Driving in Georgia: rules and real-life tips

01The basics of driving in Georgia

• Georgia drives on the right. There is no right turn on red.
• Emergency number for police, ambulance and fire: 112.
• There are no toll roads.
• You must use dipped headlights at night and in poor visibility.

02Speed limits and cameras

Residential zones are 20 km/h and many stretches have lower signed limits. Georgia has thousands of fixed and average-speed cameras; fines are registered to the car and passed on to the driver who had it on that day.

Speeding fines start at around 50 to 100 GEL and rise steeply for large excesses. The amounts were revised in 2026, so treat any figure you read online as a guide, not a quote.

03Alcohol, seatbelts, phones and children

• Alcohol: the limit is very low (0.3 per mille) and even a small excess means a licence ban. Simply do not drink if you drive, even one glass at a supra.
• Seatbelts: mandatory in the front; we recommend everyone buckles up.
• Phones: hands-free only.
• Children: small children need a child seat and under-12s should ride in the back. Child seats are available on request for $5 a day.

04Police

Georgian patrol police are professional and filmed by body and car cameras. If you are stopped, stay in the car, have your licence, passport and rental documents ready and be polite. Never offer money: bribery is a serious crime in Georgia.

05Parking in Tbilisi

• Signs showing a zone code (for example A722) mark the paid zones.
• Street parking costs about 1 GEL per hour after the first 15 minutes.
• Pay at BOG Pay or TBC Pay street terminals, on the Tbilisi parking app, or online. The terminals are easiest for visitors.
• Unpaid parking is fined (around 50 GEL) and badly parked cars can be towed.

06Fuel

Petrol stations (Gulf, Wissol, Rompetrol, Socar and others) are frequent on main roads and most are staffed: tell the attendant the fuel type and amount. Towns accept cards; carry cash in the mountains. In 2026 petrol costs roughly 3 to 4 GEL per litre. Our rentals are full to full.

07The roads: what to expect when driving in Georgia

• Main highways (Tbilisi to Batumi, Kakheti, the Military Highway) are in good condition; the new Rikoti highway has made the drive west much faster.
• Cows, sheep and dogs on the road are normal, especially at dusk.
• Local drivers overtake boldly. Keep right, let them pass and do not race.
• Rural roads are poorly lit: plan long drives in daylight.
• Heavy trucks use the Georgian Military Highway to the Russian border.

08Winter driving in Georgia: mountain passes

From December to April the Jvari pass on the road to Gudauri and Kazbegi can close for hours after heavy snow. Closures and restrictions are announced by the Roads Department of Georgia (georoad.ge), and sometimes only 4x4 vehicles are let through. Our SUVs run on winter tyres in season and snow chains can be added for $5 a day.