Is a vehicle inspection required in Georgia, and how do you check when yours is due?
How often passenger cars are inspected and what it costs.
Short answer
Periodic vehicle inspection is mandatory in Georgia, and a passenger car is first inspected 4 years after release, then every 2 years and every year once it is older than 8 years. The fee is 60 GEL, or 48 GEL for an electric car. The year of manufacture tells you when the next inspection is due.
Why
- The schedule and fees are set by Government Decree No. 37 of 3 January 2014, as amended by Decree No. 562 of 9 December 2022 (in force since 1 February 2023).
- The interval depends on the vehicle category and on how many years have passed since release.
- A repeat inspection after fixing faults is cheaper: 20 GEL for a passenger car.
Details
Other categories are inspected more often. Light goods vehicles (N1 up to 3,500 kg) are first inspected 2 years after release, then every year. Taxis and buses are inspected 1 year after release, then every 6 months. Trucks and trailers over 3,500 kg are inspected 1 year after release, then yearly. The fee is 100 GEL for trucks and buses and 60 GEL for trailers.
Driving without a valid periodic inspection certificate is an administrative offence punished by a fine. We explain how fines are checked and paid in How do you check and pay a fine in Georgia?. For plate formats see What do Georgian licence plates look like?.
Tip
Find the year of manufacture in the registration certificate and compare it with the schedule. Do not put the inspection off: driving without a valid certificate is fined.
What may differ
The interval depends on the vehicle category (taxi, bus, truck). The decree says nothing about foreign-registered cars, so that case has to be checked separately. The rules changed in 2018 and 2023, so check the current version on matsne.gov.ge.
Common misconception
Every car in Georgia needs an inspection every year.
What actually happens
That is not true for passenger cars. The first inspection is due 4 years after release, then every 2 years, and only after 8 years does it become yearly. Light goods vehicles, for example, are inspected every year.
People also ask
- When is a vehicle inspection due in Georgia?
- How much does a vehicle inspection cost in Georgia?
Sources
This answer is for reference only. Intervals and fees change, so check the current version on matsne.gov.ge.
Related questions
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How much does it cost to clear a car through customs in Georgia?
Excise on a passenger car cleared in Georgia depends on the engine volume and on the age of the car, either up to 6 years inclusive or older.
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How does the driver penalty points system work in Georgia?
Each driving licence in Georgia gets 100 points for the calendar year, offences deduct points, and when they run out the right to drive is suspended for 1 year.
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How can you check a car before buying it in Georgia?
Before buying a car in Georgia you can order a legal status certificate from the MIA Service Agency, which shows the registration data, attachment, pledge, tax pledge and wanted status.
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How do you register a car or transfer ownership in Georgia?
Cars in Georgia are registered and transferred at the Ministry of Internal Affairs Service Agency, in its service centers or online, with an inspection act and the owner's documents.