Maritime Law in Georgia — the General Part of the Code
Maritime law in Georgia rests on a single foundation — the Maritime Code of Georgia, whose general part answers four threshold questions: what the Code regulates, that is, what counts as "maritime navigation" (Article 1); where it applies — seas, rivers, lakes and other navigable ways (Article 2); whom it does not reach — ships flying a naval flag, and on which exceptions (Article 3); and what is considered a "ship" for the purposes of the Code — a broad catalogue of floating objects with the 7-metre threshold for small ships (Article 12). This page explains precisely these four norms, because they determine whether your situation falls within the Maritime Code's regulatory scope at all.
The Subject Matter of the Code — Article 1
Article 1 declares that the Maritime Code of Georgia regulates relations connected with maritime navigation. "Maritime navigation" means the use of ships for the carriage of passengers, the carriage of cargo, baggage and mail, fishing and other marine harvest, the exploration and extraction of useful minerals, the conduct of towing and rescue operations, and for other economic, scientific and cultural purposes. The catalogue is broad and covers every mode of using a ship, from fishing to salvage. By legislative amendment, the Code also regulates relations connected with the registration of ships engaged in navigation on inland waters — this provision enters into force from 1 July 2026.
The Scope of Application — Article 2
Under Article 2, the Code applies to navigation by sea vessels on seas, rivers, lakes, reservoirs and other navigable ways. The Code is thus not confined to maritime navigation proper — it extends equally to inland navigable routes. At the same time the norm is calibrated and contemplates three kinds of displacement: the Code does not apply where there is an exception defined in this Code, another special law of Georgia, or an international treaty of Georgia. Practically, this means that in every dispute one must first check whether a special law or an international treaty puts a special rule ahead of the Code.
The Warship Exception — Article 3
Article 3 defines the Code's relationship with the navy: the rules of the Code do not apply to ships flying a naval flag, except for exceptional cases which must not contemplate the possibility of the arrest, detention or removal of such ships and their cargo. The historically sensitive question — laying hands on a warship — is thus excluded from the Code's scope from the outset. The same article adds that the Code's rules on naval transport apply only to the part not covered by the special legislation regulating such transport.