Penalties and Fines for Lapse of Insurance Coverage, Registration Suspension and Reinstatement Process

When a Notice of Insurance Termination is electronically transmitted to this department’s insurance database, the transmitted vehicle identification number (VIN) is cross-referenced with the vehicle identification number on this department's tag and title database. If the transmitted VIN matches a VIN on the tag or title database, thirty days will be given for new liability insurance information to be electronically transmitted by the insurer to the insurance database.

No Lapse in Coverage

If new insurance information is received within the thirty (30) day period of time allowed and there is no lapse in coverage, a valid insurance coverage indicator will remain on the vehicle’s record. A “lapse” means ten (10) or more days upon which the records of the department do not reflect that a motor vehicle was covered by a policy of minimum motor vehicle insurance coverage.”

Lapse in Coverage 

If new insurance information is received within the thirty day period of time allowed and there is no lapse in coverage, a valid insurance coverage indicator will remain on the vehicle’s record. A “lapse” means ten or more days upon which the records of the department do not reflect that a motor vehicle was covered by a policy of minimum motor vehicle insurance coverage. Prior to July 1, 2005, a “lapse” in insurance coverage means one or more days upon which the records of the department do not reflect that a motor vehicle was covered by a policy of minimum motor vehicle insurance coverage.

If the lapse fee is not paid within thirty days of the letter’s date, the vehicle's registration will be suspended. To cancel the suspension, the vehicle owner must pay the $25.00 lapse fee and a $60.00 reinstatement fee. The vehicle owner is eligible to cancel their vehicle registration to avoid the suspension, lapse and reinstatement fees under the following circumstances:

1. If the vehicle was sold, repossessed, stolen, transferred to the owner’s insurance company as the result of a “total loss claim”; or, 
2. The vehicle was not driven during the time it was uninsured, the vehicle’s owner may complete and sign a Form MV-18J Application for Voluntary Registration Cancellation. This completed and signed affidavit should be submitted to the vehicle owner’s County Tax Commissioner’s Tag Office. Click on the form name or number to electronically complete and print it for signing and submission. 

Lapse and reinstatement fees should be paid to the Tax Commissioner’s Tag Office in the county in Georgia where the registered owner resides. 

If no new insurance information is received within the thirty day time period allowed, a thirty day "Notice of Pending Suspension" will be printed and mailed to the vehicle’s registered owner advising the owner that their vehicle’s registration is subject to suspension. This letter will include what is required to avoid suspension and fines.

Important: Driving a vehicle with a cancelled, suspended or revoked registration is a misdemeanor and may result in the impoundment of the vehicle by law enforcement when discovered.

If no new insurance information is received within thirty days of the date on the “Notice of Pending Suspension”, the insurance status on the vehicle’s record will be changed to "No Insurance" and the registration status to "Suspended". A “Suspension of Vehicle Registration Notice” will be printed and mailed to the vehicle owner advising the owner that their vehicle’s registration has been suspended. This letter will include what is required to reinstate or cancel their vehicle’s registration. 

Important:

1. A license plate (tag) will not be issued, transferred, replaced or renewed until the vehicle’s liability insurance coverage is reinstated! 
2. The vehicle should not be driven without Georgia liability insurance coverage or with a suspended revoked or cancelled registration!

First Occurrence

1. Obtain Georgia liability insurance coverage.
2. Pay a $25.00 lapse fee, a $60.00 reinstatement fee plus any vehicle registration fee and ad valorem taxes that may be due if it is during their registration period. 

Second Occurrence During Any Five-Year Period

1. Obtain Georgia liability insurance coverage. 
2. Pay a $25.00 lapse fee, a $60.00 reinstatement fee plus any vehicle registration fee and ad valorem taxes that may be due if it is during their registration period.

Third Occurrence During Any Five-Year Period

1. Obtain Georgia liability insurance coverage.
2. Pay a $25.00 lapse fee, a $160.00 reinstatement fee plus any vehicle registration fee and ad valorem taxes that may be due if it is during their registration period. 

The vehicle’s registered owner may cancel their vehicle's registration at the Tax Commissioner’s Tag Office in the county in Georgia where they reside when the vehicle is not driven for reasons noted on the Form MV-18J Application for Voluntary Registration Cancellation.

To avoid lapse and reinstatement fees from being assessed, the vehicle’s registered owner must cancel their vehicle’s registration before or at the same time the vehicle’s mandatory liability insurance coverage is canceled. 

A service member, deployed on official military duty, may cancel their vehicle’s registration when the vehicle is not going to be driven on the public roads and highways of Georgia during their absence. The service member should complete, sign and submit a Form MV-18G Service Member's Affidavit for Mandatory Insurance Relief to the Tax Commissioner’s Tag Office in the county in Georgia where they reside. This form may be submitted before, during or after deployment.

The service member’s commanding officer is required to complete and sign the “Certification of Service Member’s Commanding Officer” section on the Affidavit, Form MV-18G. 

If a lapse fee and a reinstatement fee, when applicable, were paid in error, a refund request may be submitted to the office where the fees were paid under the following circumstances:

• The insurer did not transmit a valid insurance record to the insurance database that resulted in lapse and reinstatement fees, when applicable, being calculated and paid. The insurer has now transmitted a valid insurance record showing where the vehicle had continuous insurance coverage.
• The vehicle’s registered owner voluntarily cancelled the vehicle’s registration. 
• The registered owner was deployed on official military duty while the vehicle was uninsured and the vehicle was not driven on the public roads and highways of Georgia while uninsured. In this situation, the service member must complete, sign and submit Form MV-18G. The member’s commanding officer must complete and sign the “Certification of Service Member’s Commanding Officer” section on the Affidavit,  Form MV-18G Service Member's Affidavit for Mandatory Insurance Relief.
• The vehicle was uninsured and not driven on the public roads and highways of Georgia while uninsured due to one of the reasons shown below and also shown on  Form MV-18J Application for Voluntary Registration Cancellation.
  • The vehicle was sold or the ownership transferred;
  • The vehicle owner moved to another state;
  • The vehicle’s ownership was transferred out-of-state;
  • The vehicle lease was terminated;
  • The vehicle was wrecked, salvaged or junked;
  • The vehicle was repossessed or stolen; or, the vehicle was not driven because the vehicle was inoperable, stored or used seasonally for agricultural or other purposes. 

Requests for refunds of lapse and reinstatement fees should be submitted to the office where the fees were paid, County Tax Commissioner's Tag Offices or this department. If the fees were paid to this department, then the written request for a refund should be submitted to the following address: 

Attention: Insurance Compliance
DOR/Motor Vehicle Division
PO Box 740381
Atlanta, GA  30374-0381

Refunds of lapse and reinstatement fees will not be processed on a “while-you-wait” basis.