What Trucking Regulations Govern in Georgia
The field of freight transportation in Georgia is governed by the Law on Road Transport, whose most important provisions concern the types of permits, licensing conditions and the validity periods of permits. On this page we summarise Articles 5-1, 5-3, 5-6 and 6 of the Law and explain what a carrier must know when operating in the country and in international transport. Our service includes interpreting these requirements, preparing the documentation needed to obtain a permit and assessing the legal risks connected with a specific transportation project.
Types of Licensed Activity
Under Article 5-1 of the Law, any natural or legal person has the right to carry out activity in the field of road transport without any restrictions. Permits, however, are issued only for defined types of activity: regular passenger transport within the administrative boundaries of a municipality; transport by taxi in the capital; international passenger transport established by an international treaty of Georgia; international freight transportation established on the basis of international treaties; and international freight transportation from the territory of Georgia above the established quota, carried out by a carrier of a foreign country.
An important guarantee is that it is inadmissible to refuse to issue a permit on the ground of limiting the number of permits to be issued, with defined exceptions: the permit for international road freight transportation, which is issued within quotas to carriers registered in Georgia and whose issuance procedure is approved by a normative act of the director of the agency; the permit for regular passenger transport within the administrative boundaries of a municipality; and the permit for transport by taxi in the capital.
A permit issued within a quota gives a foreign carrier the right to carry out bilateral international road freight transportation or transit — without the right to unload or load on the territory of Georgia. A permit issued above the quota allows a foreign carrier only to transport through our territory without the right to load, while a permit for transportation from the territory of Georgia above the quota — with the right to load.
Licensing Conditions and Their Legitimate Aims
Article 5-3 of the Law determines the documents needed to obtain permits for international transportations — these details are defined by a normative act of the Government of Georgia. At the same time, the Law sets a clear boundary for the government's discretion: every demand for a document and every licensing condition must serve the protection of human life, health, the environment, property rights, other fundamental rights, public order or another public interest, or ensure the due quality of the respective service, and must be a suitable and necessary means of achieving that legitimate aim.
The same approach extends to the rules of passenger transport: the rule on using only a defined category of vehicles on certain routes of domestic regular passenger transport is also established by a normative act of the government and must likewise serve a legitimate aim. This means a carrier may challenge an unreasonable demand that falls outside this framework.
Validity of Permits and Foreign Economic Activity
Article 5-6 of the Law regulates the validity periods of permits. Permits for regular passenger transport within a municipality and for transport by taxi in the capital are issued for a period of at least one year, and their validity is determined by the representative body of the municipality. Permits for international transportations are likewise issued for at least one year, with their validity determined by the Government of Georgia. The Law also provides for a one time permit — issued for the purpose of its single use.
Article 6 of the Law concerns foreign economic activity: persons engaged in activity connected with road transport may conduct foreign economic activity in accordance with the legislation. The agency regulates the transport of passengers and freight in international road traffic on the basis of international treaties and agreements of Georgia and, within its competence, is responsible for the unhindered conduct of international traffic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who may start an activity in the field of road transport?
Any natural or legal person, without restriction. For defined types of activity — including international transportation — a permit is required.
Can a permit be refused because of a numerical limit?
As a general rule, no. The exceptions are the quota based international freight permit, regular municipal passenger transport and taxi transport in the capital.
For what period are permits issued?
Permits for regular transport, taxi transport and international transportation are issued for at least one year; in defined cases a one time permit is also issued.
Who determines the details of licensing conditions?
By a normative act of the Government of Georgia, while the issuance procedure for the quota based international freight permit is approved by a normative act of the director of the agency.
How We Help on Legal.ge
The Legal.ge team works in the field of transport law: we explain which permit your transportation requires, check the requirements connected with quotas and international treaties, and prepare the necessary documentation. Contact us — we will assess your route and activity and prepare a reliable legal solution.