The Best Car Insurance in Georgia

State Farm is the best overall car insurance company for drivers in Georgia. As the largest car insurance company in the country based on market share,¹ State Farm is well known for its affordable premiums and highly rated customer service.

The company has all of the staple auto insurance coverages, as well as a few extras, such as rideshare coverage. Plus, the company has several ways for good drivers to save money on their premium.

Affordable Annual Premiums

State Farm has some of the lowest average rates of any insurer, both in Georgia and across the country. The company has an average annual premium of $1,419. In addition to being one of the most affordable companies overall, State Farm offers some of the best rates to drivers with violations on their record.

With State Farm, your rates as a high-risk driver will increase by only around 24 percent, compared to 72 percent statewide. Of course, your rates are likely to increase with violations on your driving record. But compared to other insurers, those increases are minimal.

Highly Rated Customer Service

State Farm has a reputation for excellent customer satisfaction in the auto insurance industry. First, the company has an above-average customer satisfaction ranking in J.D. Power’s 2022 U.S. Auto Insurance Study for the Southeast region, which includes Georgia.²

State Farm also has a good reputation when it comes to claims. In another J.D. Power study — the 2022 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study — the company ranked in the top seven overall, with a rating of 882 out of 1,000, compared to the industry average of 873.

Finally, State Farm has a below-average complaint index with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), which is actually a good thing. The NAIC compiles complaints and creates an index based on each company’s share of premiums in the market. State Farm’s score is lower than the expected rate (0.77 compared to the expected index of 1.00).³

Savings for Safe Drivers

State Farm offers several ways for you to save money based on your driving habits. First, when you sign up for Drive Safe & Save, you’ll save money just for signing up (though the company doesn’t disclose how much). Then, the Drive Safe & Save app and a Bluetooth device record your driving and assess how safe of a driver you are based on your acceleration, braking, turning, speed, and phone use. Depending on your driving habits, you could save up to 20 percent on your premium.

Next, State Farm offers a program for teen drivers called Steer Clear. If you’re a new driver or under age 25, you can save money if you have had no at-fault accidents or moving violations within the past three years and complete a driver-focused training program that teaches safe driving habits.

For drivers of all ages, State Farm offers other safe-driving discounts for:

• Taking a driver safety course
• Going at least three years without an at-fault accident or moving violation

If you have violations on your driving record or struggle to get affordable insurance coverage (or any coverage) for another reason, Direct Auto is worth considering. While the company offers car insurance for anyone, it’s particularly attractive to high-risk drivers. In fact, Direct Auto prides itself on offering insurance coverage, regardless of your insurance history.

Coverage for High-Risk Drivers

Violations such as speeding, reckless driving, and driving under the influence can cause your insurance premium to rise significantly. And depending on your record, those violations could cause insurers to deny you coverage altogether. Additionally, you may struggle to find affordable car insurance coverage if you have a poor credit score. There’s a correlation between credit scores and auto insurance premiums: drivers with poor credit are more likely to file insurance claims.

But whether you’re considered high-risk because of your driving record or your credit history, Direct Auto still wants you as a customer. In fact, Direct Auto even offers SR-22 certificates, which are certificates of financial responsibility that Georgia requires when you have a probationary license after a license suspension or revocation.⁴

You might have your license suspended in Georgia due to a DUI, failure to appear in court, driving without insurance, exceeding the maximum number of points on your record, or failing to pay your child support. You must file these certificates with the Department of Driver Services (DDS) to prove you have insurance coverage.

Many Discounts Available

Direct Auto may not have particularly cheap car insurance rates, but it does have many discounts to help you save up to 25 percent on your car insurance premium. Here are some of the company’s biggest discounts:

• Military discount (25 percent): Helps you save if you’re an active service member who can provide a copy of your current orders
• Multi-car discount (25 percent): Available if you have more than one car on your auto insurance policy
• Prior savings coverage (25 percent): Gives you a discount when you switch to Direct Auto from another company you’ve had service with for at least six months
• Homeowner discount (15 percent): Available if you or your spouse owns a home where you keep your vehicles
• Safe driver discount (10 percent): Available if you’ve gone at least three years without a violation
• Good student discount (10 percent): Helps you save if you’re unmarried, a student, and on the honor roll or have a B average or better
• DynamicDrive (10 percent): Gives you a discount if you join the DynamicDrive program, which allows Direct Auto to track your driving habits through the Routely app
• Vehicle equipment discounts (10 percent): Available if you have certain safety and anti-theft features on your vehicle, including anti-theft devices, anti-lock brakes, and airbags
• Multi-policy discount (10 percent): Available when you purchase two or more insurance policies from Direct Auto

Flexible Payment Options

Another of Direct Auto’s biggest selling points is its flexible payment options. First, when you sign up for your policy, you can choose your payment date and plan it around your own paycheck to ensure you’ll always have the money in your account.

Next, Direct Auto allows you to choose how you pay each month. You can pay your bill online, in person, over the phone, or via mail. And you don’t have to pay the same way each month. Direct Auto doesn’t require you to keep a credit card or checking account on file.

USAA is the best-known financial services company that serves military families exclusively. And among the many services it offers is auto insurance, with some of the lowest rates and best customer service on the market.

Affordable Insurance Premiums

First and foremost, USAA has some of the most affordable insurance rates in the industry, with an average annual cost of car insurance of $1,151. And depending on your circumstances, your premium could be considerably lower. If you have a clean driving history, a good credit score, and other characteristics that make you a low-risk driver, your premium could be among the lowest in the country.

Highly Rated Customer Satisfaction

USAA is well known for its top-notch customer satisfaction. First, the company has the highest rating of any company in J.D. Power’s overall customer satisfaction study for the Southeast region. It has a rating of 886 out of 1,000, which is a full 10 points higher than the next-closest company and nearly 40 points higher than the national average.

Additionally, USAA has one of the top scores in J.D. Power’s claims satisfaction study, falling behind only Amica Mutual, NJM Insurance Co., and Erie Insurance. This score shows us that customers who have had to file auto claims with USAA have been pleased with their service.

Finally, USAA has fewer-than-average complaints for its auto insurance policies with the NAIC. The company has a complaint score of 0.85 compared to the index of 1.00.

Unique Savings Options

USAA offers many great ways for you to save on your insurance premium. Of course, USAA offers many of the discounts you’d find with any other insurer, including a discount for being a student with good grades, having a clean driving record, and bundling multiple policies.

But USAA also offers discount options unique to military members. For example, if you’re deployed and are storing your vehicle on a military installation, you could get up to 15 percent off your comprehensive coverage and up to 60 percent off your policy overall.

Next, USAA offers its SafePilot program, which allows you to save up to 30 percent on your policy. You’ll allow USAA to track your driving habits, including your braking and phone use, with the USAA SafePilot app. If you make safe driving choices, you can get a discount on your policy. No matter how safe a driver you are, you can get up to 10 percent off your policy just for signing up.

Finally, USAA allows you to save on car insurance through its pay-per-mile auto insurance, Noblr. Rather than paying a flat rate each month, you can pay based on the number of miles and how safely you actually drive. However, to enjoy this perk, you must enroll when you sign up for auto insurance.

Nationwide is one of the leading insurance companies in the country, thanks to its reasonable rates, wide variety of coverage options, and discounts. Additionally, like USAA, it’s one of only a handful of companies that has pay-per-mile insurance, ideal for low-mileage drivers.

Pay-Per-Mile Coverage

As we mentioned, Nationwide is rare in that it offers a type of insurance coverage for low-mileage drivers specifically. When you sign up for the company’s SmartMiles program, you’ll pay per mile rather than paying a flat monthly rate regardless of your monthly mileage.

First, as a pay-per-mile customer, you’ll pay a low base rate every month, which could be around $60. Then, you’ll pay a certain number of cents per mile on top of that base rate. For example, if you pay a base rate of $60, a per-mile rate of $0.07, and you drive 250 miles a month, you’ll pay a total of $77.50. That’s only $930 a year for car insurance, much lower than the state average of $1,255!⁶

Wide Variety of Coverage Options

Nationwide has an impressive lineup of coverage options available. In addition to the standard coverages you would expect from any provider, you can add these special coverages to your policy, all of which could save you money in the long run:

• Gap insurance: This coverage pays for the difference between your car’s value and the amount you owe on your car loan or lease if you total your car.
• Accident forgiveness: Nationwide won’t increase your insurance premium after your first at-fault accident or minor driving violation.
• Vanishing deductible: You can earn $100 off your deductible, up to $500 total, for each year you don’t have an accident or violation.
• Total loss deductible waiver: If you file a claim and your car is declared a total loss, Nationwide will waive the deductible under your comprehensive or collision coverage.

Savings Opportunities for Safe Drivers

We’ve already talked about some ways Nationwide helps you save money on car insurance. But the company also offers a handful of ways for safe drivers to save even more.

• SmartRide: If you opt into SmartRide, Nationwide will track your driving and give you a discount of up to 40 percent for making good driving decisions based on your miles driven, braking, acceleration, and what time of day you drive.
• Defensive driving: If you’re an older driver (55 or older), you can save money on your car insurance by taking a driver safety course.
• Safe driver: You can save money on your policy by going at least five years without an at-fault accident or major violation on your driving record.