Georgia's rideshare law uses a unique TWO-period insurance structure under O.C.G.A. § 33-1-24 — not the standard three-period model — collapsing the en-route and passenger-aboard phases into a single Period B covered at $1,000,000 per occurrence, while a built-in 12-hour log-on/log-off production rule gives plaintiffs an unusually prescriptive discovery hook on day one.
Georgia enacted its TNC framework in two interlocking statutes: O.C.G.A. § 33-1-24 governs the insurance side; O.C.G.A. § 40-1-193 governs registration, background checks, and law-enforcement access. Together they create a two-period structure that is an outlier nationally. Period A — driver on the network but no ride accepted — requires $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident bodily injury and $50,000 property damage. Period B — from the moment the driver accepts a ride through completion — requires $1,000,000 per occurrence primary liability plus a UM/UIM stack of $100,000/$300,000/$25,000 under § 33-7-11. Both coverages apply in the same accident and should always be stacked. Georgia's first-dollar primary coverage rule under § 33-1-24(i) is statutory — the TNC's policy attaches immediately, the driver's personal insurer is notified within 25 business days, and the TNC coverage is not contingent on the personal insurer first denying the claim. The 12-hour log-on/log-off cooperation rule in § 33-1-24(h)(4) requires the TNC to produce precise digital network log times for the 12-hour window before and after any accident within 15 days of an insurer request — a hard discovery hook plaintiffs can invoke in the demand letter. Atlanta's dense rideshare market — Hartsfield-Jackson airport, Midtown, Buckhead, Ponce City Market — and Georgia's strict 50% comparative fault bar under OCGA § 51-12-33 define the liability framework.
Georgia's two-year personal injury statute of limitations under OCGA § 9-3-33 begins on the date of the crash. In a rideshare accident, the first 24 to 72 hours are the most evidence-critical window of the entire case: the TNC's digital log of the driver's period status (Period A or Period B) at the exact moment of the crash determines which insurance tier applies, and that log can be produced — or destroyed — at any time. Under § 33-1-24(h)(4), the TNC must produce the 12-hour log-on/log-off record within 15 days of an insurer request. An attorney triggers that production obligation immediately by sending a preservation demand to the TNC and notifying both the TNC insurer and the driver's personal insurer simultaneously. Delay allows period-status disputes — where the TNC claims the driver was in Period A rather than Period B — to harden into contested facts without contemporaneous log evidence.
Georgia's TWO-period TNC structure under O.C.G.A. § 33-1-24 is critical to understand: once a driver accepts a ride, the full Period B $1,000,000 per occurrence liability and $100,000/$300,000/$25,000 UM/UIM stack under § 33-7-11 attach and remain in force all the way through completion of the transaction — en route to pickup AND passenger aboard are the same coverage period. This is different from most states' three-period framework. If the crash occurred after the driver accepted a ride but before the passenger was physically in the vehicle, Period B still applies. Insurers sometimes argue that a crash between acceptance and pickup falls outside "active ride" coverage — that argument is incorrect under Georgia's statute, and an attorney versed in § 33-1-24 can defeat it with the driver's period log and the statutory text.
Georgia's § 33-1-24(i) first-dollar primary coverage rule is one of the strongest in the country: the TNC's policy is primary during Period B, coverage is not dependent on the personal insurer first denying the claim, and the TNC must notify the driver and the driver's personal insurer of any primary coverage dispute within 25 business days. This provision eliminates the coverage gap that injured parties in other states experience when the TNC and personal insurer dispute who pays first — in Georgia, the TNC pays first, period. An attorney sends notice to both insurers simultaneously and invokes § 33-1-24(i) in the initial demand to prevent the coverage-dispute delay tactic.
Georgia's background check requirements under O.C.G.A. § 40-1-193(c) disqualify drivers who are under 21, who have a DUI conviction within seven years, who have a suspended or revoked license, or who have certain disqualifying criminal convictions. If an injured passenger learns that the Uber or Lyft driver had a prior DUI within seven years or a disqualifying criminal record, the TNC may have liability for negligent onboarding — allowing a statutorily disqualified driver onto the platform. The TNC enrollment list under § 40-1-193(b) is not a public record, but it is discoverable by subpoena in litigation. An attorney issues a subpoena for the driver's TNC enrollment record and background check results as part of the initial discovery package, establishing the negligent onboarding theory before the defense has time to prepare its narrative.
Legal Information Notice
The legal information on this page is for general educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Laws change, and every case is different. Always consult with a licensed attorney in your state to verify the current law and how it applies to your specific situation.
Georgia uses a two-period structure under O.C.G.A. § 33-1-24. Period A (driver on the network, no ride accepted) requires $50,000/$100,000 bodily injury / $50,000 property damage. Period B (ride accepted through completion, including en route to pickup) requires $1,000,000 per occurrence primary liability plus a UM/UIM stack of $100,000/$300,000/$25,000 under § 33-7-11. The TNC's policy is primary — coverage is not contingent on the driver's personal insurer denying first — and the TNC must produce the driver's 12-hour log-on/log-off record within 15 days of request under § 33-1-24(h)(4).
Period A coverage under § 33-1-24(b)(2) applies when the driver is logged on to the TNC network but has not accepted a ride — $50,000/$100,000/$50,000 minimum. If the driver had accepted a ride and was en route to pick up a passenger, full Period B coverage ($1,000,000 per occurrence) applies. The TNC's digital log of the driver's network status at the time of the crash is the key evidence — Georgia's § 33-1-24(h)(4) requires the TNC to produce that log within 15 days of an insurer request, which an attorney triggers immediately.
Yes. During Period B, O.C.G.A. § 33-1-24(b)(3) requires the TNC to maintain UM/UIM coverage at the floors set by § 33-7-11: $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident bodily injury/$25,000 property damage. This UM/UIM stack exists separately from the $1,000,000 Period B liability floor — both apply in the same accident. During Period A, UM/UIM coverage depends on the driver's personal policy and the livery exclusion analysis.
Two years from the date of the crash under OCGA § 9-3-33. For accidents involving government-owned or -maintained vehicles or roads, ante litem notice must be given within six months for municipal claims (OCGA § 36-33-5) or 12 months for state claims (OCGA § 50-21-26). The TNC's 12-hour log-on/log-off records must be secured within the first 15 days of attorney engagement; waiting risks period-status disputes hardening without contemporaneous log evidence.
Yes, through multiple theories. If a driver had a disqualifying criminal record, DUI conviction within seven years, or a suspended license and the TNC allowed them to drive anyway — in violation of the mandatory background check requirements in O.C.G.A. § 40-1-193(c) — the TNC may be directly liable for negligent onboarding. The TNC enrollment records are not public, but they are discoverable by subpoena. Georgia's direct negligence framework also allows negligent supervision claims where the TNC had notice of prior safety incidents by the driver and failed to deactivate the account.
All legal information on this page is sourced from primary government statutes. Last verified 2026-04-07.
O.C.G.A. § 33-1-24
Insurance requirements for transportation network companies and their drivers (Ga. Laws 196 § 1, eff. 1/1/2016; clarified by Ga. Laws 70 § 1, eff. 7/1/2023)
O.C.G.A. § 40-1-193
Ride share network service registration, background-check, and law-enforcement-access requirements (Ga. Laws 195 § 3, eff. 7/1/2015)
O.C.G.A. § 40-1-190
Ride share network service definitions
O.C.G.A. § 33-7-11
Georgia uninsured motorist coverage statute (cross-referenced by § 33-1-24(b)(3) for the rideshare $100k/$300k/$25k UM/UIM floor)
O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33
Georgia general personal-injury statute of limitations (2 years)
Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. ch. 570-35
Transportation Network Companies (incorporates § 33-1-24 and § 40-1-193 by reference)
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