---
title: SB 121. Uninsured Motorist Coverage; minimum required under motor vehicle liability policies for a individual convicted of driving under the influence or reckless driving; increase
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb121
cite_as: SB 121, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb121
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb121.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb121/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70041
date: 2025-05-14
status: passed
corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb120.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb122.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 1303
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb121.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 121
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-05-14
last_action: Effective Date 2025-05-14
sponsors:
  - Marty Harbin
  - Randy Robertson
  - Bo Hatchett
  - Clint Dixon
  - Max Burns
  - John Albers
  - Brian Strickland
  - Billy Hickman
  - Mike Hodges
  - Carden Summers
  - Russ Goodman
  - Sam Watson
  - Ricky Williams
  - Timothy Bearden
  - Jason Anavitarte
  - Chuck Payne
  - Ed Setzler
  - Brandon Beach
  - Lee Anderson
  - Eddie Lumsden
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB121/2025
upstream_id: 1960981
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - DUI penalties
  - car insurance requirements
  - motor vehicle law
  - driving under the influence
---

# SB 121. Uninsured Motorist Coverage; minimum required under motor vehicle liability policies for a individual convicted of driving under the influence or reckless driving; increase

## Text

25 LC 46 1220S
Senate Bill 121
By: Senators Harbin of the 16th, Robertson of the 29th, Hatchett of the 50th, Dixon of the
45th, Burns of the 23rd and others
AS PASSED
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Titles 33 and 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to insurance1
and motor vehicles and traffic, respectively, so as to increase the minimum coverage required2
under a motor vehicle liability policy for an individual convic ted of driving under the3
influence; to provide for duration of coverage; to require proof of insurance; to provide for4
a definition; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date and applicability;5
to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.6
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:7
SECTION 1.8
Title 33 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to insurance, is amended in9
Chapter 7, relating to kinds of insurance, limits of risk, and reinsurance, by adding a new10
Code section to read as follows:11
"33-7-16.12
(a) No individual who is convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood13
alcohol concentration of 0.08 grams or higher, drugs, or other intoxicating substances in14
violation of Code Section 40-6-391 or an equivalent law in another state shall operate any15
S. B. 121
- 1 -
25 LC 46 1220S
motor vehicle in this state unless such individual has motor vehicle liability insurance that,16
at a minimum, provides for:17
(1) Bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident, not less than $50,000.00;18
(2) Bodily injury to or death of all persons in any one accide nt, not less19
than $100,000.00; and20
(3) Loss of, damage to, or destruction of property in any one accident, not less21
than $50,000.00.22
(b) No individual who is convicted of a second or subsequent offense of driving under the23
influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 grams or higher, drugs, or24
other intoxicating substances in violation of Code Section 40-6-391 or an equivalent law25
in another state shall operate any motor vehicle in this state unless such individual has26
motor vehicle liability insurance that, at a minimum, provides for:27
(1) Bodily injury to or death of one person in any one acciden t, not less than28
$100,000.00;29
(2) Bodily injury to or death of all persons in any one accide nt, not less30
than $300,000.00; and31
(3) Loss of, damage to, or destruction of property in any one accident, not less32
than $100,000.00.33
(c) Any individual who is required to obtain the motor vehicle liability coverage provided34
for in subsection (a) or (b) of this Code section shall maintain no less than such coverage35
uninterrupted for a period of three years from the date of conviction.36
(d) The coverages provided for in subsections (a) and (b) of this Code section shall be in37
lieu of the minimum motor vehicle liability insurance coverage required under Code38
Section 33-7-11.39
(e) As used in this Code section, the term 'conviction' means a jury's finding of guilty, a40
guilty plea, or a plea of nolo contendere."41
S. B. 121
- 2 -
25 LC 46 1220S
SECTION 2.42
Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia, relating to motor vehicles and traffic, is amended43
in Code Section 40-6-10, relating to insurance requirements for operation of motor vehicles44
generally, by adding a new paragraph in subsection (a) to read as follows:45
"(1.3) Any individual who is required to maintain increased lia bility coverage as46
provided for in Code Section 33-7-16 shall keep proof or eviden ce of such coverage47
during the operation of any motor vehicle. Such proof or evidence of such coverage may48
be produced in either paper or electronic format, including a display of electronic images49
on a mobile electronic device."50
SECTION 3.51
This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law52
without such approval and shall apply to any convictions on or after such date.53
SECTION 4.54
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.55
S. B. 121
- 3 -

## Summaries written by Georgia Commons

The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.

Georgia drivers convicted of DUI would have to carry much higher minimum car insurance coverage for three years, and repeat offenders would face even steeper minimums, under this Senate bill.

### Plain-language summary

Right now, Georgia law sets one minimum level of liability insurance for all drivers under O.C.G.A. § 33-7-11. This bill creates a special, higher minimum for anyone convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) under O.C.G.A. § 40-6-391 or an equivalent out-of-state law. A first-time DUI conviction would require coverage of at least $50,000 for injury or death of one person, $100,000 for injury or death of multiple people, and $50,000 for property damage. A second or later DUI conviction would raise those minimums to $100,000, $300,000, and $100,000.
Drivers subject to these higher minimums must keep that coverage in place, without a lapse, for three years from the date of conviction, and must be able to show proof of it, on paper or electronically, whenever they drive. The bill defines conviction to include a guilty verdict, a guilty plea, or a no-contest plea. It took effect once signed by the Governor and applies to convictions on or after that date.

### What it does

- Creates a new Georgia insurance law (O.C.G.A. § 33-7-16) setting higher minimum liability insurance for anyone convicted of DUI under O.C.G.A. § 40-6-391 or a similar out-of-state law.
- Sets first-offense minimums at $50,000 per injured or killed person, $100,000 total per accident, and $50,000 for property damage.
- Sets second-or-later-offense minimums at $100,000 per injured or killed person, $300,000 total per accident, and $100,000 for property damage.
- Requires drivers subject to these higher minimums to keep that coverage continuously in place for three years from the conviction date.
- Amends Georgia's driving insurance requirement law (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-10) to require these drivers to carry proof of the coverage, in paper or electronic form, while driving.
- Defines conviction to include a jury finding of guilt, a guilty plea, or a plea of no contest (nolo contendere).

### Who it affects

Georgia drivers convicted of DUI, whether under Georgia's DUI law or an equivalent law in another state, including repeat offenders who face steeper requirements. Auto insurers operating in Georgia and law enforcement officers who check proof of insurance during traffic stops are also affected.

### Why it matters

Drivers with a DUI conviction would need to buy and maintain significantly more insurance coverage than the state's general minimum for three full years, likely raising their insurance costs, and could face consequences for driving without proof of that coverage on hand.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 adds O.C.G.A. § 33-7-16, setting first-offense minimum coverage at $50,000/$100,000/$50,000 for injury, total injury, and property damage.
- Section 1 sets second-or-subsequent-offense minimums at $100,000/$300,000/$100,000 and requires three years of uninterrupted coverage from the conviction date.
- Section 1 specifies these higher minimums replace, rather than add to, the general minimum coverage required under O.C.G.A. § 33-7-11.
- Section 1 defines 'conviction' to include guilty verdicts, guilty pleas, and no-contest pleas.
- Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 40-6-10 to require drivers with the increased coverage to carry proof of it, allowing paper or electronic (mobile device) formats.
- Section 3 makes the Act effective upon the Governor's signature (or becoming law without signature) and applies it to convictions on or after that date.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2025-05-14)
- Last action: Effective Date 2025-05-14 (2025-05-14)
- Sponsors: Marty Harbin, Randy Robertson, Bo Hatchett, Clint Dixon, Max Burns, John Albers, Brian Strickland, Billy Hickman, Mike Hodges, Carden Summers, Russ Goodman, Sam Watson, Ricky Williams, Timothy Bearden, Jason Anavitarte, Chuck Payne, Ed Setzler, Brandon Beach, Lee Anderson, Eddie Lumsden
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70041

> The history, votes, and amendments (1,303 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb121.md?full=1