Camera fine, but someone else was driving or the car was sold: what to do under Georgian law

What to do

1. Addressee: a Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) fine from a camera (receipt not issued on the spot) is paid by the person to whom the vehicle registration certificate was last issued, not by the driver (CAO, Art. 290¹); the same applies to municipal camera fines (parking and others), where the receipt is issued in absentia based on the vehicle's registration data (CAO, Art. 290⁴); the exception is a registered leasing arrangement, where the fine is addressed to the lessee (from 1 May 2026); for rental or hire there is no exception (CAO, Art. 290¹). The CAO has NO procedure for “naming the driver”: reporting the driver's details to the police does not transfer the fine to them. Say this directly.
2. Deadlines: appeal within 10 days of delivery; a deadline missed for a valid reason is restored (CAO, Art. 273); a receipt not delivered by post is deemed delivered on the 30th day after its publication on the MIA website (CAO, Art. 268¹); payment within 30 days of delivery of the receipt (CAO, Art. 290¹). If there is nothing to dispute, payment within 10 calendar days of the SMS or website notice earns a 20% discount (CAO, Art. 268¹), and the costs can be recovered from the driver or lessee under the contract.
3. Dispute: the complaint goes to the superior body, and its decision may be appealed to court (CAO, Art. 272); no state fee is payable (CAO, Art. 272). Arguments: an offence is only a culpable act (CAO, Art. 10) (the person did not drive, or the car was transferred under a contract or stolen); the penalty may not be imposed later than 3 months from the date of the violation (CAO, Art. 38); a number-plate recognition error. Warning: the prospects of the argument that someone else was driving are not obvious.
4. Sold without re-registration: ownership of movable property passes upon its transfer on a valid basis; registration with the MIA is not required for this (Civil Code, Art. 186). If the fine and the late-payment penalty (საურავი) are not paid within 30 days of the penalty accruing, the vehicle is sold (CAO, Art. 290¹), except where the fine addressee is not the owner of the vehicle, in which case enforcement is against their income and property (CAO, Art. 290¹). Re-register the vehicle urgently at the MIA Service Agency together with the buyer; for losses, bring a claim against the buyer.
5. Where to apply: the superior MIA unit or municipal body, then the district (city) court; the MIA Service Agency, for re-registration; a civil court, for recourse against the buyer or lessee.
6. Evidence: the receipt and the date of the SMS or publication; the sale contract, handover act and receipt; the rental or leasing contract, a theft report; camera photo or video (plate, make).
7. Pitfalls: “my brother was driving” is not a reason not to pay; reporting the driver's details to the police does not get the fine reissued to them; a general power of attorney instead of re-registration leaves the seller as the addressee; a rental is not the same as a leasing arrangement; the complaint period may start from publication on the website even if no letter was received.

Be sure to check

• a camera fine is addressed to the person to whom the vehicle registration was last issued, not to the driver
• the CAO has no mechanism for transferring the fine to the driver or buyer (except under registered leasing); recovery is by contract or in court
• 10-day appeal period from delivery (including delivery by publication on the website) and the complaint route
• a sold but not re-registered car must be re-registered urgently; sale of the vehicle does not apply to an addressee who is no longer the owner, and enforcement is against their income