Traffic fines in Georgia

Georgia is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Every year it is visited by millions of people from various countries, including the former Soviet Union. Many of them come to Georgia by car or rent a car to explore the country on their own.

Since the traffic rules in Georgia are unique, it is important to become familiar with them in advance to avoid fines. In this article we will look at the most common traffic fines in Georgia, what the police often stop and fine you for, and how to pay them.

Types of traffic fines

In Georgia, traffic fines are divided into two categories:

• Administrative fines - imposed for minor traffic offences such as speeding, not wearing a seat belt, talking on the phone while driving, etc.
• Criminal fines - imposed for serious traffic offences such as drunk driving, leaving the scene of an accident, etc.

Fines for administrative offences

Below is a list of the most common fines for administrative offences in Georgia:

• Running a red light - 100 GEL (37 USD)
• Exceeding the speed limit - from 50 to 300 GEL (19-111 USD), depending on the severity of the violation
• Failure to obey "No stopping" and "No parking" signs - 50 GEL (16 USD) in Tbilisi, 10 GEL (4 USD) outside Tbilisi.
• Driving in the BUS LANE - 100 GEL (37 USD)
• Driving a vehicle with seatbelts unfastened (applies to driver and front passenger) - 40 GEL (15 USD).
• Using a mobile phone while driving - 30 GEL (11 USD)
• Violation of the rules for transporting children - 40 GEL (15 USD) - failure to use child seats, special signs if you are transporting a group of children in a bus.
• Failure to comply with a police officer's request to stop - 500 GEL (185 USD)

Fines for criminal offences

Penalties for criminal traffic offences in Georgia are significantly higher than for administrative offences.

• Driving while intoxicated - from GEL 700 (USD 260) to GEL 2500 (USD 925) and/or disqualification from driving for up to 6 months.
• Leaving the scene of an accident - from 1000 GEL (370 USD) to 3000 GEL (1110 USD) and/or disqualification from driving for up to 6 months.
• Violation of the rules for transporting dangerous goods - from 1000 GEL (320 USD) to 3000 GEL (960 USD) and/or disqualification from driving for up to 6 months.

Why the police often stop you

The police in Georgia are very strict in enforcing the traffic rules. The most common reasons for the police to stop a car are

• Speeding
• Not wearing a seat belt
• Using a mobile phone while driving
• Violation of the rules for transporting children
• Failure to stop at a red light

Traffic enforcement

Traffic police in Georgia are officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia. Traffic police officers have the right to stop vehicles, check the documents of drivers and passengers, and impose fines for traffic violations.

Georgia has a system of video recording of traffic violations. If a car is stopped by a camera, the driver receives a text message informing him of the fine.

Paying a fine

Traffic fines in Georgia can be paid in a number of ways:

• At a cash machine
• Online, on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
• At a bank branch

When paying a fine at an ATM or via the Internet, it is necessary to quote the number of the decision imposing the fine. If the fine is paid at a bank branch, the decision imposing the fine must be presented.

Fines from cameras

Georgia has a lot of cameras, cameras monitor almost everything, there are 2 main types of cameras:

1. Radar cameras - they fine you for speeding
2. Cameras that record other offences

Radar cameras on Georgia roads

In most places you will see a sign that says "camera violations", which means there is a radar camera operating. In some cases, the sign may warn you, but there may not be a camera in the area.

Radar cameras are of 2 types:

1. Register your speed, which means that if you exceed the speed limit you will be photographed and later charged a fine.
2. Record the time and date of your journey, and after a period of time, record the time and date of your journey again and calculate your average speed based on the distance and time travelled. These radars do not care whether you were driving at the speed limit when you passed the radar, they analyse your movement using the average speed on that stretch of motorway.

Who will receive a fine from the speed cameras and when?

Fines from the cameras are sent to the owner of the vehicle. If you have hired a car, the fine will be sent to the car hire company.

Notification of the fine is sent as an SMS to the owner's mobile phone.

The SMS fine does not always arrive immediately, there have been cases of late notification of a week or more. Therefore, do not assume that if you do not have a fine now, it will not appear a little later.

Checking a police fine

If you want to check a police fine, you can find out where and when the offence was committed and how much the fine was. You can do this on the police website (https://videos.police.ge/)

What happens if you do not pay the fine?

If you do not pay the fine, the amount of the fine will double after 30 days and then double again after a further 30 days. The amount of the fine will continue to increase.

It is possible for a tourist not to pay the fine

If this is your opinion, you are wrong. If you already have a fine, you may have problems leaving Georgia. If you leave the country and the fine appears after your departure, it is desirable to pay it, because if you visit Georgia again, you may be very unpleasantly surprised.

A tourist decided not to pay the fine. The fine appeared when the tourist was already far away. The tourist came back to Georgia after 1 year, rented a car and went to enjoy the scenery. A few days later. The car was stopped by a police patrol. When the driver's licence was checked, the tourist was informed that he had received a fine a year ago, which he had failed to pay, and as a result Georgian law deprived him of the right to drive the car. Now he has no right to drive a car in Georgia for 1 year, and the amount of the fine is 150 GEL (originally it was 50 GEL). The tourist was taken out of the car and the car was returned to the car rental company.

Other fines that can be recorded by a camera

Other fines that can be recorded by the camera

1. Failure to wear a seatbelt
2. Using a mobile phone while driving
3. Driving over the marking line at traffic lights
4. Driving through a prohibited traffic light

These fines are usually caught by cameras at junctions.

How fines are caught on camera

1. Speeding - on road cameras
2. Belts, traffic lights - on camera at junctions
3. Other offences - on camera in the police car
4. Speeding, too:
   1. Hidden cameras (cars without visible signs)
   2. Passing cameras calculate the average speed of a car on a stretch of road.

Knowing Georgia's traffic laws will help you avoid fines and trouble on the road. Be careful and obey the rules of the road and your journey in Georgia will be safe.