Driving licence points exhausted: what to do under Georgian law

What to do

1. How it works: the licence is credited with 100 points each year; on 1 January the remaining balance expires and 100 points are credited again (Law on Road Traffic, Art. 58); each traffic violation in Georgia deducts points according to the table in Annex No. 5 to the law (Law on Road Traffic, Art. 58); points are not deducted for violations recorded by photo or video cameras (Law on Road Traffic, Art. 58).
2. Exhaustion: points are exhausted when, within the year, the balance has become zero or lower (Law on Road Traffic, Art. 58), and exhaustion of points means suspension of the right to drive all categories for 1 year (Law on Road Traffic, Art. 58). Warning: the Ministry of Internal Affairs warns by e-mail or SMS about the risk of suspension when points fall to 50 and then to 20 (if contact details are on file) (Law on Road Traffic, Art. 58).
3. Restoring the right: the right is restored immediately upon expiry of 1 calendar year from the suspension, or earlier, after successfully passing the driving licence exam (Law on Road Traffic, Art. 59); for early restoration, the person is admitted to the exam only once per calendar year (Law on Road Traffic, Art. 59); after such restoration, points are credited to the licence again (Law on Road Traffic, Art. 58).
4. Do not drive: until the right is restored, the driver is considered not to have the right to drive (Law on Road Traffic, Art. 59); driving without the right or during the suspension is punishable by a fine of GEL 500 (Code of Administrative Offences, Art. 121); repeat within 1 year: a fine of GEL 1,500 or administrative detention of up to 15 days (Code of Administrative Offences, Art. 121).
5. What to challenge: not the “points” as such, but each decision on the basis of which points were deducted. A decision on a violation (on which the deduction is based) is appealed within 10 days of its service (Code of Administrative Offences, Art. 273). Check whether points were deducted for camera fines.
6. Foreign licence: a foreign licence is credited with 100 points once in Georgia (Law on Road Traffic, Art. 58); when the points of a foreign licence are exhausted, its holder is prohibited from driving in Georgia (Law on Road Traffic, Art. 58). Accounting: the procedure for administering points (recording, checking the balance) is set by the order of the Minister of Internal Affairs (Law on Road Traffic, Art. 58).
7. Where to apply: Ministry of Internal Affairs: points balance, exam; an appeal against a decision goes to the higher-level official of the Ministry, and then to court.
8. Evidence: history of violations and points from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, decisions with dates of service.
9. Traps: points are not “restored gradually”: the balance expires on 1 January and is credited anew. Each decision is challenged within its own deadline, not “the points” as a whole. Driving during a suspension is a separate offence with its own fine.

Be sure to check

• 100 points per year, expiry on 1 January, deduction according to the law’s table (not for camera fines)
• exhaustion means suspension of all categories for 1 year
• early restoration through the exam (once per year) or automatically after one year
• fine for driving during a suspension
• how to challenge: appeal specific decisions within the 10-day deadline