Traffic fines

How fines are issued in Georgia

Traffic fines in Georgia are issued by the Patrol Police - either on the spot when a driver is stopped, or automatically from a camera recording. In both cases the fine appears in an electronic system and is paid later.

A fine is recorded against the car's plate number or against the driver. On a hire car this means a camera fine goes first to the hire company and only then to you.

Why foreigners get fined so often

A foreign driver does not yet know the local signs and limits, and a sat nav does not always show the speed limit accurately. The limit drops sharply as you enter a village, and that is often exactly where the camera stands.

The second reason is that nobody tells you about the fine at the time. The trip ends peacefully, and the bill arrives weeks later - with a fee already added.

Cameras and automatic fines

There are many cameras in cities, on main roads and through villages. They record speed, running a red light and lane-marking offences, and some also record seat belts and phones.

A camera fine usually appears in the system within a few days, sometimes later. So it is worth checking once more a week after you return the car.

For a camera fine the driver signs nothing on the spot. The recording - a photo or a video - is the evidence, and it can be viewed during an appeal.

The most common offences

Speed comes first, especially in villages and at the entrances to towns. Next comes crossing a solid line while overtaking - on mountain roads the temptation is great.

Also common are seat belts in the back, which are compulsory here for every passenger, and holding a phone while driving. Cameras and patrols notice both equally.

In cities parking is a separate matter: a car left where parking is banned, or in a zone without paying, brings a fine and sometimes a tow truck.

How to check for a fine

A fine can be checked by plate number in the official system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Some of the information is only in Georgian, and in that case we check and explain it to you.

The check shows the type of offence, the date, the place and the payment deadline. That is enough to tell whether the fine is yours - for instance, whether it happened before you collected the car.

With a hire car we repeat the check after the hire period ends too, so that a fine arriving late does not slip past us.

A fine on a hire car

On a hire car a camera fine is sent to the owner - the hire company. The company works out who was driving the car that day and passes the fine on to you.

Some companies pay the fine themselves and then deduct it from your card or deposit; others ask you to pay it. Either way it is written in the contract.

The key point is that the date and time of the fine must fall within your hire period. We compare that with the handover and return report.

The hire company's handling fee

Many companies charge a separate fee for processing a fine. That is lawful if it is in the contract, but the amount is often larger than the fine itself.

The best way to avoid the fee is to pay the fine promptly, before the company processes it. That is why we check during the hire and afterwards.

If a company asks for more than the contract says, or for a fine that does not fall in your hire period, we dispute it in writing.

A fine that is not yours

Sometimes a fine happened while a previous customer had the car, but the company sent it to you by mistake. It is rare but it happens, especially when a car goes out twice on the same day.

To establish this we compare the exact time of the fine with the time on the handover report. If the fine happened before the report was signed or after the return, it is not yours.

In that case we write to the company, with a copy of the record. Usually that is enough, and the money comes back.

Ways to pay

A fine is paid electronically - online, at a bank or at a payment terminal. Nothing is paid on the spot in cash to a police officer, and if someone asks for that, it is not normal.

Paying online with a foreign card does not always work. In that case we pay the fine through the official channel and send you the receipt.

Keep the receipt until the fine shows as paid in the system. That usually happens quickly, but sometimes takes a few days.

Deadlines and unpaid fines

A fine has a payment deadline, and a fine not paid in time grows. After that it passes to enforcement, which means extra cost and bureaucracy.

Leaving the country does not make a fine disappear. On a hire car the company passes it on to you, and a fine issued in your name stays in the system.

So our advice is simple: pay a fine that is yours soon, and appeal one that is unfair within the deadline. Waiting costs you in both cases.

Parking fines

In Tbilisi and Batumi street parking is divided into zones and is paid. Parking fines are issued by the city's system and are paid separately from police fines.

The most common mistake is leaving the car in a zone without paying, or where a sign prohibits parking. Signs are in Georgian and English, but they are not always easy to spot.

Before parking next to your hotel, it is better to ask the hotel where its guests' cars go. Often that is the simplest solution.

Tow trucks and the impound lot

A car left where parking is banned may be taken by a tow truck to an impound lot. The first thing you notice is an empty space and a lot of stress.

To get the car back you need to find out where it is, pay the fine and the towing charge and present documents. With a hire car you also need the hire contract.

We find out where the car is and what is needed to get it back, and stand beside you to translate. We let the hire company know, so that no unexpected extra charge turns up.

When the police stop you

The Patrol Police may stop you for an offence or to check documents. Stay in the car and show your driving licence, passport and the car's documents.

If the officer records an offence, the fine is issued electronically. No money changes hands on the spot, and offering money is a serious crime - we never advise it.

If the language makes it hard to talk, call us - we translate by phone. The patrol is usually polite and patient with a foreign driver.

The report and your signature

If the police draw up a report, you have the right to know what you are signing. Ask for an explanation, or call us to translate, before you sign.

Signing does not mean you agree with everything - if you do not agree, that can be noted in the report. This matters if you intend to appeal later.

Be sure to keep a copy or the number of the report. Without it, checking and appealing the fine becomes much harder.

When an appeal is worth it

An appeal is worth it when the fine is clearly a mistake: a different car is in the photo, the offence happened before or after your hire, or the sign you broke could not be seen.

It is not worth it when the offence is plainly visible in the photo and you are simply hoping a foreigner will be let off. Then paying on time is cheaper and simpler.

Before an appeal we look at the recording and tell you honestly whether there is a chance. We do not sell empty hope.

How an appeal works

Appealing a fine has a strict deadline, and it has to begin within a short time of receiving the fine. That is why checking for fines in good time matters.

We prepare the appeal with a lawyer who works in this field. The lawyer drafts the document and, where needed, represents your interests.

Your presence is not always necessary - often a power of attorney is enough. We tell you in advance which documents you need.

Evidence

The best evidence is dashcam footage. If you have one in the car, keep the recordings until the end of the trip.

Also useful are your sat nav's route history, a photo of the spot where the sign could not be seen, and the hire report with times and mileage.

Send us photos and recordings as soon as you can. The fresher the evidence, the stronger it is.

Serious offences

Drink-driving, dangerous driving or an accident with an injured person are no longer a matter of a fine. They can mean losing your licence and a court case.

In such cases we do not negotiate with the police and we do not settle anything except through the official route. We connect you with a lawyer and help with translation.

That is a separate service, on the legal help page. Our advice is simple - if you have been drinking, do not drive; we have drivers.

A fine after you have left the country

It often happens that you learn about a fine once you are already home - from a letter from the hire company or from money taken from your card.

We then check remotely: whether it is a real fine, whether it falls within your hire period, and how much you were charged on top of the fine.

If the fine is still unpaid, we pay it and send you the receipt. If the company took money without grounds, we dispute it in writing.

A fine for our driver

If our driver breaks the rules during a transfer or a tour, the fine is ours, not yours. It is not something that ever reaches the client.

We ask our drivers to respect speed limits and the rules not only because of fines, but because the passenger's safety comes first.

If you feel a driver is driving dangerously, say so or call us during the journey. We take that seriously.

Companies and long-term hire

If a company has several cars in Georgia, or an employee hires a car for months, fines pile up unnoticed. One unpaid fine soon becomes ten.

In such cases we offer regular checks - for example, once a month on every plate. We tell you about a new fine straight away, before the deadline passes.

The report shows which car was fined, when and for what. That helps the company work out who was driving and who should pay.

How to avoid a fine

Slow down immediately at a village sign - that one habit will spare you most fines. On mountain roads do not overtake over a solid line, however slowly the car in front is going.

Every passenger should wear a seat belt, in the back too. The phone goes only in a holder, hands-free.

In town, read the sign before parking and pay in the zone. If you are not sure, leave the car a little further away in a paid car park.

What we need from you

The car's registration number and the dates when you were driving it. For a hire car - the hire contract and the handover and return report.

If a fine or a bill has already reached you, a copy or photo of it. That is enough for us to start checking.

For an appeal - every piece of evidence you have and a short description of what happened. We work out the rest with the lawyer.

What our service costs

We always pay a fine at its official amount, with nothing added on top. Our service is separate and agreed in advance.

Checking and paying is a simple service. An appeal involves a lawyer's work and so is priced separately - we tell you the cost before starting.

If there is no point appealing a fine, we tell you so directly and do not put you to unnecessary expense.