What minimum insurance does Georgia law require transportation network companies to maintain?
Georgia sets the insurance floor for rideshare operations in O.C.G.A. § 33-1-24, and the required amount changes with what the driver is doing on the app. The statute ties coverage to the driver’s status at the moment of a crash, so the same driver carries different protection depending on whether a ride is in progress, pending, or not yet requested.
Coverage during a prearranged ride ¶
The highest tier applies once a driver has accepted a ride request and through the time the passenger is dropped off. During this prearranged ride period, the transportation network company must maintain at least $1,000,000 in coverage for death, bodily injury, and property damage arising from one incident. This is the coverage that protects passengers and anyone the rideshare vehicle injures while a fare is underway.
The statute also requires uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage during the prearranged ride period. Georgia set those limits at $300,000 for bodily injury or death of all persons in one accident, with a maximum of $100,000 for any one person and $25,000 for damage to the property of others. That UM/UIM layer matters when the driver who actually caused the wreck has little or no insurance.
Coverage while logged on but waiting ¶
A lower tier applies during the window when a driver is logged into the app and available but has not yet accepted a request. In that waiting phase, the required primary liability coverage drops to at least $50,000 for the death or bodily injury of any one person, $100,000 for all persons injured in one incident, and $25,000 for property damage, well below the $1,000,000 ride-period requirement. The coverage can be satisfied by the driver’s own policy, by the company’s policy, or by a combination, as the statute allows.
When the app is off entirely, the rideshare requirements do not apply, and only the driver’s ordinary personal auto policy is in play.
The bottom line ¶
Under O.C.G.A. § 33-1-24, a transportation network company in Georgia must carry $1,000,000 in liability coverage plus statutory underinsured-motorist protection during an active prearranged ride, with reduced limits while a driver merely waits for a request and none of the rideshare-specific coverage once the app is off. Because the applicable amount hinges on app status at the moment of impact, that status is often the first fact an injured person needs to establish.
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.