Heavy and oversized transport is a business standing in three consecutive risk zones: a breach of the weight norms is priced separately for every excess tonne, technical and inspection defects operate with their own list of fines, and an unpaid fine reaches, through the enforcement bureau, the very vehicle with which the offence was committed. This page explains which norm regulates what, how the fine is calculated, and where the appeal begins — our role is the defence of the carrier, within the documentary boundaries the law itself sets.
Excess Weight: GEL 500 per Tonne
The law provides: the movement of a vehicle whose maximum load on any driven or non-driven axle, and/or whose actual mass and related parameters exceed the limit values established by a normative act of the Government, or whose actual mass exceeds the full mass established for that vehicle by the manufacturer, entails a fine on the driver and/or the owner of GEL 500 for each excess tonne; for an incomplete tonne the fine is calculated proportionally. The “and/or” formula matters: liability may be placed on the driver, on the owner, or on both together.
The operation of this norm does not extend to three exceptions: a supranormative (heavy) vehicle moving in agreement with the authorised organ (agency) and in accordance with the conditions of that agreement; a vehicle moved from the customs clearance point of a seaport towards the customs control zone located within a radius of 10 km, along the route determined by the customs organ; and a vehicle moving from the customs clearance point towards a railway station located within a radius of 25 km, likewise along a determined route. Where the violation is recorded (except leaving the country), the owner arranges, at its own expense, the correction, unloading or redistribution of the excess cargo. Where the fine is not paid, the enforcement bureau gives priority to a lien on, or the realisation of, the very vehicle with which the offence was committed — a risk that reaches the loss of the equipment.
Technical Fitness and the Rules of Operation
Article 119 governs breaches of the rules of operating a vehicle, and for a carrier several of its parts are literally part of the working day:
- driving a vehicle with a faulty braking system, steering mechanism or coupling device — GEL 15, and from 1 May 2026 — GEL 50;
- absence of the driving licence or registration documents — GEL 10, from 1 May 2026 — GEL 100;
- driving in the defined period without winter tyres — GEL 100;
- allowing the operation of a technically faulty vehicle by the person carrying on the operating activity — GEL 100;
- driving an arbitrarily modified vehicle — GEL 200; driving with a licence of an improper category — GEL 200;
- where the breach of this article is accompanied by light damage — GEL 300.
Two procedural details matter especially: where a breach of this article (and of a whole group of other norms) is committed by a driver who has no driving licence or registration documents, the vehicle is temporarily seized until the examination of the case and moved to a special guarded pound — at the offender’s expense; and in the case of an arbitrarily modified vehicle the police officer removes the driver from driving and the vehicle goes to the pound, from which it will be returned after 10 days from the transfer, on the basis of the registration certificate or a power of attorney. After the voluntary-performance deadline, a surcharge of double the fine but not more than GEL 500 is assessed; non-payment replaces the fine with a 6-month suspension of the driving licence.
Periodic Technical Inspection
For a freight fleet, driving without periodic technical inspection is punished separately: GEL 50 for an individual; for transferring the vehicle to another person for driving or operation — GEL 50 for an individual and GEL 200 for a legal entity; repeats grow in steps — 150/300, 300/500 and up to 500/700, each new step arising after 30 days from the previous penalty. For a commercial fleet this means that the inspection calendar determines the cost of the entire ladder of fines.
The Accents of the Defence
In weight-violation complaints the first question is the correctness of the measurement: with which scale and on which axle the vehicle was weighed, whether the conditions of measurement corresponded to the established procedure, and against which limit the result is compared — the one set by the Government’s normative act or the manufacturer’s full mass. The second question is the correctness of the calculation: the fine is GEL 500 per excess tonne and an incomplete tonne is counted proportionally — an arithmetic error changes the amount by tens of lari. The third question is the exceptions: whether the movement took place under an agreement, along a customs route or within the exception radii. And finally — who is the subject of the sanction: the driver, the owner, or both.
The Forum and the Deadlines for Appeal
The right to appeal belongs to the person against whom the decision was issued, to the victim, and to the officer who drew up the protocol. A decision on a fine is appealed to a superior organ whose decision is appealable in court; an application directly to the district (city) court is also possible. The complaint is filed with the issuing organ and forwarded within 3 days; no state duty is payable; the deadline is 10 days from the handover of the decision, restorable where missed for a valid reason. An appeal does not suspend enforcement — and in weight-fine cases enforcement reaches the equipment, so managing time here is decisive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are the most frequently asked questions about heavy and oversized transport.
What is the fine for excess weight?
GEL 500 for each excess tonne; an incomplete tonne is counted proportionally. The fine is imposed on the driver and/or the owner.
Who do the exceptions concern?
Supranormative vehicles moving under an agreement; vehicles moving from a seaport within 10 km towards the customs zone and from the clearance point within 25 km towards a railway station, along determined routes.
What happens when stopped with excess cargo?
The owner arranges correction, unloading or redistribution at its own expense; on non-payment the bureau gives priority to a lien on the vehicle with which the offence was committed.
What fines apply to technical unfitness?
Driving with faulty brakes or steering — GEL 15 (GEL 50 from 1 May 2026); allowing faulty operation — GEL 100; with light damage — GEL 300; absence of documents leads to the pound.
Where is the complaint filed?
With the superior organ or the court, within 10 days, free of state duty; the appeal does not suspend enforcement.
How We Help on Legal.ge
On Legal.ge we verify the correctness of the measurement and the calculation, establish the applicability of the exceptions, separate the liability of the driver and the owner, and prepare the complaint within the deadlines — so that neither the fine nor the enforcement risk touches the equipment. We do not advise what the law does not support — Contact us on Legal.ge and receive a precise assessment.