appear in your credit history and would be black mark on your credit report as non-payment. This might result on you having a hard time getting a car insurance in the future.

Most of the insurance companies would not insure an individual that has not previously paid on their policy. If due to non payment your insurance lapsed, your insurance company will inform the Georgia Department of Revenue a notice of termination or cancellation of insurance. A Notice of Lapse Mandatory Liability Insurance Coverage will be mailed to you once the DOR sees that you are uninsured. The notice will request you to pay a $25 lapse fee and would require you to show proof of valid car insurance coverage within 30 days. If you fail to pay the fee and show proof of insurance, your vehicle registration will be suspended or revoked. If you drive with suspended vehicle registration is considered a misdemeanor. You will also be subject to fines and vehicle impoundment if you are caught driving without car insurance coverage.

Goodluck!

MariCAR

Reader’s question:

Can I drive a motorcycle without any insurance coverage in Georgia?

Allen

Good question Allen.

The Georgia state laws requires all motorist to maintain a continuous liability insurance coverage on their vehicle to:

1. legally drive the vehicle
2. register and obtain Georgia license plates
3. to replace or renew existing

Georgia license plates non motorized vehicles such as trailers and campers and trailers exempt from registration like bicycle and golf carts do not require insurance coverage in the state of Georgia.

A motorcycle is defined as the motor vehicle that traveling on public streets or highways having a seat or saddle for the use of the rider and is designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground, according to the unannotated Georgia Code. The Code also states that no owner of the motorcycle or any other person, other than the self-insurer as defined in Chapter 34 of title 33 of the Georgia Code, shall operate or authorize any person to operate the motorcycle equivalent to that required as evidence of security for bodily injury and property damage liability….any person who violates this subsection shall be guilty of misdemeanor.

This shows that the insurance is needed on our motorcycle in the state of Georgia to be legally allowed on the road.The minimum liability limits in the state of Georgia is 25/50/25. This means that $25000 for the liability injury per person for a total of $50000 of bodily injury per accident and $25000 of property damage liability per accident.

Goodluck!

MariCAR

Reader’s question:

Hi! I just want to know what an SR22A is. Thank you.

Michelle

Thank you for asking Michelle.

The Sr22A is a term used by the state of Georgia for a GA Responsibility Insurance certificate which is similar to SR22 except that it has further restrictions. In Georgia, this financial responsibility filing is required for motorist that has been convicted operating a vehicle without liability insurance.

SR22A is also sometimes called as the Financial Responsibility. Under title 40 of the official Code of Georgia Annotated shows the reason why an individual needs to maintain an SR22A.The individual’s amount of time to carry this depends on certain reasons .Usually it is required from between one to three years.

If you are for example trying to reinstate you license in Georgia after suspension due to subsequent conviction of no proof of insurance,an sr22a must be maintained for 3 years from the date of the conviction.

An insurance company must certify that you have a valid liability insurance. This certification will be filed on the sr-22a form. If you have been notified by the Department of Motor Vehicles that you must carry an SR-22a filing, this should be certified by the insurance company to show proof that you have insurance and meet the financial responsibility requirement in the state of Georgia. However if you are going to cancel the policy before the date the state has given you to carry the sr22a, the insurance company will notify the DMV that the policy has been cancelled and that you no longer have the required insurance.

Goodluck!

-MariCAR

I want this site to help my fellow Atlanta residents find cheap car insurance in GA