Parking in Georgia

Parking is simple in Georgia — you can park your vehicle wherever you find a vacant spot. Don’t worry that your car will be unattended in a dark yard, nobody will steal it.

Parking is allowed at any place where the vehicle does not obstruct road traffic. While local drivers may disregard this rule, you should not follow suit. Otherwise, you'll have to pay the fine.

Free parking

You can park your vehicle free of charge at any place where parking is allowed, and there is no paid parking signage. By the way, there are paid parking facilities only in Tbilisi, Kutaisi, and Batumi. However, you can find free parking spaces in those cities, too:

• Tbilisi: near the Bridge of Peace (opposite Rike Park) and near the Gabriadze Theater
• Batumi: walking around the “tourist” centre takes no more than 15 minutes. If you like, you can leave your car in any yard outside the city centre.
• Kutaisi: park your vehicle in the yards outside the city centre.
  

To avoid such troubles, please confirm with the hotel in advance whether or not you will need to pay for parking. Some hotels with a fenced area or hotels outside the city have their own parking space where guests can park their vehicles free of charge.

Paid parking

Paid parking areas can be found can be found in Tbilisi, Batumi, and Kutaisi. They are designated by a “P” sign with the parking company logo:

• Tbilisi — City Parking
• Batumi — Batumi Parking
• Kutaisi — Parking Service
  

There's only one parking company in each city, and it sets the same parking rates for all its car parks. So, you can pay conveniently for a day or week and park your vehicle at any car park in the city without the risk of getting a parking ticket. The same parking fee throughout the city means that you do not need to look for a "more affordable" price.

Parking rates in Georgia

• Day — 4 lari ($1.6)
• Week — 10 lari ($4)
• 6 months — 25 lari ($10.5)
• Year — 50 lari ($21).
  

Where and how to pay for parking

The minimum chargeable period is one day. It means that you will not be able to pay for an hour or half-hour.
You can pay the parking fee:

• At a bank: Tell a bank teller that you are paying for parking, e.g. for two days, and the teller will take your money and print a receipt. The teller will need your car documents. Bank names are Kor Standard Bank (KSB), TBC Bank, Liberty Bank, and Bank of Georgia.
• From your phone or laptop: Search for the parking company website and follow the instructions. The only inconvenience is that you will need to enter your data using English letters.
• At a terminal: To make a transaction, you will have to enter the vehicle’s license plate number and registration certificate number.
  

You can’t pay for parking for the whole duration of your stay and use the same payment receipt in Tbilisi, Kutaisi, and Batumi because different companies have different bank accounts.

Do not pay to "parking attendants" wearing reflective vests. They can take your money, but your parking will not be actually paid.

The most popular cities for car hire in Georgia

Parking attendants

At a car park, you can be approached by people in reflective vests with traffic wands (parking attendants). They are volunteers who help drivers park their cars and “supervise” from 3 to 10 parking bays.

An adequate tip for the parking service is 1-2 lari. If the "parking attendant" really helped you and was polite, why not reward him with a few lari? But if he behaves offhand, demands something and knocks on your car window, you don't have to pay him. You are not obliged to pay to "parking attendants".

Car parks with boom barriers

Imagine that you purchased a day parking ticket and when you enter a parking facility with a toll gate (e.g. at a market place, bus station, train station, airport or parking garage), you are asked to pay for parking again. Is it right? In fact, you will have to pay for such parking separately (about $0.5 per hour).

Airport parking

There are three parking lots at Tbilisi Airport. They are not free of charge. However, you don't have to pay if you stop for 5 minutes near the airport or for 10 minutes near the train station. Please note that the parking space to the left of the airport does not offer free minutes.

The parking rate at the Kutaisi Airport is $0.41 per hour.

Fines

Parking violation means parking in a prohibited space, parking at metered locations without paying or parking for longer than the paid time. Illegal parking can result in:

A fine of 10 lari ($4)
Towing costs including parking fee and penalty ($50).

The compliance with the parking rules is monitored by municipal employees. Unlike parking attendants, they keep a low profile and yet don't hide. They wear a dark uniform, discreet t-shirts and trousers. Their main working tool is a tablet. They check the license plate numbers of parked vehicles against their database, check the payment receipts, take pictures of violations and issue fines.

If your car got towed

Your vehicle may be towed in Georgia:

• If you parked in a handicapped zone without an appropriate permit
• If you parked at a sign saying that parking is prohibited
• If you left your car at a paid parking space without paying for longer than 12 hours
• If your parked vehicle obstructs the traffic.

If you do not find your car where you left it, don’t panic. Cars are rarely stolen in Georgia. You will most probably find your vehicle at the tow yard. Do as follows:

1. Call the local parking company. If they can't help you (which is uncommon), call the police (112), and they will tell you where's your car.
2. Go to the tow yard by taxi.
3. Receive your penalty charge notice. Pay the penalty at a bank. Return to the tow yard, show your passport, vehicle registration certificate, and payment slip.
4. Get your car back.

You need to get your car back on the same day because if your car stays at the impoundment lot for longer than 24 hours, you will pay additional 10 lari per day of vehicle impoundment.