Is there an insurance gap while a rideshare driver waits between fares in Georgia?
The waiting window between fares is the weakest point in rideshare coverage, and Georgia law treats it as its own category rather than folding it into full ride-period protection. A driver who is logged into the app and available but has not yet accepted a request falls into this middle phase, where the company’s required coverage is real but lower than during an active ride.
Why this phase is different ¶
Rideshare insurance is built around the driver’s status on the app, and Georgia mirrors that structure in O.C.G.A. § 33-1-24. The statute distinguishes the period when a driver is logged on and waiting from the prearranged ride period that begins once a request is accepted. During the prearranged ride, the company must keep $1,000,000 in coverage available. During the waiting phase, the required limits are lower, so the same accident can be covered very differently depending on whether a request had been accepted seconds earlier.
The personal policy adds to the difficulty. Because the driver is using the car commercially, a standard personal auto policy’s livery exclusion may apply during the waiting phase, while the rideshare company’s full ride-period coverage has not yet attached. That overlap of a reduced company tier and a possibly inactive personal policy is what people mean by the rideshare “gap.”
How the gap is narrowed ¶
Georgia did not leave the waiting phase uninsured. Several features limit the exposure:
- The company must still provide liability coverage during the logged-on, waiting period, just at reduced limits.
- The required coverage can be satisfied through the driver’s policy, the company’s policy, or a combination.
- A driver can buy a rideshare endorsement that extends personal coverage across all app phases, closing the practical gap.
So the issue is usually one of lower limits during waiting, not a complete absence of insurance.
The bottom line ¶
There is a coverage step-down, not a void, while a Georgia rideshare driver waits between fares. O.C.G.A. § 33-1-24 requires the company to insure the waiting phase at reduced limits, and the full $1,000,000 attaches only once a ride request is accepted, which makes pinning down the driver’s exact app status at the moment of a crash essential to knowing what coverage applies.
This article is for general educational and informational purposes only and is not legal advice. It does not create an attorney-client relationship, and Georgia law may change. For advice about a specific situation, consult a licensed Georgia personal injury attorney.