Choose the allegation or urgent procedural issue
This section covers administrative offences commonly linked to police contact or a possible criminal investigation. An administrative offence is not a criminal conviction. Each guide explains the evidence, procedure and point at which a separate criminal case may arise.
Disorderly Conduct
Public-place conduct, alleged disturbance, identification, video, arrest and hearing.
Read guide →Article 173 · Police contactLawful Police Orders
The authority, legal basis and communication of a demand, the response and recordings.
Read guide →Article 174¹ · Public assemblyAssemblies and Demonstrations
Individual conduct, organiser status, notice, police instructions, recordings and appeal.
Read guide →Article 181¹ · WeaponsCold or Melee Weapon Carrying
Technical classification, public setting, immediate possession, purpose and criminal exposure.
Read guide →Article 45 · Controlled substancesSmall-Quantity Drug Cases
Substance, quantity, search, possession, use and the boundary with criminal drug charges.
Read guide →Article 116 · Road trafficDrink-Driving and Testing
Operation, test procedure, medical examination, licence consequences and accident evidence.
Read guide →Article 121 · Driving licenceUnlicensed or Suspended Driving
Driver identity, licence status, suspension notice, vehicle permission and repeat allegations.
Read guide →Article 175² · Family safetyRestraining or Protective Order Breach
Operative terms, proof of service, alleged contact, safety and the criminal-law boundary.
Read guide →Articles 251–252 · ProcedureArrest, Search and Hearing Rights
Challenges to coercive measures, case access, evidence, counsel, interpretation and appeal.
Read guide →Articles 271–276 · AppealAdministrative Offence Appeals
Standing, correct forum, ten-day period, filing proof, enforcement and appellate review.
Read guide →Why administrative proceedings belong on a criminal-defence site
An incident may begin with an administrative report yet involve arrest, search, seizure, a short court timetable or facts capable of supporting a criminal investigation. Public-order, police-contact, controlled-substance, road and family-safety cases are especially sensitive to correct classification.
The Administrative Offences Code applies where conduct incurs administrative rather than criminal liability. That boundary must be tested from the facts and current law. A police label should not replace analysis of the statutory elements, intent or negligence where relevant, injury, quantity, repetition, prior orders or the alleged role of each person.
Keep the administrative and criminal proceedings distinct
The same event can generate a penalty notice, administrative hearing, criminal inquiry, protective order, licence issue or civil claim. Each has its own proof and deadline. The evidence chronology can be coordinated without treating the legal tests as interchangeable.
What should be checked first
The complete report, order or notice and every article and paragraph cited
The issuing body, hearing authority, service date and appeal procedure
Arrest, inspection, seizure, interpretation and access-to-counsel records
Video, digital, forensic, medical, licence, order and witness evidence
Administrative arrest, search and participation rights
Administrative proceedings may involve arrest, personal inspection, inspection of belongings and seizure. Article 251 provides a procedure for challenging the decision for specified measures. Article 252 protects access to case material, statements, evidence, petitions, defence counsel, native-language participation or interpretation, presence and appeal.
For a detained person or an imminent hearing, use the dedicated administrative arrest, search and hearing-rights guide and call before giving a detailed explanation.
Articles 251 and 252: challenge coercive measures and use your hearing rights
Article 251 is reproduced in its concise official English wording. The central Article 252(1) rights are reproduced, while changing offence lists and additional counsel provisions remain linked to the current consolidated Code.
Article 251Appealing an administrative arrest, search, seizure of items and documents+
Interested persons may appeal an administrative arrest, personal inspection, and inspection of belongings, seizure of items and documents to a superior agency (official) or a prosecutor.
Open the current consolidated Code on Matsne↗︎The article or procedure may have changed. Check the current Georgian text and the exact document served in the case before relying on this summary.
Article 252(1)Core rights of persons prosecuted for administrative offences+
A person prosecuted for an administrative offence may familiarise himself/herself with the case material, give statements, tender evidence and file petitions; enjoy the legal services of a defence counsel during the hearing; speak in a native language and, if he/she does not speak the language of the proceeding, enjoy the services of an interpreter; and appeal an order issued in the case.
The general rule is that proceedings are held in the person’s presence, subject to the statutory notice and postponement exception. The remaining current paragraphs should be checked for mandatory attendance and state-funded counsel in the case concerned.
Open the current consolidated Code on Matsne↗︎The article or procedure may have changed. Check the current Georgian text and the exact document served in the case before relying on this summary.
Appeals and the short-deadline problem
The Code contains a general ten-day appeal period, but the trigger, forum, suspension of enforcement and exceptions must be confirmed from the current provision and the order served. Obtain proof of service and do not calculate from memory or an oral statement.
Use the dedicated administrative appeal guide under Articles 271–276 to identify standing, the correct filing procedure, the deadline record and the effect on enforcement.
Evidence for the first consultation
- Administrative-offence report, arrest report, order, summons and proof of service
- The complete cited article and paragraph and the name of the issuing and hearing bodies
- Body-camera, CCTV, dashcam, phone, message, location and access-control material
- Search or inspection record, property inventory, seals and laboratory evidence
- Licence, vehicle, medical, protective-order, company or immigration records as relevant
- Witness details, chronology and any earlier penalty or order relied upon
Primary sources for this guide
Administrative law can change quickly, and the official English text may lag behind the Georgian consolidation. Check the article part, issuing authority and document served in the case before acting.
Administrative Offences Code of Georgia — current consolidated record↗︎Constitution of Georgia↗︎Criminal Code of Georgia — classification boundary↗︎