Car Insurance Coverage With Expired Vehicle Registration in Georgia

Reader’s Question:

If the tags on vehicle are expired, is the car insurance coverage still in effect? I live in Sandy Springs Georgia.

Robin

Sandy Springs, GA

Insurance carriers terms and guidelines can vary so you will need to verify with your insurance company to find out if your car would be covered if your tags or license plates were expired in Sandy Springs GA.

Generally, your insurance contract is typically in effect regardless of tag or license status. Unless there is an exclusion in your insurance policy then likely your auto insurance would be in effect even if your registration is expired.

If you have let your license plates expire, most states have grace periods so check if you can have them reinstated and up to date without a penalty by verifying with your Department of Motor Vehicles in Georgia.

Registering Your Car in Georgia For Auto Insurance Coverage

Reader’s Question:

My mother bought me a vehicle. She lives in Alabama and I live in Georgia. Can she insure it in Alabama and I register it here in GA?

Ed

Augusta, GA

The Georgia laws states that you will have to have your car insured in Georgia if your registration and license plates are from GA. Even if Georgia did permit you to have an out of state insurance company cover your car it would likely be hard to find an insurance company that would cover a vehicle that was insured in Alabama but driven and kept out of state in Georgia.

The Georgia Motor Vehicle Division of the Department of Revenue states that car owners and lessees in this state are required to carry continuous GA mandatory liability insurance coverage on their car(s) to:Legally operate a vehicle(s);Register and get Georgia license plates (tags); and, Renew, transfer or replace their existing Georgia license plates (tags).

If your name is on the title of the vehicle your mother purchased for you then it should not be hard for you to obtain your own car insurance on the car. If your name is not on the title then there are some insurance carriers that will permit you to get insurance without insurable interest in the vehicle, but it would not be difficult for you to place coverage on the vehicle if your name was added to the car’s title.