Georgia requires SR-22 filing for three years after DUI, but the state doesn't dictate your coverage level—carriers do. Most non-standard insurers writing post-DUI policies require collision and comprehensive, not because Georgia law says so, but because they won't accept the risk without it.
Georgia's SR-22 Requirement Covers Liability Only—Carriers Add the Rest
Georgia law requires SR-22 filing to certify continuous liability coverage at state minimums: $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage. The state does not require collision or comprehensive coverage for SR-22 compliance. You could legally satisfy Georgia's SR-22 mandate with a liability-only policy on an owned vehicle with no lien.
Most carriers writing post-DUI policies in Georgia's non-standard market won't allow it. Bristol West, Direct Auto, GAINSCO, Safe Auto, and The General typically require full coverage—collision and comprehensive—on any financed or leased vehicle, and many extend that requirement to owned vehicles as an underwriting condition. The carrier's risk appetite drives the coverage floor, not Georgia statute.
This creates a cost gap most DUI drivers don't anticipate. Liability-only SR-22 policies in Georgia run $90–$150/month for a clean vehicle with no lien. Full coverage with collision and comprehensive on the same vehicle pushes monthly premiums to $180–$280/month, with $500–$1,000 deductibles standard. The difference compounds over Georgia's three-year SR-22 filing period—$3,240 to $4,680 in additional premium spend if full coverage is carrier-mandated.
When You Can Drop to Liability-Only and When You Cannot
If you own your vehicle outright with no lienholder and no lease, you have the strongest position to request liability-only SR-22 coverage. Not all non-standard carriers will write it, but Direct Auto, Acceptance, and Dairyland have historically offered liability-only SR-22 policies in Georgia on owned vehicles. Approval depends on vehicle age, value, your conviction class, and whether you have prior lapses.
If your vehicle is financed or leased, the lienholder's loan agreement requires collision and comprehensive coverage regardless of Georgia SR-22 law. The lender's security interest in the vehicle overrides your preference. Dropping to liability-only while a lien is active violates your loan terms, triggers force-placed insurance from the lender at double or triple your current premium, and can be reported as a breach. You cannot legally drop full coverage until the lien is satisfied and the title is released.
Repeat-offense DUI convictions and aggravated DUI convictions (BAC ≥0.15, minor in vehicle, refusal, or accident with injury) typically face stricter carrier underwriting. Even on owned vehicles, carriers may require full coverage as a condition of issuing the policy. If you're quoted liability-only and your conviction was aggravated or repeat-offense, confirm in writing that the carrier will not later require full coverage at renewal.
Find out exactly how long SR-22 is required in your state
How Carriers Price Liability vs Full Coverage After DUI
Georgia DUI convictions trigger a 70–110% rate increase over pre-conviction premiums, applied to your base rate before coverage selection. A driver paying $80/month for liability before DUI will see liability-only SR-22 coverage quoted at $136–$168/month. Full coverage on the same risk profile runs $240–$340/month, depending on vehicle value, deductible, and conviction class.
Collision and comprehensive premiums after DUI are not discounted for clean prior history the way liability sometimes is. Carriers assume elevated claim frequency across all coverage types post-conviction. Comprehensive coverage—covering theft, vandalism, weather, and animal strikes—adds $40–$80/month to a liability-only SR-22 policy in Georgia. Collision coverage, which pays for at-fault accident damage to your vehicle, adds another $60–$120/month depending on your vehicle's actual cash value and your selected deductible.
Deductible selection directly impacts your monthly cost. A $500 collision deductible costs 15–25% more per month than a $1,000 deductible. If your vehicle's value is under $4,000, a $1,000 deductible leaves minimal claim payout after the deductible is applied—you're paying for coverage that returns little after a total loss. Many post-DUI drivers on older vehicles drop collision entirely once the lien is cleared, keeping only comprehensive for theft and weather.
What Happens If You Drop Full Coverage Mid-Filing Period
Georgia's SR-22 filing period begins on your conviction date and runs for three years. The DMV monitors continuous coverage through electronic SR-22 filing by your carrier. If you drop collision or comprehensive coverage on a vehicle that your carrier required full coverage on at policy inception, the carrier may non-renew your policy at the next term or cancel for material misrepresentation if you altered coverage without approval.
A policy cancellation or non-renewal during your SR-22 period triggers an SR-26 filing—a notice to the Georgia DDS that your coverage has lapsed. The DDS suspends your license within 10 days of the SR-26 filing. Reinstatement after an SR-22 lapse requires a new SR-22 filing, a $210 reinstatement fee, and in most cases, restarting your three-year SR-22 clock from zero. One coverage change mid-period can cost you 18–24 additional months of SR-22 filing and $400+ in reinstatement fees.
If your financial situation changes and full coverage is unaffordable, contact your carrier before reducing coverage. Some carriers allow a reduction from full coverage to liability-only if your vehicle's lienholder releases the lien or if your vehicle's value has depreciated below the carrier's threshold. Request written confirmation of the coverage change and confirm that your SR-22 filing will remain active and continuous.
Non-Owner SR-22 as the Liability-Only Alternative
If you do not own a vehicle and do not plan to purchase one during your Georgia SR-22 period, a non-owner SR-22 policy satisfies Georgia's filing requirement at the lowest cost. Non-owner policies provide liability coverage when you drive a vehicle you do not own—borrowed, rented, or employer-provided. They do not include collision or comprehensive coverage because there is no owned vehicle to insure.
Non-owner SR-22 premiums in Georgia after DUI run $30–$60/month, roughly one-third the cost of liability-only coverage on an owned vehicle and one-sixth the cost of full coverage. The policy meets Georgia's SR-22 mandate, maintains continuous coverage to satisfy your three-year filing period, and avoids the carrier-imposed full coverage requirements that apply to owned vehicles.
Non-owner SR-22 does not cover damage to the vehicle you are driving. If you borrow a car and cause an at-fault accident, your non-owner liability policy pays the other driver's injuries and property damage up to your policy limits, but the vehicle owner's collision coverage—or your out-of-pocket payment—covers damage to the car you were driving. If you later purchase a vehicle during your SR-22 period, you must convert to a standard auto policy with owned-vehicle coverage, and at that point, carrier full-coverage requirements apply.
How to Compare Liability-Only and Full Coverage Quotes Post-DUI
Request quotes for both liability-only and full coverage from at least three non-standard carriers licensed in Georgia. Provide your conviction date, BAC if available, whether your license is currently valid or restricted, and your vehicle's year, make, model, and lienholder status. Carriers price DUI risk differently—GAINSCO may require full coverage on all policies, while Acceptance may offer liability-only on owned vehicles over 10 years old.
Ask each carrier whether their liability-only quote will remain available at renewal or whether the carrier reserves the right to require full coverage later. Some carriers offer liability-only at initial quote to win the policy, then require full coverage at the six-month renewal as a condition of continued coverage. Confirm the coverage-change policy in writing before binding coverage.
If full coverage is required and the monthly cost is unaffordable, increase your deductibles to the maximum your budget allows, remove optional coverages like rental reimbursement and roadside assistance, and reduce collision and comprehensive limits to your vehicle's actual cash value. A 2012 sedan valued at $5,000 does not need $15,000 in collision coverage. Right-sizing your limits and deductibles can reduce full coverage premiums by 20–30% without violating your carrier's underwriting rules.
