Public Registry: one name for a register and for the agency that keeps it
The Public Registry (in Georgian საჯარო რეესტრი) is the state record of who holds which rights in land, buildings, flats and other property in Georgia, together with the seizures and mortgages that weigh on them, kept by the National Agency of Public Registry (NAPR) under the Ministry of Justice.
Article 311(1) of the Civil Code calls the register "the collection of data on the origin, modification and termination of rights to things and intangible property, of attachment and of tax lien/mortgage, and on the origin and modification of the abandonment of ownership of immovable property". The details are in the Law of Georgia on Public Registry (No 820, adopted on 19 December 2008, consolidated text of 1 April 2026). Its Article 3 gives the Agency the job of keeping the registry and giving access to it; Article 1 leaves motor vehicles out.
Georgians use "the Public Registry" for both the record and the office. Lawyers keep them apart. The register is the content: the rights and burdens entered against each property. NAPR, საჯარო რეესტრის ეროვნული სააგენტო, is the body that receives applications, decides on them and issues extracts. A clause saying a right "arises on registration" means the register; a letter saying "your application is suspended" comes from the agency.
A buyer used to a land registry that covers only land, or a deeds office that files copies of contracts, will find neither here. One database holds a village plot, a flat in a Tbilisi tower, a bank's mortgage and a court's seizure. Our overview of property law in Georgia explains why ownership itself depends on the entry.
Three registries behind one extract
The register is a set of linked parts. Article 10(1) of the Law calls their shared base the "integrated data bank", and an extract for a flat or plot is printed from it.
| Part | What it records | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Registry of Immovable Property Rights | Ownership and other rights in land, buildings and units | Law on Public Registry |
| Registry of Public-law Restrictions | Seizures and prohibitions | Art. 19 |
| Registry of Tax Liens/Mortgages | Tax liens and tax mortgages | Art. 20 |
Registered data are public (Art. 6(1)) and presumed authentic until declared invalid (Art. 5). Yet under Article 3(6) the agency bears no responsibility for whether the papers filed with it are authentic. The register shows what was recorded; whether the power of attorney or contract behind an entry was genuine is for the notary, a lawyer and you to check.
From the Soviet BTI to a single agency: 2004 to 2022
NAPR was set up in 2004 as a legal entity of public law under the Ministry of Justice, as successor to the State Department of Land Management. It took over the archives of the Technical Inventory Bureaus, the Soviet-era "BTI". Its first chair, Davit Egiashvili, started on 21 July 2004. NAPR's history page names no founding act, and we could not confirm one.
| Year | What was added |
|---|---|
| 2005 | Public-law restrictions, such as seizures and injunctions |
| 2007 | Tax liens and mortgages |
| 2009 | Movable and intangible property, including pledges and leases |
| 2010 | Entrepreneurs and non-commercial legal entities |
| 2011 | Geodesy, cartography and the Address Registry |
| 2016 | Numbering of geographic features and apartments; a land registration reform |
| 2022 | Systematic registration: 1.2 million hectares in 59 municipalities within three years |
In the last Doing Business report, for 2020, the World Bank ranked Georgia 5th in the world on "Registering Property"; the series was discontinued in 2021. TBC Capital, using NAPR data, counted 78,500 real estate transactions in 2025, up 6%. We found no official yearly total of all registrations. Since 22 July 2025 the geoportal NSDI.GOV.GE shows parcel boundaries and orthophotos, but not owners; our guide to checking a property owner online explains the map tools.
What an entry in the register does in law
| Rule | Where it is | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Presumed accurate and complete | Civil Code Art. 312(1); Law Art. 5 | An entry counts as true until declared invalid |
| Good-faith acquirer | Civil Code Arts. 185 and 312(2) | Buying from the owner on record protects an honest buyer |
| First filed, first ranked | Law Art. 13(4); Civil Code Art. 290 for mortgages | Hours between signing and filing can matter |
| Pre-registration | Law Art. 12 | Blocks other registrations, unless the parties agreed otherwise |
| Signing at the registry | Civil Code Art. 311-1(2) | No notary needed when the parties sign before an authorised person there |
Pre-registration ends when the secured right is registered, when its term expires, or by written agreement. It differs from the preliminary ownership right on an off-plan flat, covered in our preliminary agreement entry. Article 311-1(3) adds that some transactions take effect only on registration, and Article 183 makes the transfer of ownership of land and flats one of them. The date that counts is the registration date, not the signing date.
How the Public Registry appears on your documents
Extracts and decisions name the issuer as საჯარო რეესტრის ეროვნული სააგენტო. Next to it come the application's registration number, labelled განცხადების რეგისტრაციის ნომერი, and the date and time the extract was prepared. Under Article 9(2) the number is given when the application is filed, so it is your reference for every later question. A decision carries one of four names:
- Registration: the right is entered.
- Suspension: 30 calendar days, or 3 working days for an unpaid fee (Art. 21).
- Refusal: the agency declines (Art. 23).
- Termination: ended at the applicant's request (Art. 22(a)).
Public Service Halls (იუსტიციის სახლი) accept applications on NAPR's behalf, and filings can also be made through napr.gov.ge and my.gov.ge; the decision is always NAPR's. We did not obtain a 2026 sample extract, so we cannot confirm today's exact header layout. Next steps after each outcome are in our guide to registering a purchase, fees in the Public Registry fee guide, and the extract's lines in our registry extract entry.
Worked example: a purchase signed at the registry counter
A buyer agrees to buy a resale flat in Tbilisi, and the seller proposes signing at a Public Service Hall rather than a notary's office. Is that valid?
- The signing. Under Civil Code Article 311-1(2), signatures given at the registration authority before an authorised person need no notarial certification. Signing and filing happen in one visit.
- The number. The application is numbered on filing (Art. 9(2)). Keep it for tracking and complaints.
- The queue. If the seller has also signed with someone else, who files an hour later, the first filing ranks first (Art. 13(4)). An hour the other way, and the order flips.
- The fee. An unpaid fee suspends the file for only 3 working days (Art. 21), so pay it the same day.
- The result. Ownership passes on registration (Art. 183). Then order a fresh extract and check the name, share and burdens.
The risk lies in timing, not in paperwork. A buyer who cannot attend acts through a representative; see our entries on the power of attorney and the apostille.
Easily confused: the registry, the Hall, the notary and other registers
| Term | Who runs it | Role for a buyer |
|---|---|---|
| Public Registry (NAPR) | NAPR, Ministry of Justice | Records the right and decides |
| Public Service Hall | Public Service Development Agency | Front office where you file; does not decide |
| Notary | A notary | Certifies a transaction or signature (Civil Code Art. 69(5)); ownership does not pass there |
| Registry of Entrepreneurs | NAPR, since 2010 | Companies, not property rights |
| Registry of Debtors | National Bureau of Enforcement | Debtors under Order 234; only flagged on the extract |
Buyers used to two offices also confuse the cadastre with the register. In Georgia one agency keeps both in one database: the cadastre holds a parcel's shape, area and code, the register its owner, rights and burdens. The cadastral code links the two.
The term in five languages
| Language | Public Registry | Public Service Hall |
|---|---|---|
| Georgian | საჯარო რეესტრი | იუსტიციის სახლი |
| English | Public Registry (NAPR) | Public Service Hall |
| Russian | Публичный реестр | Дом юстиции |
| Hebrew | המרשם הציבורי | בית הצדק |
| Arabic | السجل العام | دار العدالة |
Georgian contracts speak of registration in the საჯარო რეესტრი, while extracts and decisions name the issuer in full as საჯარო რეესტრის ეროვნული სააგენტო.
Mistakes foreign buyers make about the Public Registry
- Treating the notary's signature as the transfer. Until the entry is made, the seller is still the owner on record.
- Assuming the agency checked the documents. Under Article 3(6) it does not answer for them, so check who signed for the seller.
- Delaying the filing. Every hour lets another application overtake yours.
- Taking a Hall receipt for a decision. The Hall takes papers; NAPR decides.
- Skipping the company search. A corporate seller is in the Registry of Entrepreneurs, not on the property extract.
- Ignoring the debtor flag. It comes from the National Bureau of Enforcement; read it before you pay.
Mortgages, seizures and tax liens are covered in our guide to encumbrances on property and the mortgage and seizure entries.
To be added by the team: images for the team to add: a redacted extract showing the agency name, the application registration number and the time of preparation; a photo of a Public Service Hall entrance; and a redacted registration decision. Remove every personal number and name before publishing.
How to deal with the Public Registry as a buyer
Get a fresh extract
Order it online or at a Hall, and note the time printed on it.
Check the seller's records
Look at the property extract, the debtor flag and, for a company, the Registry of Entrepreneurs.
Decide where to sign
At a notary, or before an authorised person at the registration authority.
File the same day
Priority goes to the earlier application.
Keep the registration number
It identifies your file in every later contact.
Confirm the entry
Read a new extract showing you as owner.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Public Registry in Georgia?
The state record of rights in property, with seizures and mortgages, kept by the National Agency of Public Registry (NAPR) under the Ministry of Justice.
Which law governs it?
Article 311 of the Civil Code, plus the Public Registry Law (No 820) adopted in December 2008.
Is NAPR the same as a Public Service Hall?
No. The Hall is a front office that accepts applications; NAPR makes the decision.
Can anyone see who owns a property?
Yes. Registered data are public under Article 6(1) of the Law on Public Registry.
Does the registry check that documents are genuine?
No. Under Article 3(6) it does not answer for the authenticity of documents submitted.
Who ranks first if two applications concern one flat?
The one filed first, under Article 13(4) of the Law on Public Registry.
Do I need a notary to sign a purchase?
Not if both parties sign at the registration authority before an authorised person (Civil Code Art. 311-1(2)).
When was NAPR created?
In 2004, as successor to the State Department of Land Management.
Sources
- Civil Code of Georgia, Arts. 69, 183, 185, 290, 311, 311-1 and 312, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 28 October 2026)
- Law of Georgia on Public Registry (No 820), consolidated 1 April 2026, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 28 October 2026)
- History and head of agency, National Agency of Public Registry (accessed 28 October 2026)
- National Agency of Public Registry and my.gov.ge, online services
- NSDI.GOV.GE geoportal and maps.gov.ge, NAPR
- Ratings summary, 2025, Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia (accessed 28 October 2026)
- Georgia on 7th place in World Bank Doing Business 2020 ranking, CBW (accessed 28 October 2026)
- Georgia's real estate market grows 6% in 2025, Georgia Today, citing TBC Capital (accessed 28 October 2026)
- National Bureau of Enforcement, Registry of Debtors
Change log
- - Glossary entry published from the Legislative Herald of Georgia, NAPR, the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, CBW, Georgia Today and the National Bureau of Enforcement.