HB 494: Motor vehicles; require mopeds to be covered by a form of minimum financial responsibility for accident damages

Under current Georgia law, mopeds can be operated with a valid driver's license or permit, but riders are not required to carry insurance or any other form of financial responsibility for accidents. This bill would change that by adding a new requirement to the state's moped law (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-351). The bill reorganizes the existing moped licensing rules into labeled subsections and adds a new subsection requiring every moped operated on Georgia highways to be covered by a form of financial responsibility, such as liability insurance, that can pay for accident damages at the same minimum dollar amounts required for other motor vehicles under O.C.G.A. § 33-7-11. The bill also makes small wording changes, replacing 'in this state' with 'of this state' in two places. It repeals any conflicting laws but does not state a specific effective date beyond the standard process.

• Adds a new requirement that mopeds operated on Georgia highways must be covered by a form of financial responsibility, such as liability insurance, for accident damages.
• Ties the required coverage amount to the same minimum liability limits set for other vehicles under Georgia's insurance law (O.C.G.A. § 33-7-11).
• Reorganizes the existing moped statute into labeled subsections (a) and (b) without changing the underage and licensing rules already in place.
• Makes minor wording changes, replacing 'in this state' with 'of this state' in the existing licensing language.
• Repeals any other Georgia laws that conflict with the new moped insurance requirement.

Moped owners and riders in Georgia, who would need to obtain and maintain liability coverage; insurance companies that sell policies covering mopeds; and law enforcement officers who verify compliance with the state's financial responsibility rules.

If enacted, moped riders would have to buy insurance or otherwise prove they can pay for accident damages, similar to car owners. This could raise the cost of owning a moped but would give people injured in moped accidents a better chance of being compensated.

• Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 40-6-351 by splitting the existing rules into subsection (a), barring moped operation by anyone under 15, and subsection (b), requiring a valid license or permit.
• Section 1 adds new subsection (c), requiring every moped on Georgia highways to carry a form of financial responsibility covering accident liability at the minimum amounts set in O.C.G.A. § 33-7-11(a)(1)(A).
• Section 1 changes 'in this state' to 'of this state' in two places, a wording change with no substantive effect.
• Section 2 repeals any existing Georgia laws that conflict with the new requirement.

1. 2026-03-19Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
2. 2026-01-12Senate Recommitted (Senate)
3. 2026-01-12Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
4. 2025-04-02Senate Tabled (Senate)
5. 2025-03-18Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
6. 2025-03-13Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2025-03-10Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2025-03-06House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Dewey McClain (D, HD-109)Primary sponsor
• Lynn Heffner (D, HD-130)
• Gabe Okoye (D, HD-102)
• Kimberly Alexander (D, HD-066)
• Rhonda Taylor (D, HD-092)
• Kim Jackson (D, SD-041)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 6, 2025

   160 yea, 14 nay (2 not voting, 4 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #212

• moped insurance
• motor vehicle law
• financial responsibility
• traffic safety