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Underinsured Motorist Coverage — Georgia

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Georgia Does Not Require Underinsured Motorist Coverage

You are adding a second or third vehicle to your Georgia policy and reviewing coverage options across all your cars. The carrier offers underinsured motorist coverage as an add-on, but you cannot tell whether it is required or optional—and whether skipping it leaves your household exposed when someone hits one of your vehicles.

Georgia law does not mandate underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage. The state requires only liability insurance: $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. Uninsured motorist coverage and underinsured motorist coverage are both optional. Carriers must offer them, but you can decline in writing.

“The at-fault driver's $25,000 per-person minimum may cover one injured person—but not three people in your household injured in the same crash.”

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19%

Georgia Uninsured Driver Rate

Nearly one in five Georgia drivers carries no insurance. Many who do carry only the state minimum $25,000 per person, which may not cover your household's injury costs if multiple people in your vehicles are hurt.

Insurance Information Institute, 2023

What Underinsured Motorist Coverage Actually Pays

Underinsured motorist coverage pays the difference between the at-fault driver's liability limit and your actual injury costs, up to your UIM policy limit.

UIM works only after the at-fault driver's liability insurance pays its full limit. It does not replace that liability payment; it supplements it. If the at-fault driver's limit exceeds your costs, UIM pays nothing. The coverage exists to fill the gap when someone else's insurance is insufficient, not absent—that is what uninsured motorist coverage handles.

Georgia law treats uninsured motorist (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage as separate products. You can carry UM without UIM, or UIM without UM, though most carriers bundle them as a single UM/UIM line. When bundled, the same limit applies to both uninsured and underinsured claims.

The at-fault driver's $25,000 per-person minimum may cover one injured person—but not three people in your household injured in the same crash.

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Choosing a UIM Limit That Covers Your Household

UIM limits typically mirror your liability limits. Some allow you to purchase UIM limits higher than your liability limits, but not all—check with your carrier before assuming you can stack higher UIM on lower liability.

For a multi-car household, calculate total injury exposure by counting the maximum number of people who might ride in your vehicles at once. A household with two adults and two teenage drivers should assume four people could be injured in a single crash.

Georgia allows stacking of UIM coverage when you insure multiple vehicles, but only if your policy explicitly includes a stacking provision. Not all carriers offer stacking, and those that do charge higher premiums. If your carrier does not offer stacking, your UIM limit applies per person regardless of how many vehicles you insure.

$25,000

Georgia Minimum Bodily Injury Per Person

This is the lowest liability limit an at-fault driver can carry legally. It covers one person's injuries. When multiple household members are hurt, the per-accident cap of $50,000 divides across all claimants.

Georgia Department of Driver Services

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Declining UIM and What It Costs to Add It Back

Georgia requires carriers to offer UM/UIM coverage at the time you purchase or renew a policy. If you decline, you must sign a written rejection form. That rejection stays in effect until you request the coverage again. Adding UIM mid-term usually triggers a policy re-rate, and the coverage applies only from the endorsement date forward—it does not cover crashes that happened before you added it.

The cost to add UIM depends on your liability limits, the number of vehicles, and whether the carrier allows stacking. Exact pricing varies by carrier and your household's driving records.

Compare Carriers That Write Multi-Car Policies in Georgia

Not every carrier writing in Georgia offers stacking, and UIM pricing varies widely across the 29 carriers licensed here. Some carriers price UIM as a flat per-vehicle charge; others calculate it as a percentage of your liability premium. When you insure multiple vehicles, the difference in UIM cost between carriers can exceed the difference in liability cost, making it worth comparing quotes that break out UM/UIM separately.

Request quotes with and without UIM at your chosen liability limit. Compare the incremental cost per vehicle and confirm whether the carrier allows stacking if you want that feature. Carriers writing multi-car policies in Georgia include State Farm, GEICO, Progressive, Allstate, Nationwide, Travelers, and Liberty Mutual, among others. Each prices UIM differently, and each applies different underwriting rules to multi-vehicle households.

How Multi-Car Households Hit the Limit Faster

A household with multiple vehicles faces higher exposure because more drivers and passengers travel under the same policy, and a single at-fault driver's minimum limits must stretch across all injured parties.

When an at-fault driver with minimum limits hits a vehicle carrying three household members, Georgia's $50,000 per-accident cap applies to all injuries combined.

Multi-car households also face higher collision probability. Two or three vehicles on the road daily multiply the chances that one of them is hit by a driver carrying only minimum limits. UIM coverage on your policy protects every listed vehicle and every household member riding in them, regardless of which car is struck. A single UIM endorsement covers the entire household's exposure.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Georgia require underinsured motorist coverage?

No. Georgia does not require underinsured motorist coverage. The state mandates only liability insurance: $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. Carriers must offer UM/UIM, but you can decline it in writing.

What is the difference between uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage in Georgia?

Uninsured motorist coverage pays when the at-fault driver has no insurance. Underinsured motorist coverage pays when the at-fault driver's liability limit is too low to cover your injury costs. Georgia treats them as separate products, though most carriers bundle them as UM/UIM.

Can I stack underinsured motorist coverage across multiple vehicles in Georgia?

Yes, if your policy includes a stacking provision. Stacking multiplies your UIM limit by the number of insured vehicles. Not all carriers offer stacking, and those that do charge higher premiums. Without stacking, your UIM limit applies per person regardless of vehicle count.

How much does underinsured motorist coverage cost for a multi-car policy in Georgia?

Cost depends on your liability limits, the number of vehicles, and whether stacking is included. Exact pricing varies by carrier and driving record.

What happens if I decline underinsured motorist coverage in Georgia?

You must sign a written rejection form. The rejection stays in effect until you request the coverage. If you are hit by a driver whose liability limits do not cover your injury costs, you pay the difference out of pocket or through health insurance, which may deny auto-accident claims.

Does underinsured motorist coverage apply to all drivers in my household?

Yes. UIM coverage on your policy protects every listed household member and every passenger in your insured vehicles, regardless of which vehicle is involved in the crash. A single UIM endorsement covers the entire household's exposure across all listed cars.