About this service
In bureaucratic jargon, license and permit renewal sounds like an annual formality — but legally it is something entirely different: the task of the Law of Georgia on Licences and Permits is to arrange validity so that the activity is never interrupted by paper or by a deadline. An activity licence is in principle issued for an indefinite term, a lost certificate is restored, and the fixed term of a permit is extended automatically on certain conditions. This page teaches validity monitoring: what the law requires for restoring a certificate, what periodic obligations a licence holder bears, and how the grounds for cancellation are avoided.
The licence term: the indefinite principle and the certificate's role
The fifth part of Article 16 of the law lays the foundation of this sphere: a licence is issued for an indefinite term. "Renewal" here does not mean re-applying for a term — an activity licence does not expire. The practical questions concern the physical existence of the certificate: where a decision has been taken, the licence seeker is entitled to carry on the activity before receiving the licence certificate on the basis of the corresponding administrative act; and where the certificate is lost or damaged, the holder is entitled to continue the activity on the same basis until its restoration. The loss of paper, in other words, is not a reason to stop the activity — where an administrative act stands as the foundation.
Restoring a lost certificate: a duplicate within two days
Article 15 of the law regulates the restoration procedure: in case of loss or damage of the licence certificate, the licence holder or its representative applies to the licence issuer with a written application for issuance of a duplicate. Within 2 days of receiving the application the issuer grants the duplicate and enters the information into the official licence register. The duplicate has the same legal force as the original; the fee payable for its issuance is determined by the law on licence and permit fees.
Periodic obligations: reporting and inspection
An indefinite term does not mean passive holding. Under Article 21 of the law, unless otherwise provided by law, the licence holder reports annually on compliance with the licence conditions, from 1 April to 1 May, by written submission. An exception is also provided: a holder who receives the licence within 6 months before the start of the reporting period is exempt from the reporting obligation. If the submitted report does not clearly declare the fact of compliance with the conditions, the issuer is entitled to request confirming information within a reasonable time — failure to comply with that request is a ground for imposing liability.
Control is also set moderately: the issuer exercises control through selective inspection and/or regular reporting, and unless otherwise provided by law, it may inspect only once per calendar year; for a defined category of licences this limit is raised. The issuer has no right to inspect circumstances not directly connected with compliance with the licence conditions.
Avoiding the grounds for cancellation
The true opposite of validity management is cancellation. Under Article 22 of the law, non-fulfilment of licence conditions entails a fine; non-fulfilment within the set period entails a tripling of the fine, and non-fulfilment after the tripled fine — a further tripling; if the conditions are still not fulfilled, the issuer takes a decision on cancellation. The law names the grounds for declaring the decision void precisely: the holder's request; death or liquidation; non-fulfilment of licence conditions; a court conviction entered into legal force on deprivation of the right to carry on the activity.
In urgent cases the cancellation decision is taken within 3 days, and the licence certificate must be returned to the issuer within 3 days of the decision entering into force. For use licences a separate limit exists: on non-payment of the regulation fee, where the non-payment continues within 30 calendar days from the expiry of the set period, the issuer is entitled to cancel the licence by simplified administrative procedure. In the permits circle, Article 32 of the law builds a different logic: a permit is issued one-off, for a fixed or indefinite term; as a rule, for an indefinite term; and a fixed-term permit is extended automatically where the permit conditions have not changed and the holder submits a written application and a receipt confirming payment of the fee.
Frequently asked questions
For what term is an activity licence issued?
For an indefinite term — under Article 16 of the law; "renewal" here means restoring the certificate and staying within the control of conditions, not extending a term.
How is a lost licence certificate restored?
By a written application to the issuer: the duplicate is granted within 2 days of receipt of the application, with the same legal force as the original.
When does reporting take place?
Annually, from 1 April to 1 May, by written submission; a holder who received the licence within 6 months before the reporting period is exempt.
Why is a licence cancelled?
For non-fulfilment of licence conditions after the chain of tripled fines, or on the grounds for declaring the decision void; a use licence is also cancelled for 30 calendar days of non-payment of the regulation fee.
How We Help on Legal.ge
We build the complete validity calendar of your licences and permits: we determine which acts you hold and what each of them needs — a duplicate, a report or the conditions of automatic extension; we prepare the written reporting submission for the period from 1 April to 1 May; and on loss of a certificate we deliver the duplicate application for filing within two days. In contested situations — imposition of a fine, a cancellation decision — we analyse the grounds and draft the documents of challenge. Contact us for a compliance calendar in which the deadlines are managed by you, and not the other way round.