Obtaining an activity license in Georgia begins with a written application submitted to the license-issuing authority. The legislation precisely regulates how the application must be prepared, which documents accompany it, who participates in its examination, and within what timelines the issuing authority must decide. This page sets out the complete rules for license applications — from the form of the administrative proceeding to the rights and duties of the issuing authority.
Form of the Administrative Proceeding
An activity license is, as a rule, issued through a simplified administrative proceeding, in the manner established by the legislation on licenses and permits. There is a single exception: activity license types precisely defined by law are issued through a public administrative proceeding. This means the form of the proceeding is determined not by the discretion of the issuing authority but by the law itself — only those license types expressly named in the law are issued through a public administrative proceeding.
It is impermissible for the issuing authority to grant a license through a type of administrative proceeding not contemplated by the law, or to substitute the type of proceeding prescribed by law for a specific license with another type. The decision on issuing a license is taken under the public administrative proceeding rules established by the General Administrative Code, and the decision itself — on issuance, refusal, or cancellation — is an administrative act that must meet the requirements the General Administrative Code sets for administrative legal acts.
The Application and Required Documentation
A license seeker submits a written application to the issuing authority; the submission follows the procedure established by the General Administrative Code. The application must satisfy the requirements provided for by the General Administrative Code and must also indicate which type of activity license the seeker requests, together with a list of the attached documents.
The application must be accompanied by extracts from the state registry for private-law legal entities and individual entrepreneurs, and for natural persons — copies of identification documents established by legislation. A public-law legal entity must attach certified copies of its founding documents. The application must also be accompanied by proof of payment of the license fee, except where the license seeker is a ministry or a state subordinated institution under its administration, as provided for by the law on the structure and competence of the Government of Georgia.
The amount of the license fee, its payment into the budget, and the procedure for refunding any overpayment are determined by the law of Georgia on license and permit fees. An important guarantee is that additional attached documents, and additional licensing conditions arising from the specifics of the activity, may be prescribed only by law — the issuing authority has no power to attach extra requirements to an application on its own initiative.