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Cars and driving licencesFor anyone selling or buying a Georgian-registered car: privately, from friends or at a car market

Car re-registration in Georgia 2026: documents, fees, the online transfer card and deadlines

In Georgia a car is re-registered to the new owner at the Interior Ministry’s Service Agency within 10 calendar days of the sale: seller, buyer and the car go to an office, and the deal itself needs no notary. At the agency’s offices the standard fees are 200 GEL (inspection 20, plates 80, certificate 100) and registration takes 1 working day (sa.gov.ge and the fees law, checked 5 November 2026). In Tbilisi re-registration is done at centres with different rates: under the fees law that comes to 290 GEL (inspection 60, taking the application 50, plates 80, certificate 100), and the total is confirmed on 1272. Since 15 June 2026 the seller can issue an online transfer card for 25 GEL, but only a Georgian citizen, a residence permit holder or a company registered in Georgia can buy with it.

Checked by the editors on 5 November 202623 sources13 minutes

In short

10-day deadline
The car must be registered to the buyer within 10 calendar days of the sale, counting from the next day. Missing it is a breach of the registration rules (Instruction No. 150, art. 7).
When the car is yours
For the Service Agency — from registration, not from signing the contract: under Instruction No. 150 ownership takes legal effect on registration unless the law says otherwise (art. 11). Until then camera fines go to the seller: they are issued to the person the registration certificate was last issued to (Code of Administrative Offences, art. 290¹).
Cost and time
200 GEL at an office: inspection 20 GEL, a pair of plates 80 GEL, registration certificate 100 GEL (sa.gov.ge, 5 November 2026). At the Tbilisi centres the fees law gives 290 GEL: the inspection there is 60 GEL and taking the application 50 GEL (art. 6); check the exact amount on 1272. Registration takes 1 working day (art. 7).
Notary
Not needed for the deal: the joint application is signed in front of a Service Agency officer (Instruction No. 150, art. 11). A representative is accepted only with a notarised power of attorney or a transfer card (order No. 123, from 23 December 2025). A foreigner using a passport needs a notarised Georgian translation (General Administrative Code, art. 73).
Online
Since 15 June 2026 the seller can issue a transfer card on my.sa.gov.ge or in the Service Agency app for 25 GEL (order No. 70, fees law). Only a Georgian citizen, a residence permit holder or a company (or branch) registered in Georgia can buy with a card. The buyer comes alone with the car within 5 working days, and the seller must be reachable: the agency may text them a code the buyer has to give.
Where
Batumi — 2 Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani St; Rustavi — 8 Lobzhanidze St; Tbilisi — 129 Aghmashenebeli Alley (since 2 November 2026) and 1b Panjikidze St (by appointment), where different rates apply. Also Gori, Telavi, Akhaltsikhe, Sachkhere, Kutaisi, Ozurgeti, Zugdidi and Poti (sa.gov.ge, 5 November 2026). Re-registration is not on the list of Public Service Hall services (fees law, art. 11¹).
Office hours
Mon–Fri 09:30–17:00, but arrive by 16:20 to register a car. Sat 10:00–16:00, by 15:20 for car registration. Closed on Sundays (sa.gov.ge, 5 November 2026) and on public holidays. Hotline — 1272, from abroad +995 32 241 91 91.
Check before you pay
A vehicle legal status certificate shows seizure, pledge, tax lien, wanted status, temporary registration and zero-duty import. 30 GEL for 5 working days, 45 GEL for 3, 70 GEL for 1, 110 GEL for 3 working hours (sa.gov.ge, 5 November 2026). Anyone can order one.
Taxes
The seller pays 5 % on the gain only if they owned the car for 6 months or less; the return is due by 1 April of the following year (Tax Code, arts. 81, 82, 153). Property tax on a car applies only to families whose income last year was over 100,000 GEL (art. 206) — see the guide “Property tax in Georgia”.
Insurance
Third-party liability insurance is not compulsory for Georgian plates: the 1997 law was repealed in 2010, and the 2017 law covers only cars registered abroad. For those a policy is compulsory: 295 GEL a year for a car (2017 law).

How to re-register a car

  1. Choose your route

    It depends on who the buyer is and whether the seller can come:

    Together at an officeSeller, buyer and the car go to the Service Agency on the same day. This works for any buyer, including a foreigner without a residence permit, with a passport and its notarised Georgian translation. Fees — 200 GEL at an office, 290 GEL at the Tbilisi centres under the fees law.
    Online with a transfer cardThe seller issues the card on my.sa.gov.ge or in the Service Agency app, passes online verification and pays 25 GEL. No card is issued if the car is under seizure, a pledge or another encumbrance, or is wanted. Only a Georgian citizen, a residence permit holder or a company (or branch) registered in Georgia can be the buyer: they come alone with the car and the payment receipt within 5 working days. The agency may text the seller a code that the buyer must give; without it the registration is refused, so the seller has to be reachable. Miss the 5 working days and the card is cancelled, with no refund of the 25 GEL. While the card is valid the car cannot go to anyone else; the seller can cancel it.
    Seller cannot come to the registrationGet a notarial deed of the sale in advance, or a contract both parties sign in person in front of a Service Agency officer: certification costs 30 GEL and takes 2 working days, with the certification note in Georgian, English and Russian. The seller then does not need to come to the registration (Instruction No. 150, arts. 30, 40). A representative can act for either party only with a notarised power of attorney.
  2. Check the car before paying

    Order a legal status certificate — on sa.gov.ge, in the Service Agency app, at an office or at a Public Service Hall. A car under seizure or a tax lien will not be re-registered until it is lifted or consent is given (Instruction No. 150, art. 43). A car with zero-duty import — brought in with an import-duty exemption — can be re-registered only after the duties are paid or with the tax office’s consent (art. 35). Temporary registration on the certificate means a normal re-registration is not possible — see the question on foreign plates.

    30 GEL — 5 working days, 45 GEL — 3, 70 GEL — 1, 110 GEL — 3 working hours
  3. Go within 10 days

    The deadline is 10 calendar days after the sale, counting from the next day. Batumi — 2 Orbeliani St; Rustavi — 8 Lobzhanidze St: arrive by 16:20 on weekdays and by 15:20 on Saturday to register a car. Tbilisi — 129 Aghmashenebeli Alley or 1b Panjikidze St (by appointment): hours and rates differ there, so check on 1272.

  4. Inspection and joint application

    The officer checks the car against its documents, especially the VIN, and issues an inspection report. Seller and buyer sign the joint application in front of the officer and pay the fees. The Service Agency also checks the seller’s tax status: with a tax lien or seizure, registration is put on hold until a certificate or written consent from the tax office (Instruction No. 150, arts. 45²–45³).

    200 GEL: inspection 20 + plates 80 + certificate 100; in Tbilisi 290 GEL: 60 + 50 + 80 + 100
  5. Collect the certificate and plates

    Registration takes 1 working day. If the car is pledged and the pledgee must be notified, registration happens on the 8th working day, earlier only with the pledgee’s written consent (fees law, art. 7). The buyer gets plates and the old ones are handed in (Instruction No. 150, art. 18): the seller can put them on another car of theirs the same day, and paid plates are kept for 365 days. A paid “vanity” plate costs from 150 GEL.

    urgent, within 3 working hours away from an office — 80 GEL
  6. Seller: check the tax

    If you owned the car for 6 months or less from registration, you pay 5 % on the gain — the sale price minus the purchase price. The return is due by 1 April of the following year; the Service Agency gives you a written notice. Owned it longer — no tax (Tax Code, arts. 81, 82, 153).

    5 % on the gain if owned up to 6 months

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Grey areas: lawyers disagree here

Fine for being late

Instruction No. 150 calls missing the deadline a breach of the registration rules but sets no fine (art. 7). The Code of Administrative Offences fines driving a car not registered in the prescribed way: 300 GEL, 600 GEL for a repeat. The car can be towed to an impound lot at once, until the case is heard, at the offender’s cost. After the report you get 10 days to register it; after that the car may not be driven (art. 122). The law does not say directly whether this article covers a late re-registration.

Tbilisi: rates and hours

The centres at 129 Aghmashenebeli and 1b Panjikidze work “away from an office”, with different rates (sa.gov.ge, 5 November 2026). For such services the fees law lists a 60 GEL inspection instead of 20 GEL and 50 GEL for taking the application and handling the case (art. 6): with plates and the certificate that comes to 290 GEL, and urgent registration within 3 working hours adds 80 GEL (art. 10). The agency publishes no total. Hours for 129 Aghmashenebeli are not on the website; 1b Panjikidze opened in July 2024 with Mon–Fri 10:00–18:00, Sat 10:00–14:00. Ask on 1272. The Rustavi office carries no note about different rates.

Passport translation in practice

The General Administrative Code requires a notarised Georgian translation of any document in another language. The agency may give at least 3 days to bring one, and missing that can be grounds to refuse the application (art. 73). Instruction No. 150 has no separate rule. To avoid a second trip and the 10-day deadline running out, get it done in advance or ask on 1272.

Transfer card

Whether a foreign seller without a residence permit can issue a card is not officially explained: for other online services the Service Agency asks for a Georgian personal number. Nor does it say plainly whether a buyer using a card pays the inspection, plate and certificate fees on top of the 25 GEL. Ask on 1272.

Old plates

When the owner changes, the old plates are handed in (Instruction No. 150, art. 18). The seller can put them on another car of theirs the same day; if they don’t, the Instruction allows the handed-in number to be issued to the buyer of that car at their request (art. 18 para. 8). Paid plates stay reserved for the seller for 365 days. Ask at the office or on 1272 whether you can keep the number in practice.

Bank of Georgia

Bank of Georgia says that at three Tbilisi branches — 42–44 Vazha-Pshavela Ave, 3 Akaki Vasadze St and No. 16, 17 Shindisi Heroes St — you can re-register a used car and get the registration certificate and plates on the spot when you take out a used-car loan with the bank (bank blog, 26 August 2025). The bank gives no prices for these services — ask the bank.

FAQ · 10

How much does it cost to re-register a car in Georgia?

200 GEL at a Service Agency office: inspection 20 GEL, plates 80 GEL, registration certificate 100 GEL (sa.gov.ge, 5 November 2026). A transfer card costs 25 GEL. At the Tbilisi centres on Aghmashenebeli and Panjikidze the fees law gives 290 GEL: the inspection there is 60 GEL and taking the application another 50 GEL. Check the exact amount on 1272.

How many days do I have to re-register a car?

10 calendar days after the sale, counting from the next day (Instruction No. 150, art. 7). Until the car is re-registered, camera fines go to the seller. The Instruction sets no fine for being late — see the grey zone.

Can I re-register a car online?

Partly. The seller can issue a transfer card online for 25 GEL (since 15 June 2026), and remote re-registration is in the Service Agency app and on sa.gov.ge (since 24 July 2026). But the buyer still brings the car within 5 working days, and only Georgian citizens, residence permit holders and companies registered in Georgia can buy with a card.

Can a foreigner without a residence permit register a car in their name?

Yes, in person — together with the seller at an office, with a passport. Bring a notarised Georgian translation of it: the law requires translations of documents not in Georgian (General Administrative Code, art. 73). Instruction No. 150 registers cars of foreigners living in Georgia permanently or temporarily; your actual address can go into the database (arts. 8, 36). Without a residence permit you cannot buy with a transfer card.

Do I need a notary to re-register a car?

Not for the deal. A joint application signed in front of a Service Agency officer is enough (Instruction No. 150, art. 11). You need a notary if a representative comes instead of one of the parties, and as a foreigner — for the Georgian translation of your passport.

Can I re-register a car at a Public Service Hall?

No. There you can order a vehicle legal status certificate or replace a lost registration certificate, but re-registration is not on the list of services (fees law, art. 11¹). Addresses are in the guide “Public Service Hall”.

How do I check a car for seizure or a pledge before buying?

Order a legal status certificate: 30 GEL for 5 working days, 45 GEL for 3, 70 GEL for 1, 110 GEL for 3 working hours. It is issued on sa.gov.ge, in the app, at an office and at a Public Service Hall. It shows seizure, pledge, tax lien, wanted status, temporary registration and zero-duty import.

Does the seller pay tax on selling a car?

Only if they owned it for 6 months or less: 5 % on the gain, with the return due by 1 April of the following year (Tax Code, arts. 81, 82, 153, version of 28 October 2026). Owned it longer — no tax.

Do I need third-party car insurance after buying?

Not for Georgian plates: there has been no compulsory insurance law since 25 January 2010. The government has put compulsory insurance on its autumn 2026 session plan, with no date or prices (SOVA, 5 September 2026). For foreign plates a policy is compulsory: from 30 GEL for 15 days to 295 GEL for a year.

Can I buy a car on foreign plates and re-register it?

Not while it is temporarily imported. A temporarily registered car can be sold only in cases set out directly in law (Instruction No. 150, art. 9), and it can be handed to someone else for use only with customs consent (Revenue Service). Customs clearance and registration come first — see the guides “How to buy a car in Georgia” and “Licence and car in Georgia”.

What changed · 6

  1. 6 November 2026Removed references to a consulting firm’s website and an advertorial: passport translation now follows the General Administrative Code, and the bank’s services are taken from the bank’s own website
  2. 2 November 2026The Service Agency’s registration centre in Tbilisi moved from 270 to 129 Aghmashenebeli Alley
  3. 30 September 2026The property tax exemption threshold, which also covers cars, rose from 40,000 to 100,000 GEL of family income; the rate is now 0.8–1 % of market value
  4. 24 July 2026Remote vehicle re-registration launched in the Service Agency app and on sa.gov.ge
  5. 15 June 2026The electronic transfer card came into force (order No. 70): 25 GEL fee, buyer must be a Georgian citizen, a residence permit holder or a company (or branch) registered in Georgia
  6. 23 December 2025A representative for re-registration is accepted only with a notarised power of attorney or a transfer card (order No. 123)

Sources · 23

  1. Service Agency of the Interior Ministry: vehicle re-registration — grounds (sale, gift, exchange), documents, fees: inspection 20 GEL, plates 80 GEL, certificate 100 GEL — sa.gov.ge, viewed 5 November 2026
  2. Interior Ministry Instruction No. 150 on vehicle registration — 10 calendar day deadline, ownership from the moment of registration, mandatory inspection, joint application, documents, power of attorney, signature certification, plates and reissuing a handed-in number to the buyer, temporary registration, duty-exempt imports, seizure and tax lien (consolidated PDF on sa.gov.ge, amended up to order No. 123 of 22 December 2025)
  3. Interior Ministry order No. 70 of 21 May 2026 — transfer card: an electronic document with no signatures, buyer must be a Georgian citizen, a residence permit holder or a company (or branch) registered in Georgia, not issued for a car with a restriction, encumbrance or wanted status, 5 working days for the buyer’s visit, a code texted to the seller, in force from 15 June 2026 — matsne.gov.ge, viewed 5 November 2026
  4. Interior Ministry order No. 123 of 22 December 2025 — a representative’s authority is proven only by a notarial deed or a transfer card — matsne.gov.ge, viewed 5 November 2026
  5. Law on Service Agency fees and service times (version of 25 June 2026) — certificate 100 GEL, plates 80 GEL, inspection 20 GEL (60 GEL away from an office), taking an application away from an office 50 GEL, transfer card 25 GEL, signature certification 30 GEL, paid plates, registration in 1 working day (8th day for a pledged car), urgent — 80 GEL, services via the Public Service Hall — matsne.gov.ge, viewed 5 November 2026
  6. General Administrative Code of Georgia (version of 17 December 2025), art. 73 — notarised translation of documents not in Georgian, at least 3 days to provide it — matsne.gov.ge, viewed 5 November 2026
  7. Service Agency: offices — 11 cities, addresses in Tbilisi, Rustavi and Batumi, Tbilisi centres with different rates, opening hours, hotline 1272 — sa.gov.ge, viewed 5 November 2026
  8. Service Agency: service centre opens at 129 Aghmashenebeli Alley — inspection, expert checks, first registration, re-registration, 2 November 2026
  9. Service Agency: the registration centre moves from 270 to 129 Aghmashenebeli Alley from 2 November, 29 October 2026
  10. Service Agency: centre in the Tineti office at 1b Panjikidze St — opening hours at launch, 5 July 2024
  11. Service Agency: remote vehicle re-registration launched — SERVICE AGENCY app and sa.gov.ge, 24 July 2026
  12. Service Agency: offices closed on the public holiday of 14 October 2026 — news of 13 October 2026
  13. Service Agency: vehicle legal status certificate — seizure, pledge, tax lien, wanted status, temporary registration, zero-duty import; 30–110 GEL, anyone can order it — sa.gov.ge, viewed 5 November 2026
  14. Service Agency: vehicle inspection — visual check against the documents, focus on the VIN, inspection report — sa.gov.ge, viewed 5 November 2026
  15. Service Agency: paid number plates — prices, 365 days’ storage and moving them to another car — sa.gov.ge, viewed 5 November 2026
  16. Service Agency: plate replacement — online applications for Georgian citizens and foreigners with residence permits, sign-in with a personal number — sa.gov.ge, viewed 5 November 2026
  17. Tax Code of Georgia (version of 28 October 2026) — 5 % on the gain from selling a car owned for 6 months or less, return due by 1 April, property tax: the 100,000 GEL threshold and the 0.8–1 % rate — matsne.gov.ge, viewed 5 November 2026
  18. Code of Administrative Offences (version of 13 October 2026) — art. 122: driving an unregistered car, 300 GEL, impound lot, 10 days to register; art. 290¹: camera fines go to the person named on the registration certificate — matsne.gov.ge, viewed 5 November 2026
  19. 2017 law on compulsory liability insurance for foreign-registered vehicles — foreign plates only, car: 30 GEL for 15 days to 295 GEL for a year — matsne.gov.ge, viewed 5 November 2026
  20. 1997 law on compulsory motor liability insurance — repealed on 25 January 2010 — matsne.gov.ge, viewed 5 November 2026
  21. SOVA: Georgia may introduce compulsory motor third-party liability insurance — on the government’s autumn session plan, no date or prices, 5 September 2026
  22. Revenue Service of Georgia: temporary admission — a vehicle can be handed to another person only with customs consent (old.rs.ge, undated)
  23. Bank of Georgia blog: “Why take a used-car loan at Bank of Georgia?” — with the loan, three Tbilisi branches re-register the car and issue the registration certificate and plates; no fees given for these services, 26 August 2025 (in Georgian) — bankofgeorgia.ge, checked 6 November 2026
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