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Georgia FAIR Plan (Georgia Underwriting Association)

Checked against official sources · Last reviewed October 13, 2026

What the Georgia FAIR Plan is

GUA's plan of operation says it administers the Georgia Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plan (the "FAIR Plan") under O.C.G.A. 33-33-1 and following. Every insurer authorized to write property insurance in Georgia is a member and shares in GUA's premiums, expenses, profits and losses, in proportion to its Georgia premiums.

GUA says it "functions as a residual insurance market in order that basic property and liability insurance may be made available to all Georgians," and that it "is not affiliated with any local, state, or federal government entities." It calls itself "the insurer of last resort" and says it "provides only basic property insurance."

This site is not the Georgia Underwriting Association and is not affiliated with it. GUA also warns that a company called doxo is "NOT AFFILIATED" with GUA; to pay, GUA tells policyholders to use the credit card payment link on its home page or its Customer Portal. [1][2][3]

Who is eligible

• Georgia property: GUA insures real property and its contents located in Georgia, homes and businesses.
• Turned down elsewhere: On the homeowners application you certify that you "have made a reasonable effort to obtain insurance and have been unable to obtain it elsewhere." GUA's homeowners application asks for a copy of your previous policy and the cancellation or nonrenewal notice.
• Condition of the home: GUA can inspect. Its plan lets it decline or surcharge a home for physical condition (construction, heating, wiring, past fires, deterioration), vacancy or poor upkeep, an insured amount out of line with the home's value, or frequent losses. It may also accept a home only after you make listed repairs. But "A risk shall not be declined for neighborhood or area location or any environmental hazard beyond the control of the property owner."
• New coastal homes: A structure in the coastal wind area that was built within the past 10 years must meet the International Code Council building code, including design-wind requirements, and you must send a letter from a building inspector, contractor, engineer or architect proving it. The coastal wind area is Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Glynn, Liberty and McIntosh counties and listed islands such as Tybee, St. Simons, Jekyll, Sea and Cumberland.
• Homeowners (HO-8) policy: only for a single-family, free-standing, owner-occupied home that you live in full time and that isn't seasonal or used for business. Mobile homes, condos, duplexes, townhouses and multi-family homes are not eligible for the HO-8; GUA's dwelling fire policy covers owner- or tenant-occupied 1-4 family dwellings, mobile homes, contents only, rehab and builder's risk.
• Hurricane freeze: GUA takes no new applications or coverage increases while any part of a National Weather Service-designated hurricane is inside 70 degrees west longitude and 20 degrees north latitude, until 24 hours after the hurricane warning is lifted.

If GUA declines your home or will insure it only after repairs, it must send you and the Commissioner the inspection reports within 10 days and tell you how to appeal. [3][6][7][9]

What it covers and what it doesn't

GUA sells one-year policies on standard forms. Its coverage comparison sheet lists:

On the HO-8, other structures (10% of the dwelling limit), personal property (50%) and loss of use (10%) are built in "and cannot be changed," and so are liability ($100,000) and medical payments ($1,000).

Options and limits on GUA's application forms (the HO form is dated 12/2015, so confirm current terms with your agent):

• Replacement cost is optional: 10% extra of the base premium for the building, 10% for contents, 20% for both. For roofs 10 years old or older, GUA adds an endorsement that settles wind or hail damage to the roof surface at actual cash value (replacement cost minus depreciation).
• Theft above $1,000 and water damage coverage are optional for extra premium. GUA stopped offering water coverage on mobile homes effective January 1, 2014.
• Deductibles: $1,000, $2,500 or $5,000, and "A 2% Wind Hail Deductible applies for all property in the 6 coastal counties." See hurricane deductibles.
• Wind and hail only policies are, per GUA's 2015 quote guide, "limited to 6 coastal counties where wind excluded."
• Coverage amounts: the most GUA will insure on one building is $2,000,000, and $20,000,000 for a complex of buildings. GUA's 2015 quote guide lists minimums of $10,000 for dwelling fire and $25,000 for homeowners.

GUA tells policyholders that if they can find one, they can add "a policy with another insurer commonly known as a Difference in Conditions (DIC) policy" for broader coverage. See difference in conditions insurance. Flood isn't on these peril lists; for flood insurance see our sister site FloodHawk. [2][3][6][7][10][11]

How to apply

1. Find a licensed Georgia agent. GUA's plan says you "must make such application directly through a licensed insurance producer." GUA's application says the agent who helps you is not GUA's agent, and GUA's quote guide says "No agent has binding authority through this Association." You can check an agent's license with OCI's license lookup.
2. Gather documents. GUA's homeowners application lists a signed application, payment, color photos of the front and back of the home, an appraisal or valuation, and a copy of your previous policy and the cancellation or nonrenewal notice. For homes over 30 years old it asks the year the wiring, plumbing and heating were updated.
3. Pay. Coverage starts at 12:01 a.m. the day after GUA receives payment. A $50 policy/inspection fee applies to new business written on or after September 1, 2013, and there is a $25 fee for a bounced check.
4. Wait for a decision. GUA's 2015 quote guide says to allow 10-14 days for processing. Under GUA's plan, if GUA hasn't accepted or declined within 20 days of receiving your application, you can ask for a temporary binder by sending a copy of the application and a deposit of the estimated annual premium.

[3][6][7][12]

Paying, changes and claims

• Pay or manage your policy: use the Customer Portal or GUA's credit card payment page. GUA says the billing address you enter must match the one your card company has on file, or the payment will be declined. GUA's payment page says a $5.00 processing fee is charged on all credit card transactions.
• Installments: GUA's plan lets it offer an installment plan if you qualify, with a service fee for each installment.
• Report a claim: fill in the online notice-of-loss form on GUA's Submit a Claim page. It asks for the date of loss, your policy number (with dashes), the location and type of loss, your mortgage company and a description. You can also call GUA at (770) 923-7431.

[1][3][4][5]

If GUA cancels your policy or turns you down

GUA's plan lets it cancel for reasons including nonpayment, evidence of arson, misrepresentation, changes that make the property uninsurable, frequent losses, or a condition that would have kept it from accepting the home in the first place.

• GUA must give at least 10 days' notice if it cancels for nonpayment or if the policy has been in effect 60 days or less.
• For other reasons on a home (personal lines), GUA must mail at least 30 days' notice.
• Every cancellation notice must state the reason and tell you that you have a right to appeal.

Appeals: You can appeal any final GUA decision to GUA's Board of Directors within 15 days. You can appeal the Board's decision to the Georgia Insurance Commissioner within 30 days.

Starting January 1, 2027, Georgia's new aerial-image law (HB 1344) also applies to the FAIR Plan for homes. If a cancellation or nonrenewal of an owner-occupied home is based on drone or satellite images, you must get copies of the dated images, a description of the repairs needed, an appeal process, and at least 60 days to fix the problem. [3][13][14]

Discounts and grants

GUA gives a FORTIFIED Home credit on the wind part of its homeowners and dwelling policies: 5% for Bronze, 7.5% for Silver and 10% for Gold. To get it, send GUA the certificate from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS). GUA notes a FORTIFIED designation lasts five years before a re-designation audit focused on the roof. More: FORTIFIED roof.

Georgia's new Storm Damage Mitigation Program, created by HB 1344 and effective January 1, 2027, is funded in part by "all premium taxes collected from the underwriting association," and homes insured through the FAIR Plan can qualify for its grants. Grants depend on state funding and on rules the Commissioner must still write. Details are on our Georgia page. [13][14][15]

Policy counts and recent changes

Source: GUA exposure reports. Other recent changes:

• Premium taxes (Dec. 1, 2025): OCI Directive 25-EX-7 says that starting with tax year 2025, GUA pays the premium tax on FAIR Plan premiums directly to the Commissioner.
• 2027: HB 1344's aerial-image rules and the Storm Damage Mitigation Program take effect January 1, 2027 (see above).

[8][13][14][16][17][18]

Getting back to the regular market

GUA itself urges you to "Shop around at least annually for coverage with insurers other than the Georgia Underwriting Association (GUA)," noting that "a property not eligible for coverage in the past may be eligible now." It suggests asking neighbors who insures them, asking your agent to look for broader coverage, and calling insurers yourself. See also our Georgia homeowners insurance page and the FAIR plan guide. [2]

Help

• GUA: (770) 923-7431, 3355 Annandale Ln #3, Suwanee, GA 30024.
• Georgia Insurance Commissioner (OCI) Consumer Services: (800) 656-2298 or (404) 656-2070; file a complaint online.

[1][19][20]

Questions people ask