Mass Events in Georgia — a Notification Regime, Not a Permit
In Georgia, assemblies and manifestations — rallies, demonstrations, street processions — are organized without prior permission. The Law on Assemblies and Manifestations requires only that a prior warning (notification) be submitted to a state body in defined circumstances, and this warning is not a permit: its purpose is to inform the state about the event and to enable it to organize safety. This page describes that procedure in detail: who must file the warning, when and where, what it must contain, which locations are off-limits, and what obligations the Ministry of Internal Affairs carries.
Precision of terminology matters here: the law establishes a warning, and the category of a "permit" does not exist in this field. An organizer does not need the authorities' consent to hold an event — it is enough to submit the warning in the manner prescribed by law and to observe its substantive requirements.
When a Warning Is Mandatory and Who May Be a Responsible Person
A prior warning is mandatory where an assembly or manifestation is held at a place where people or traffic move, or where it obstructs the movement of traffic or people. In that case the person responsible for organizing and holding the event must, according to its location, submit an appropriate signed warning to the Patrol Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Persons who have not turned 18 may not be responsible persons — this age threshold is a mandatory condition of organizer status.
The warning must be submitted to the Patrol Police Department no later than 5 days before each assembly or manifestation. For a spontaneous assembly or manifestation, late submission is permissible: the application must be filed immediately, within a reasonable period, after the responsible person learns of the planned spontaneous event, and the Ministry may set a different form and procedure for such a warning.
Content of the Warning and the Acceptance Procedure
The warning must indicate the form of the assembly or manifestation, its purpose, the venue or route, the start and end times, the date and the expected number of participants. It must also state the responsible person's identity, place of residence, contact telephone number, and the date and time of submission. The warning must further indicate the form of ensuring emergency medical assistance during the procession, and it is signed by all responsible persons.
The Patrol Police Department confirms the date and time of receipt on the copy of the warning immediately upon acceptance, and the receiving officials are obliged to explain the law's requirements to the organizers and to warn them of the liability envisaged for non-compliance. The assembly is held at the time and place indicated in the warning, in accordance with the purpose and route stated in it, and both the responsible persons and the participants must observe the requirements established by legislation.