Mitch Schrader - Electronic Insurance Verification

Motor vehicle owners in this state are required to obtain and keep Georgia liability insurance coverage on their vehicle(s) to legally operate them; to register and obtain Georgia license plates (tags); and to renew, replace, or transfer their existing Georgia license plates (tags). Non-motorized vehicles (Trailers, campers, etc.) and vehicles exempt from registration in this state (Snowmobiles, bicycles, mopeds, all-terrain vehicles, golf carts, etc.) do not require insurance coverage. Click here for a list of vehicles exempt from registration in this state.

Insurers must be licensed with the Regulatory Services Division of the Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner’s office (ICO) to be able to issue Georgia liability insurance policies for motor vehicles in this state.

Your insurer must issue you, their insured, an insurance information card for each vehicle they insure.

Your insurance information card must be carried in your vehicle at all times even after December 31, 2003 when insurance information cards will no longer be acceptable proof of liability insurance coverage for all vehicles except commercial vehicles registered in this state under the International Registration Plan (IRP), self-insured vehicles, and fleet vehicles. See below for what is acceptable proof of insurance coverage for these vehicles as well as for recently purchased or acquired vehicles.

If someone else is operating your vehicle, you, the vehicle owner, must provide him or her with acceptable proof of insurance coverage as shown below.

In addition to issuing insurance cards, insurers must also electronically transmit insurance information to the Department of Revenues' (DOR) new insurance database, Georgia Electronic Insurance Compliance System (GEICS), within thirty-days (30) of the date the insurance coverage is to begin. Insurers must also electronically report insurance information for terminations and additions or deletions of vehicles from existing policies. Commercial vehicles registered in this state under the International Registration Plan (IRP), self-insured vehicles and fleet vehicles must have Georgia liability insurance coverage but are exempt from the GEICS reporting requirements.

House Bill 191 of the 2003 Session of the Georgia General Assembly became law on May 28, 2003 upon the Governor's signature. It makes the following changes:

A valid insurance information card issued by a Georgia licensed insurer showing the insurer's name, the policy number, the policy’s issue or effective date, the policy’s expiration date, the name(s) of the insured, and the vehicle’s description (Vehicle's model year, make, and identification number, VIN) is acceptable proof of liability insurance coverage through December 31, 2003 when:

• You, the owner, are registering and obtaining a Georgia tag for your vehicle; or,

• You, the owner, are renewing, replacing or transferring your existing Georgia tag.

Effective January 1, 2004, insurance information cards will no longer be acceptable proof of insurance coverage in the above situations.

Effective January 1, 2004, acceptable proof of Georgia liability insurance coverage will be a valid insurance coverage indicator on your vehicle’s tag record on the Department of Revenue’s tag and title database, GRATIS (Georgia Registration and Title Information System). Commercial vehicles registered in this state under the International Registration Plan (IRP), self-insured vehicles and fleet vehicles require Georgia liability insurance coverage but are exempt from the GEICS reporting requirements. See below for what is acceptable proof of liability insurance coverage for these vehicles and for recently purchased or acquired vehicles. Also find out below how a valid insurance indicator is placed on a vehicle's tag record.

You, the vehicle's registered owner, may voluntarily cancel your vehicle’s tag with your county Tax Commissioner’s office without surrendering your tag when the vehicle is not going to be operated for any reason.

You, the vehicle's registered owner, may reinstate your vehicle’s tag with your county Tax Commissioner’s office after paying all accrued vehicle ad valorem taxes and registration fees and with acceptable proof of Georgia liability insurance coverage and acceptable proof that your vehicle has passed an emission's inspection (when required for your vehicle in your county). See below for what is acceptable proof of insurance coverage. For more information regarding emissions testing requirements, contact the Georgia Clean Air Force. Click here to connect to their web site.

Your vehicle should not be operated without Georgia liability insurance coverage or with a canceled or suspended tag!

Resident or non-resident military personnel on active duty outside the U.S. may voluntarily cancel their vehicle’s tag with their county Tax Commissioner’s office prior to deployment without surrendering their tag when their vehicle is not going to be operated during their absence.

Upon their return, the vehicle's registered owner, may have their vehicle’s tag reinstated at their county Tax Commissioner’s office after:

• Obtaining Georgia liability insurance coverage. See below for what is acceptable proof of Georgia motor vehicle liability insurance coverage.

• Submitting a signed letter from the member's commanding officer including the member’s name and the dates the member was on active military duty outside the U.S.

• Submitting proof that the vehicle has passed an emission's inspection if required for the vehicle in the registered owner's county of residence. For additional information regarding emission's testing requirements, contact the Georgia Clean Air Force. Click here to connect to their web site.

The lapse and restoration fees may be waived by the county Tax Commissioner upon presentation of the member’s official military orders showing deployment outside the U.S. on active military duty.

Important: Your vehicle should not be operated without insurance coverage or with a cancelled or suspended tag!

The vehicle identification numbers (VIN) that are electronically transmitted by insurers to the GEICS insurance database are cross-referenced with the vehicle identification numbers (VIN) on the GRATIS tag and title database. If the transmitted VIN matches a VIN on GRATIS, then a valid insurance coverage indicator is placed on the vehicle’s tag record. Law enforcement and the county Tax Commissioner office personnel in this state have access to this database and can easily check to see the insurance status of any vehicle registered in the State of Georgia.

When a valid insurance coverage indicator is not on your vehicle’s tag record on the GRATIS database and you, the vehicle's registered owner, do not have acceptable proof of coverage, as listed below, you will be unable to

• You will be subject to fines and/or vehicle impoundment if stopped by law enforcement.

Remember only insurers can add, delete or edit information on the GEICS insurance database.

The purpose of the recent changes to the insurance laws in this state is to encourage vehicle owners to obtain and keep liability insurance coverage on their vehicle(s), to reduce the number of uninsured vehicles operating in this state, and to provide an online tool for law enforcement and county Tax Commissioner office personnel to use to check the insurance status of any vehicle registered in the State of Georgia.

Acceptable Proof of Georgia Liability Insurance Now & After December 31, 2003

* A valid insurance indicator on your vehicle’s tag record on the GRATIS database is acceptable proof of insurance coverage now and after December 31, 2003.

* A valid insurance information card issued by a Georgia licensed insurer displaying the insurance company’s name, the policy number, the policy’s issue or effective date, the policy’s expiration date, the name(s) of the insured, and the vehicle’s description (Vehicle's year model, make, and identification number, VIN,) is acceptable proof of Georgia liability insurance coverage through December 31, 2003. Effective January 1, 2004, this card will be unacceptable proof of insurance coverage for all vehicles except commercial vehicles registered in Georgia under the International Registration Plan (IRP), self-insured vehicles and fleet vehicles. This card must be carried in the vehicle at all times even after December 31, 2003.

* A valid fleet insurance information card issued by a Georgia licensed insurer is acceptable proof of liability insurance coverage now and after December 31, 2003 for commercial vehicles registered under a fleet insurance policy. This card must contain the insurance company’s name, the policy number, the policy’s original issue date or effective date, the policy’s expiration date, the name(s) of the insured, and the word “ fleet ”. The VIN does not have to be shown on this card. This card must be carried in the vehicle at all times.

* Now and after December 31, 2003 , a binder issued by a Georgia licensed insurer showing the vehicle's identification number, VIN, is temporary proof of liability insurance coverage for thirty-days (30) from the binder’s issue date. The binder must be carried in the vehicle at all times until a valid insurance information card is received.

* A dealer's bill of sale and a valid insurance declaration page (usually the top page of an insurance policy) issued by a Georgia licensed insurer in the registered owner(s)’ name(s) and dated within thirty-days (30) of the purchase date as shown on the dealer's bill of sale, title or title record is temporary proof of insurance coverage now and after December 31, 2003. The dealer's bill of sale and insurance declaration must be carried in the vehicle at all times until a valid insurance information card is received.

* A self-insured insurance information card and a certificate of self-insurance issued by the Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner’s office (ICO) is acceptable proof of insurance now and after December 31, 2003. This card and the certificate of self-insurance must be issued in the registered owner(s)’ name(s) and both must be carried in the vehicle at all times.

* A commercial insurance information card issued by a Georgia licensed insurer in the registered owner(s)’ name(s) reflecting the vehicle’s identification number (VIN) is acceptable proof of liability insurance coverage now and after December 31, 2003, for commercial vehicles registered in this state under the International Registration Plan (IRP). This card must be carried in the vehicle at all times.

Insurers must continue issuing insurance information cards to their policyholders even when insurance information has or will be electronically transmitted to the GEICS insurance database. Your insurance information card must be carried in your vehicle at all times even after December 31, 2003. These cards may be needed in the following situations:

• When traveling in another state where they may not recognize the information on our database.

• If you are involved in an accident, your insurance information card can be used to easily exchange insurance information (i.e. Insurance company’s name, policy number, agent's name and telephone number, etc.).

• A self-insured insurance information card and a certificate of self-insurance issued by the Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner's office (ICO) is acceptable proof of liability insurance coverage for a self-insured vehicle now and after December 31, 2003 when both are issued in the registered owner(s)' name(s).

• A valid fleet insurance information card issued by a Georgia licensed insurer in the registered owner(s) name(s) is acceptable proof of insurance coverage now and after December 31, 2003 for a commercial vehicle insured under a fleet insurance policy. The VIN does not have to be shown on this card.

• A valid commercial insurance information card issued by a Georgia licensed insurer for a vehicle registered in Georgia under the International Registration Plan (IRP) is acceptable proof of liability insurance coverage now and after December 31, 2003.

The VIN on your vehicle, your insurance information card, and your tag receipt and/or title must match.

If your insurance information card does not reflect your vehicle’s correct identification number (VIN), contact your insurer immediately since only your insurer can add, delete, or edit information on the GEICS insurance database.

If your registration certificate (a/k/a tag receipt) and/or title does not reflect your vehicle’s correct VIN, contact your county Tax Commissioner's office for assistance in obtaining a new tag receipt and/or title showing your vehicle’s correct VIN.

Commercial Vehicle Policy: An insurance policy providing liability insurance coverage on a motor vehicle that is rated or insured as a business or commercial-use vehicle or is licensed by the State as a commercial vehicle.

Fleet Vehicle Policy: A commercial vehicle insurance policy that insures two or more vehicles that are not identified by the vehicle’s identification number (VIN) on the policy or a commercial vehicle insurance policy that is subject to adjustment by audit for vehicle changes at the end of the policy period.

Self-Insurer means any owner who has on file with the Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner's office (OIS) an approved self-insurance plan providing coverage, benefits, and efficient claims handling procedures equivalent to those provided by an automobile liability insurance company and complies with all state laws, rules and regulations. A self-insured insurance information card must be accompanied by a certificate of self-insurance issued by the Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner's office for it to be acceptable proof of liability insurance coverage.