Insurance and Suspensions
Valid Insurance
Proof of Insurance
Before issuing or renewing a plate or decal, we must have proof of insurance. Your insurance company is required by law to provide proof of insurance electronically to the state. Be prepared to show proof of insurance with your printed card, or mobile app in case your insurance company has not submitted your policy.
Click here to verify the status of a vehicle's insurance using a vehicle identification number (VIN).
Electronic Proof of Insurance
By law, all insurance companies send your insurance policy electronically to the Georgia Electronic Insurance Compliance System (GEICS). Any time you change or cancel your policy, your insurance company updates your policy automatically. For most companies, this takes about 24 to 48 hours.
Printed Proof of Insurance
Insurance companies are sometimes slow or have technical difficulties sending your insurance policy to GEICS promptly. If this is the case, you may use printed proof of insurance if your insurance has not been updated.
- A binder page valid in the last 30 days
- A declaration page valid in the last 30 days
If you have a fleet or self-insured policy, you need your fleet card or your self-insurance document. Bring your card with you any time you register or renew a vehicle.
If we request to see proof of insurance, this means your insurance company has not yet submitted. Failure to submit your policy can result in insurance lapse fees. Contact your insurance company and verify that you have a Georgia based policy, and check that the VIN number on the policy matches the VIN on your registration.
Cancelling Insurance
To avoid penalties, cancel your registration before cancelling your insurance policy. Cancelling your registration does not remove ownership. When you cancel your registration, you notify us, law enforcement, and the Department of Revenue that your vehicle is not, and will not, be on the road. If you prefer, you can also cancel your registration in person, or by mail by submitting form MV-18J.
- Sold or traded-in
- Registered in another state
- Repossessed, stolen, wrecked, salvaged by an insurance company or junked
- Stored or rendered inoperable
You can also cancel your registration by mail. If you received an insurance lapse suspension form on a vehicle you no longer own, simply fill out the back of the letter and return it by mail.
You can reactivate your registration at any time, provided you have restored insurance and paid any outstanding taxes due.
Insurance Lapses
When your insurance policy expires or is removed from GEICS, you have 10 days to send a new insurance policy or an update to the system. Depending on how your insurance policy was removed from the system, this lapse may affect only one vehicle or every vehicle on that policy.
After 10 days, your vehicle's insurance is registered as lapsed. Lapsed vehicles automatically receive a $25 fee on the record. The Department of Revenue generates a letter, which is sent to you notifying you of the lapse. You have 30 days to pay the $25 fee.
After 30 days, your vehicle registration is suspended. Suspended vehicles receive a $60 fee in addition to the original $25 fee. Repeated suspensions on records can result in an increase in fees for each suspension.
Lapsed insurance or a suspended registration on a vehicle is a serious problem that needs to be remedied immediately.
If you are pulled over with a lapse in your insurance, any or all of the following may happen:
- You receive a ticket
- The plate and registration for your vehicle is confiscated by law enforcement
- Your vehicle is impounded
Pay insurance fines and penalties
If you received an Insurance Lapse Suspension letter on a vehicle you no longer own, simply fill out the reverse side of the letter and mail it back to our office. We will cancel your registration for you, and remove any applicable insurance penalties.
For additional information concerning insurance requirements, click here.
1725 Reynolds St., Suite 100 Brunswick, GA 31520
(912) 554-7000