You Just Got a Quote from The General
You received a DUI conviction in Georgia. The court told you to get SR-22 insurance. You called The General, they quoted you a monthly premium plus a filing fee, and now you're trying to figure out whether the total cost is reasonable or whether you should compare other carriers. The problem: Georgia runs two parallel suspension tracks—DDS administrative suspension and court-ordered suspension—and your SR-22 timing depends on which track applies to your case.
The General is a non-standard carrier licensed to write SR-22 policies in Georgia. They file the SR-22 certificate electronically with the Georgia Department of Driver Services on your behalf. The filing fee is set by the carrier, not the state. Georgia does not publish a standard SR-22 filing fee—every carrier charges what they set. The three-year SR-22 hold period starts the day DDS receives the filing, not the day you buy the policy. If you let coverage lapse during those three years, DDS suspends your license again immediately.
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Get Your Free QuoteGeorgia SR-22 Hold Period
3 years
Georgia requires SR-22 filing maintained continuously for three years following a DUI conviction. The clock starts when DDS receives the electronic filing from your carrier, not when you purchase the policy. Letting the policy lapse at any point during the three years triggers automatic re-suspension.
Georgia Department of Driver Services reinstatement requirements
Georgia's Dual-Track Suspension System
Georgia DUI cases trigger two separate suspensions: an administrative license suspension imposed by DDS under the Administrative License Suspension statute, and a court-ordered suspension following conviction. The ALS process starts within days of your arrest if you refused or failed the chemical test. You have 30 days to request an ALS hearing or elect the Ignition Interlock Limited Driving Permit pathway. If you do neither, your license suspends automatically for one year on a first DUI.
The court-ordered suspension runs separately. A first-offense DUI conviction carries a minimum 120-day hard suspension before you qualify for a Limited Driving Permit. If you elected the IILDP during the ALS phase, you may already be driving with an ignition interlock device installed. If not, you wait out the 120 days. SR-22 filing is required regardless of which pathway you take, but the timing of when you need coverage active varies.
Most Georgia drivers assume the SR-22 requirement starts immediately after arrest. That is correct only if you elected the IILDP and are driving under that permit. If you are serving the hard suspension and not yet eligible for the Limited Driving Permit, you still need to file SR-22 to satisfy reinstatement conditions down the road—but you do not need an active auto policy if you are not driving and do not own a vehicle. Non-owner SR-22 policies exist for exactly this scenario. The General writes both standard SR-22 auto policies and non-owner SR-22 policies.
If you are in the 120-day hard suspension and do not own a vehicle, you need non-owner SR-22 coverage, not a standard auto policy. The General writes both.
What The General SR-22 Filing Covers
Georgia's minimum liability limits are $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 property damage. The General's SR-22 policy must meet or exceed these minimums. The carrier files the SR-22 electronically with DDS within one to three business days of policy activation. You receive proof of filing—a paper certificate—but DDS tracks compliance electronically through Georgia's insurance verification system. The filing fee is a one-time charge added to your first premium payment.
The SR-22 itself does not increase your premium. What increases your premium is the DUI conviction on your driving record and the fact that you now require non-standard-tier insurance. The General specializes in non-standard auto insurance for drivers with violations. Their rates reflect the actuarial risk of insuring DUI drivers, not the administrative cost of filing SR-22 paperwork. Comparing The General's quote against quotes from other non-standard carriers—Progressive, GEICO, Dairyland, Bristol West, National General—tells you whether their rate is competitive for your specific county and driving history.
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How The General's Georgia SR-22 Premium Is Calculated
The General prices SR-22 policies based on your violation, your county, your age, your vehicle, and your prior insurance history. Georgia is a tort state—at-fault drivers pay for damages they cause—which means liability coverage is priced higher in counties with dense traffic and higher claim frequency. Metro Atlanta counties see higher premiums than rural South Georgia counties. The General's underwriting system pulls your Georgia driving record directly from DDS and factors every moving violation and suspension in the last five years.
DUI convictions carry the highest surcharge of any violation. Georgia's Risk Reduction Program completion is required before DDS reinstates your license, but it does not reduce your insurance premium. Carriers do not discount premiums for completing the program—it is a reinstatement prerequisite, not a risk mitigator in their pricing models. If you completed the program and expected a lower premium quote, that expectation is incorrect. The DUI stays on your Georgia driving record for seven years; carriers surcharge it for at least three to five years depending on their rate filing rules.
The General does not publish rate tables publicly. Every quote is individualized. If you own a vehicle, you need a standard SR-22 auto policy covering that vehicle. If you do not own a vehicle but need SR-22 to reinstate your license, you need a non-owner SR-22 policy. Non-owner policies are cheaper—typically less than half the cost of a standard policy—because they cover only liability for vehicles you do not own. The General writes both. Knowing which you need before requesting a quote saves time and avoids confusion when comparing total costs.
Georgia DUI Reinstatement Fee
$200
Georgia charges a $200 reinstatement fee for DUI-related suspensions, paid directly to DDS when you apply to reinstate your license. This fee is separate from your SR-22 insurance premium and separate from any court fines or Risk Reduction Program fees. You cannot reinstate until SR-22 filing is active with DDS and all suspension conditions are satisfied.
Georgia Department of Driver Services fee schedule
Filing Process and Timing with The General
When you purchase an SR-22 policy from The General, the carrier files the SR-22 certificate electronically with DDS within one to three business days. DDS updates your driving record to show active SR-22 compliance. You receive a paper SR-22 certificate by mail, but you do not need to bring it to DDS—the electronic filing is what counts. If you are applying for a Limited Driving Permit through Superior Court, the court may ask for proof of SR-22 filing as part of your petition. The paper certificate satisfies that requirement.
The three-year SR-22 hold period starts the day DDS receives the filing. If you buy your policy on January 10 and The General files on January 12, your three-year period runs from January 12. If your policy lapses—you miss a payment, you cancel coverage, the carrier cancels for non-payment—The General is required to notify DDS electronically within 24 hours. DDS suspends your license immediately. There is no grace period. Reinstatement after an SR-22 lapse requires purchasing new coverage, filing a new SR-22, paying the $200 reinstatement fee again, and waiting for DDS processing.
Compare The General Against Other Georgia SR-22 Carriers
The General is one of eleven carriers confirmed to write SR-22 policies in Georgia. The other ten include Progressive, GEICO, State Farm, Dairyland, Bristol West, Acceptance Insurance, National General, Infinity, Kemper, and GAINSCO. Not all write non-owner SR-22 policies. GEICO, Progressive, Dairyland, The General, GAINSCO, and USAA write non-owner SR-22; the others typically require you to own a vehicle. If you do not own a vehicle, narrow your comparison to carriers that write non-owner policies.
Request quotes from at least three carriers. Provide identical information to each: your DUI conviction date, your county, your vehicle year/make/model if you own one, and whether you need a non-owner policy. Carrier rate structures vary significantly. One carrier may price Metro Atlanta DUI drivers 40 percent higher than another carrier in the same county. The General's specialty is high-risk drivers, but specialty does not always mean cheapest. Bristol West, Dairyland, and National General also specialize in non-standard auto and may quote lower depending on your specific risk profile.
When comparing quotes, confirm the SR-22 filing fee is included in the total cost breakdown. Some carriers bundle the filing fee into the first month's premium; others list it as a separate line item. Confirm the policy meets Georgia's minimum liability limits. Confirm the carrier will file electronically with DDS and provide you a paper certificate for court if you need one. Confirm the policy start date aligns with your reinstatement timeline. If you are still in your hard suspension and not yet eligible for the Limited Driving Permit, buying coverage too early wastes money—wait until you are 30 days out from your permit eligibility date or your full reinstatement date.