Total loss · GA
Georgia total loss claims
Georgia sets no damage percentage. The insurance rule applies whenever the insurer determines the vehicle to be a total loss, and the title law treats a vehicle as salvage once an insurance company has paid a total loss claim and it has not been repaired (cosmetic-only damage other than fire or flood is excluded), or when repair would require replacing two or more major component parts. If the insurer’s value looks low, the dispute comes down to evidence: the right trim and options, fair comparable vehicles and explained condition adjustments.
Total loss rule
Insurer decides
Taxes and fees
Addressed by state rule
Appraisal clause
Set by your policy
Insurance regulator
Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire
Georgia law
When a vehicle is a total loss in Georgia
Insurer decides
Georgia sets no damage percentage. The insurance rule applies whenever the insurer determines the vehicle to be a total loss, and the title law treats a vehicle as salvage once an insurance company has paid a total loss claim and it has not been repaired (cosmetic-only damage other than fire or flood is excluded), or when repair would require replacing two or more major component parts.
Authority: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 120-2-52-.06; O.C.G.A. § 40-3-2(11)
What a Georgia settlement has to include
A first-party cash settlement must cover the cost of a comparable vehicle including all applicable taxes, license fees and other fees incident to the transfer of ownership, limited to the amount that would have been paid on the totaled vehicle at the time of settlement. Since April 1, 2022 the Commissioner has directed insurers to calculate the tax on the agreed-upon cash value of the vehicle, not a lower figure.
How the insurer has to value your vehicle
The insurer must base a cash settlement on a comparable automobile (same manufacturer and model year, similar body style, options and mileage) using, in order: two or more comparables within 50 miles of the county seat where the car was garaged, then comparables up to 100 miles away, then quotes from two or more licensed dealers within 50 miles, or a statistically valid valuation source that gives primary weight to the local market. If the insurer chooses to replace the vehicle instead, the replacement must be available for the owner to inspect within 50 miles.
Authority: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 120-2-52-.06(a), (b)
The appraisal clause in Georgia
Our research did not find a Georgia statute or regulation on auto policy appraisal clauses, so the wording of your own policy controls: whether it has one, the deadlines, and who pays.
Keeping a totaled vehicle: Georgia title rules
An insurer that acquires the vehicle by paying a total loss claim must send the title to the state for cancellation. An owner who keeps a salvage vehicle must surrender the license plates and registration and may not drive, sell or trade it before obtaining a salvage certificate of title.
Authority: O.C.G.A. § 40-3-36(a)
If you and the insurer cannot agree
- Dispute the valuation in writing with evidence. How to challenge comparables and condition deductions.
- If your policy has an appraisal clause, you can invoke it. The appraisal clause, step by step.
- File a complaint with the Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire.
- Small claims court: Georgia small claims court, for claims up to $15,000.
Sources
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 120-2-52-.06; O.C.G.A. § 40-3-2(11)
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 120-2-52-.06(a); Ga. Office of Commissioner of Insurance Directive 22-EX-2 (Mar. 11, 2022)
- O.C.G.A. § 40-3-36(a)
Researched October 11, 2026. General information from an appraisal perspective, not legal advice.
Autoloss in GA
Total loss appraisals for Georgia vehicles
An independent valuation of your Georgia vehicle just before the loss, from comparable vehicles, your records and photos, reviewed by Monica Fisher. The claim review is free and the fee is quoted after we review your situation. You, or your attorney, present the report.
What the appraisal includesGeorgia total loss questions
When is a car a total loss in Georgia?
Georgia sets no damage percentage. The insurance rule applies whenever the insurer determines the vehicle to be a total loss, and the title law treats a vehicle as salvage once an insurance company has paid a total loss claim and it has not been repaired (cosmetic-only damage other than fire or flood is excluded), or when repair would require replacing two or more major component parts.
Does a Georgia total loss settlement include sales tax and fees?
A first-party cash settlement must cover the cost of a comparable vehicle including all applicable taxes, license fees and other fees incident to the transfer of ownership, limited to the amount that would have been paid on the totaled vehicle at the time of settlement. Since April 1, 2022 the Commissioner has directed insurers to calculate the tax on the agreed-upon cash value of the vehicle, not a lower figure.
Can I keep my totaled car in Georgia?
Usually you can ask to, and the insurer deducts the salvage value. An insurer that acquires the vehicle by paying a total loss claim must send the title to the state for cancellation. An owner who keeps a salvage vehicle must surrender the license plates and registration and may not drive, sell or trade it before obtaining a salvage certificate of title.
Does Autoloss prepare total loss appraisals for Georgia vehicles?
Yes. We prepare an independent valuation from your records, photos and the insurer’s report. The claim review is free, and the fee is quoted after we review your situation.
Low total loss offer in Georgia?
The claim review is free: we look at your situation and tell you whether an appraisal is likely to help. The appraisal itself is a paid report. We help from start to finish, including a custom demand letter, and our support staff is a phone call away throughout the process.