Reckless Driving in Georgia: Penalties, Points and Insurance

For adults it's a misdemeanor and 4 points. For drivers under 21, a Georgia reckless driving conviction suspends the license outright.

What counts as reckless driving

Under O.C.G.A. § 40-6-390, reckless driving is driving any vehicle "in reckless disregard for the safety of persons or property." The Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) gives examples: speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, and improper passing.

Penalties

Reckless driving is a misdemeanor. According to the DDS driver's manual, penalties can include a fine of up to $1,000 and up to 12 months in jail, and if you're under 21, a conviction suspends all your driving privileges. Georgia treats aggressive driving (§ 40-6-397) as a separate, more serious offense — a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature worth 6 points.

Points

A reckless driving conviction adds 4 points to your Georgia license. Georgia's scale runs from 2 to 6 points per offense, and 15 points within 24 months suspends your license. DDS lets licensed Georgia residents ask to have points reduced.

What it does to your insurance rates

Insurer	Clean record	After reckless driving	Change
Progressive	$1,656	$2,505	+51%
State Farm	$2,344	$2,507	+7%
Allstate	$2,014	$2,696	+34%
Country Financial	$1,880	$2,771	+47%
Auto-Owners	$1,529	$2,928	+91%
GEICO	$2,072	$3,483	+68%
Mercury Insurance	$2,219	$4,273	+93%
USAA*	$1,562	$2,319	+48%

Average annual full-coverage premiums (100/300/100 liability, $500 deductibles) from Insurance.com's Georgia high-risk analysis, updated August 2026. Percentages are our calculation from those figures; the median increase across these insurers is 50%. *USAA is only available to military members, veterans and their families.

The spread is the story: the increase ranges from +7% (State Farm) to +93% (Mercury Insurance) for the same driver. After a reckless driving conviction, comparing quotes is worth more than almost anything else you can do.

In Insurance.com's Georgia data, 4 of the 8 insurers above charge exactly the same premium after reckless driving as after a DUI, which suggests they treat both as the same class of major violation. See what a DUI costs, compared across publishers.

Related: SR-22A in Georgia · Driving without insurance in Georgia