Scooter & Motorcycle Rental in Georgia: Prices from $22, Licenses & Road Reality

Scooter rental in Batumi starts at 60 GEL per day (~$22) and motorcycles from 80 GEL (~$30); in Tbilisi the market is anchored around the Eliava bazaar with similar pricing. The catch most renters miss: a sub-50cc moped technically only requires AM category, but anything stronger demands category A – and in case of an accident without it, no insurance pays out. Below are real prices, deposits, routes and the places you should not ride to.

• 125cc scooter in Batumi: from 60 GEL/day (~$22), drops to 40 GEL (~$15) on 5+ day rentals.
• Road motorcycle (Honda, Yamaha up to 600cc): 80–100 GEL/day (~$30–37), long-term from 60 GEL (~$22).
• Enduro for Adjara and Svaneti mountains: $150–200/day, usually with an instructor as part of a tour.
• Motorcycle deposit: $300–500 or GEL equivalent, depending on the bike and whether you hold category A.
• Helmet always provided, raincoat and phone mount come standard with reputable rental shops.
• E-scooters (toGO, Bird/Scroll, Jet, QARI): 1 GEL unlock + 0.4–0.5 GEL/min, daily pass around 23 GEL (~$8).
• 95 octane fuel: $1.14/liter (Updated: April 2026), 125cc scooter consumes about 2.5 L per 100 km.

A scooter in Batumi is a tool for moving around the city itself, reaching the beaches at Gonio and Kvariati, the village of Sarpi at the Turkish border, plus a one-day run to the Mahuntseti waterfall. Don't bank on more: the mountain switchbacks of Adjara, the road to Mestia or the climb to Kazbegi demand a real road bike or enduro. A 125cc scooter will not get you there even if the map says "only 200 km".

In Tbilisi a scooter only makes sense for daily commuting if you are staying for at least a few weeks: the terrain is hilly, traffic is dense, and parking is easier than with a car. For a 3–5 day visitor, e-scooters and taxis come out cheaper.

Important: since March 2022, scooters with engines above 50cc must be officially registered and carry plates in Georgia. If your rental has no plate, you are riding illegally. In case of a roadside check the fine falls on you, and insurance will not cover a damaged unregistered vehicle.

Most rental shops use a sliding scale: the longer you book, the cheaper each day becomes. Independent Batumi-based operators tend to offer the most competitive rates among small businesses outside any international chain.

Rental prices (Updated: April 2026)

You need 95 octane fuel (most modern scooters won't run on 92), priced at $1.14 per liter on average – on the Gori to Kazbegi highway it runs 5–10% higher. A 125cc scooter consumes 2.5 liters per 100 km, a road motorcycle 4–5 liters. Bikes are returned with a full tank, otherwise expect a 4 GEL/liter (~$1.5) penalty – this is industry standard, not a scam.

If a car suits your route better, compare parallel options in the dedicated guide: Car Rental in Georgia.

This is the single biggest source of trouble. Georgian rules officially distinguish three categories, and most rental operators only enforce them when it suits them.

Warning: a regular passenger car license (category B) does NOT permit riding a motorcycle or any scooter above 50cc in Georgia. If you crash without an open A or A1 endorsement, the rental insurance refuses to pay, and you will face a fine plus full damage compensation out of pocket. Less reputable operators rent to anyone regardless – the risk in that case is entirely yours.

Foreigners can take the Georgian motorcycle exam locally, but only after spending at least 185 days in the country during the last 12 months – the rule was tightened in 2025 specifically to close the short-stay loophole. The exam happens at the Service Agency under the Ministry of Internal Affairs (main centers are Rustavi near Tbilisi and Batumi), with a 55 GEL fee (~$20), plus a medical certificate (form 100a, ~30 GEL) and a notarized passport translation (~25 GEL).

There are three working formats in Georgia.

International aggregator – convenient if you want to lock the booking in advance with guaranteed availability. Through Bikesbooking you can compare dozens of scooters and motorcycles in Batumi and Tbilisi at a fixed price with online card payment. Rates run 15–25% above local rates, but the standard insurance package, multilingual support and prepaid bookings without office visits make up the difference for most travellers.

Local rental shops – cheaper, but require live communication through WhatsApp or Telegram, sometimes a face-to-face meeting before the deal closes. No deposit if you carry an open A category – the operator simply takes a photo of your passport and license, your accommodation address and phone number. Without category A they ask for a $300–500 cash deposit or card hold.

E-scooter apps – cover the "get to the beach in 10 minutes" use case. The main names: toGO and Jet in Batumi, Bird (Scroll) and QARI in Tbilisi. Install in advance and link any internationally-accepted card. Note the 3 GEL minimum charge per ride even if you only rode for two minutes – a detail people miss.

For a motorcyclist Georgia is two countries: coast and mountains. On the coast asphalt is smooth and recently re-laid, lane markings are fresh, speed limits of 50–80 km/h are widely ignored, but local overtaking style demands constant attention – passing across solid lines into oncoming traffic is considered normal practice here.

Mountains are different. The Georgian Military Highway to Kazbegi is rideable on a road bike in dry weather, but the Gudauri to Cross Pass section turns into an ice rink in winter and shoulder seasons – mixed snow, ice and mud. Local guides note that two wheels make sense there only between May and October. Mestia and Svaneti require an enduro – asphalt ends 30 km before the town, then it's gravel switchbacks all the way.

Where you cannot ride: rentals are forbidden from entering Abkhazia and South Ossetia – insurance does not cover those territories and entering through Russian-controlled checkpoints constitutes illegal border crossing under Georgian law, leading to a criminal case. Crossing any international border on a rental vehicle is also forbidden.

The Tusheti and Khevsureti regions, plus roads to Shatili and Omalo, are enduro-with-guide territory only. Standard rental shops won't even hand over a bike for those routes: hauling a broken motorcycle out of 80 km of mountain dirt is the renter's problem, and the recovery alone can cost more than the bike.

Helmet use is mandatory in Georgia for both rider and passenger on any motorcycle or scooter – the fine is around 100 GEL (~$37), but the real cost of skipping it is a head injury, and Georgian medicine without insurance is not cheap. Check the visa and health insurance requirements for your nationality before travel; many travellers add a comprehensive plan with active sports coverage – a policy from Ekta starts at $1.5–2/day and actually pays out for motorcycle accidents.

Pre-ride check: brakes (both front and rear must engage firmly), tire pressure, indicators, headlight, oil level, battery charge. Ten minutes of inspection saves a day in a service shop and avoids a dispute with the rental owner about who broke what.

A separate note on connectivity: GPS in the mountains only works with active mobile data. A local eSIM from Yesim with a 10 GB / 30-day plan costs $25.2 – more convenient than airport SIM cards, where the same tariff sells for 1.5–2x the price.

If you don't have category A but still want to ride in the mountains, the only legal format is a guided tour. According to rider feedback, the most popular routes are Adjara (1 day, 80 km, ~$180) and loop trips through Kakheti and Kazbegi (5–7 days, 750–1100 km, $1000–1500). The price covers the bike, gear, fuel, mountain hotels or campsites and the instructor. It's not cheap, but it's the only way to legally ride truly scenic Georgian roads without an open A endorsement.

Can I rent a scooter in Georgia with a regular car license?

Legally, no. Scooters above 50cc require category A1 or A. Many rental shops in Batumi ignore this and rent without checking, but if you crash, insurance won't pay and all damage and medical costs become your problem. In practice it's a lottery you really shouldn't play.

How big is the deposit for scooters and motorcycles?

With a valid category A on the renter's license, usually $0 for scooters and $200–300 for road motorcycles. Without category A, shops ask $300–500 for a scooter and up to $1000 for an enduro. The deposit returns on the day the bike comes back, assuming no damage claim.

Can I cross into Armenia or Turkey on a rented motorcycle?

No, taking a rental vehicle out of Georgia is forbidden by every operator without exception. It's written into the contract, and breaking it means losing the deposit plus potential criminal charges for vehicle theft.

What fuel does a scooter take?

95 octane (premium). Most modern scooters (TVS, Honda, Yamaha) won't run on 92, and 80 octane is illegal. A 125cc scooter has a 5-liter tank, full fill-up costs about $6.

What if the rental scooter breaks down on the road?

Call the rental shop immediately – proper operators include roadside support and recovery in the price (verify in the contract beforehand). Don't try to fix it yourself, and don't take it to a third-party mechanic without approval – that's an automatic deposit forfeit. If on-site repair is needed, the renter can usually approve it remotely and reimburse later.

A scooter in Batumi makes sense if you're staying 5+ days and planning daily beach or area trips – on that horizon the rate falls to ~$15/day and you save real money on taxis. A motorcycle is only worth taking with an open category A and prior mountain riding experience – Georgian switchbacks and local driving habits punish overconfidence harder than roads in Italy or Greece. App-based e-scooters are a sensible solution for short urban hops in Tbilisi and along the Batumi promenade, with no paperwork and no deposit. Heading to Svaneti or Khevsureti? It's a guided enduro tour or a 4WD rental – anything else ends with a recovery truck.

• Car Rental in Georgia – Complete Guide and Hidden Pitfalls
• How to Get from Tbilisi to Batumi
• Mobile Internet in Georgia – How to choose a SIM Card
• Travel Insurance for Georgia

• Service Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia – license categories and exams
• Georgian Ministry of Economy – vehicle registration rules
• Compulsory Motor Third-Party Liability Insurance Bureau of Georgia
• Numbeo Georgia – fuel and transportation prices