---
title: "Unauthorised occupation of state-owned land (Art. 55⁵)"
url: "https://legal.ge/en/service/administrative-and-public-law-en/unauthorised-occupation-of-state-owned-land-art-555-en"
field: "Administrative & Public Law"
description: "Article 55⁵: unauthorised occupation of state or Tbilisi municipal land — a 2,000 lari fine, 3,500 if repeated. Defence — Legal.ge."
updated: "2026-10-14"
publisher: "legal.ge"
---

# Unauthorised occupation of state-owned land (Art. 55⁵)

> Source: legal.ge, https://legal.ge/en/service/administrative-and-public-law-en/unauthorised-occupation-of-state-owned-land-art-555-en

## What Article 55⁵ prohibits

Article 55⁵ of the Georgian Code of Administrative Offences has a tightly drawn field of application. It applies only within the administrative boundaries of Tbilisi Municipality, and only to a land plot owned by the state or by Tbilisi Municipality itself. A plot in private ownership is not regulated by this provision at all. Within that field the article describes two acts, joined by the words "and/or": occupying the plot without authorisation, and using it without a land-use right. The two do not substitute for one another. A person may face one of them, or both together. The first thing to check in the protocol is therefore which act is actually described in it, and which plot that description attaches to.

The full text is available on legal.ge after signing in: https://legal.ge/en/service/administrative-and-public-law-en/unauthorised-occupation-of-state-owned-land-art-555-en

### The fine is 2,000 lari. Can it be reduced?

Part 1 of Article 55⁵ sets a fixed sum of 2,000 lari, not a range, so there is no scope under this provision to argue the amount down. The only routes available are to contest whether the act occurred and whether it has been correctly classified.

### What happens if the fine is not paid on time?

Under the note to the article, non-payment within the period defined by Article 290, part 1 of the Code triggers a surcharge equal to the fine imposed. For instance, a 2,000 lari fine attracts a 2,000 lari surcharge, making a total debt of 4,000 lari. If both remain unpaid 30 days after the surcharge accrues, a measure to secure payment is applied under the procedure established by Georgian legislation.

### The plot is outside Tbilisi. Does this article apply?

Article 55⁵ is expressly limited to the administrative boundaries of Tbilisi Municipality. A plot outside those boundaries is not governed by this particular provision, so the location of the plot is the very first thing to verify against the protocol.

### I did not fence or occupy anything — I was only using the land. Is that an offence?

The article covers two acts: unauthorised occupation and use without a land-use right. They are joined by "and/or", so the second is sufficient on its own. The decisive question is whether any document evidences a right to use the plot.

### No one has been fined. Does that mean the matter is closed?

No. Under the note, where the identity of the offender cannot be established, the authorised body has the right to take measures aimed at eliminating the offence. The article does not specify what those measures are, but the situation on the plot can change without any person having been identified.