State
Life insurance in Georgia
Georgia life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection on death benefits, a 10-day free look, no state estate tax, and home to Primerica and Aflac.
Guaranty association protection
| Guaranty association | Georgia Life & Health Insurance Guaranty Association |
|---|---|
| Life insurance death benefits | $300,000 |
| Cash surrender value | $100,000 |
| Annuity benefits | $250,000 cash value; $300,000 present value for annuities in benefit |
| Health benefits | $500,000 hospital, medical and surgical or major medical; $300,000 disability income, long-term care and other covered health |
| Overall limit | $300,000 per life ($500,000 for health benefit plans) |
| Notes | Limits apply to insolvencies since July 1, 2012; structured settlement annuities are covered to $300,000 per payee and unallocated annuities to $5,000,000 per contract owner. |
| Website | glhiga.org |
Policy rules
| Free-look period | 10 days for individual life policies (O.C.G.A. § 33-25-8, per NAIC) |
|---|---|
| Community property state | No |
Taxes
| State estate tax | No state estate tax |
|---|---|
| Inheritance tax | No |
Lost policies and unclaimed money
| Unclaimed property office | Georgia Department of Revenue Unclaimed Property Program |
|---|---|
| Search unclaimed property | gaclaims.unclaimedproperty.com/en |
Regulator
| Insurance regulator | Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire |
|---|---|
| Consumer hotline | 800-656-2298 |
| Website | oci.georgia.gov |
| File a complaint | oci.georgia.gov/file-consumer-insurance-… |
| Address | 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, West Tower, Suite 702, Atlanta, GA 30334 |
How your policy is protected if an insurer fails
The Georgia Life & Health Insurance Guaranty Association (GLHIGA) protects Georgia residents when a licensed life or health insurer becomes insolvent. Every insurer licensed to sell life insurance, health insurance or annuities in Georgia must belong to it. GLHIGA can keep paying benefits while it continues the failed company's policies or issues replacements. It can also pay a financially sound insurer to take them over, or work with other states' associations and the liquidator on a joint plan. Keep paying premiums, because GLHIGA has the same contract rights as the original insurer.
Limits from GLHIGA's FAQ for insolvencies from July 1, 2012 to the present, as of October 4, 2026, with the overall caps from the NAIC's summary of state guaranty laws:
| Coverage | Georgia limit |
|---|---|
| Life insurance death benefit | $300,000 per insured life |
| Life insurance cash surrender value | $100,000 per insured life |
| Annuity cash value (withdrawal or surrender) | $250,000 per life |
| Annuity in benefit (present value) | $300,000 per life |
| Structured settlement annuities | $300,000 per payee |
| Hospital, medical and surgical or major medical | $500,000 per insured life |
| Disability income, long-term care and other covered health | $300,000 each per insured life |
| Overall cap | $300,000 per life, or $500,000 for health benefit plans |
The annuity limits apply per life no matter how many contracts you hold. NOLHGA's chart (as of June 1, 2025) describes the same split: $250,000 while an annuity is deferred and $300,000 once it is paying out. GLHIGA can never owe more than the failed insurer would have owed, and it is not liable for punitive damages. Amounts above the limits become claims against the insurer's estate, and payments can be delayed for months while a court sorts out the failed company. Hardship withdrawals are sometimes allowed during rehabilitation.
Guaranty associations are not government agencies, and their protection is a backstop, not a reason to buy from a weak insurer. Most states also prohibit agents from using guaranty coverage to make a sale. See state life and health guaranty associations and what happens if your life insurance company fails.
Who regulates life insurance in Georgia
The Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire (OCI), led by an elected commissioner, licenses insurers and agents, reviews insurance product filings, regulates captives and handles consumer complaints. Its Consumer Services Division is OCI's investigative arm. It works to ensure fair dealings between insurers, agents and policyholders, including how claims are handled. OCI also offers an agent and company search so you can confirm a license before you buy.
Free look, grace periods and policy rules
- Free look: Georgia requires a 10-day free-look period for individual life policies under O.C.G.A. § 33-25-8, according to the NAIC's state chart of life insurance disclosure laws (Fall 2023). Your policy's cover page will state the period. Return the policy in writing within it for a refund. See the free-look period: returning a policy for a refund.
- Grace period: read the grace period clause in your policy for the time allowed to pay a late premium. If you worry about missing a bill, set up automatic payments or ask the insurer whether someone else can receive lapse notices.
Taxes, estates and community property
Georgia has no state estate tax and no inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax can apply, with a $15,000,000 per-person exclusion in 2026, according to the IRS. Georgia is not a community property state, so the beneficiary designation generally controls who receives the proceeds.
Finding a lost policy or unclaimed benefits
Request a free search through the NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator. Participating insurers check their records and contact the beneficiary if they find a policy. Then search the Georgia Department of Revenue's unclaimed property database. Life insurance proceeds that could not be delivered end up there, and claiming them from the state is free. Our guides to how to find a lost life insurance policy and unclaimed life insurance money and state unclaimed property cover more places to look.
Life insurers based in Georgia
Three of the 100 largest U.S. life insurance groups are headquartered in Georgia:
- Primerica, based in Duluth, sells term life insurance through a large network of part-time and full-time independent representatives.
- Aflac, based in Columbus, is best known for supplemental insurance sold through employers and also sells life insurance.
- Senior Life Insurance Company, Senior Life Insurance Company of Thomasville, sells final expense life insurance.
Where to get help
- OCI Consumer Services Division: 404-656-2070 or 800-656-2298 toll-free; 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, West Tower, Suite 702, Atlanta, GA 30334; oci.georgia.gov.
- File a complaint: use OCI's consumer insurance complaint form for problems with an insurer, an agent or how a claim is being handled. Include your policy and claim numbers and copies of letters. See how to file a complaint against a life insurer.
- Guaranty association: GLHIGA, 3700 Crestwood Parkway NW, Suite 400, Duluth, GA 30096; 770-621-9835.
Neighboring states: Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Sources
- glhiga.org/faqs.html
- glhiga.org/
- nolhga.com/policyholders/how-youre-protected/
- content.naic.org/sites/default/files/model-law-chart-in-10-life-and-health-guaranty-fund…
- oci.georgia.gov/
- oci.georgia.gov/about-us/contact-us
- oci.georgia.gov/file-consumer-insurance-complaint
- content.naic.org/sites/default/files/model-law-chart-li-30-life-insurance-disclosure-pro…
- dor.georgia.gov/unclaimed-property-program/how-do-i-search-unclaimed-property
- gaclaims.unclaimedproperty.com/en/
- seniorlifeinsurancecompany.com/
- irs.gov/publications/p555
Rules and limits were checked against these sources on the review date below. Laws change - confirm with the state insurance department or guaranty association.
Profile last reviewed October 4, 2026