Firing a weapon in a populated area or a place not designated for it (Art. 167)

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How much is the fine for firing a weapon in a populated area?

Under Part 1 of Article 167 the fine is 500 GEL, with or without confiscation of the weapon and ammunition. If the person has already been made subject to an administrative penalty under that same part, a further offence carries 1,000 GEL with confiscation. A further repeat falls under Part 3: 3,000 GEL, confiscation, and restriction of weapon-related rights for 4 years.

Does the article apply to blank-firing and signal weapons?

Yes. Article 167 lists firearms, gas (aerosol) weapons, sound (acoustic) weapons and signal weapons together in the same provision. The absence of live ammunition does not by itself take the conduct outside the article.

Will the weapon always be confiscated?

Not necessarily at the first step. Part 1 reads "with or without confiscation", so it is decided in the individual case. Parts 2 and 3 state confiscation of the weapon and ammunition without that qualifier.

The fine is 1,000 GEL but this is the first time. What should be checked?

1,000 GEL is the Part 2 figure, and Part 2 applies only to a person already made subject to an administrative penalty for an offence under Part 1. If no such earlier penalty exists, or it was imposed under a different article, the classification is open to challenge.

What does the four-year restriction under Part 3 mean?

Part 3 provides for a 3,000 GEL fine, confiscation of the weapon and ammunition, and restriction of weapon-related rights for a term of 4 years. The article states the restriction and its length; it does not itself list which particular rights fall within it.

5 min·22 Aug 2026

What Article 167 actually covers

Article 167 of the Administrative Offences Code of Georgia does not punish owning a weapon. It punishes one specific act: discharging a weapon in a place where doing so is not allowed. The article expressly names four categories — a firearm, a gas (aerosol) weapon, a sound (acoustic) weapon and a signal weapon. The fact that a weapon fires blank or signal cartridges rather than live ammunition does not, by itself, take the conduct outside this article.

The article describes three forms of the offence, and any one of them is enough on its own. The first is firing in a populated area. The second is firing in a place that has not been designated for it. The third is firing in a place that has been designated for it, but in breach of the established rules. The third form is the one most often overlooked: a licensed shooting range is precisely a designated place, yet a shot fired there contrary to the rules that apply there still falls within the same article.