Article 30 of the Law of Georgia on Road Traffic sets out what a traffic controller's signals mean. This page gives the text of the article, a junction diagram for each signal, and exam questions with their correct answers. The official text of the law is in Georgian; the quotations here are our translation of the consolidated version of 25 June 2026.[1] Article 30 has not changed since the law was first published on 3 January 2014.
All signals in one table
| Signal | From the chest side | From the back | From the right side | From the left side | Pedestrians |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One arm raised | stop | stop | stop | stop | stop |
| Arms out to the sides, or lowered | stop | stop | trams straight, other vehicles straight or right | trams straight, other vehicles straight or right | cross along the line of the arms, in front of the chest and behind the back |
| Right arm stretched forward | all vehicles right only | stop | stop | trams left, other vehicles any direction | only behind the controller's back |
A swinging red light means "stop" for those it is directed at. Under a raised arm, a driver who can no longer stop safely and a driver already in the junction may carry on.[1]
The controller's sides
The law describes each signal by the controller's sides: chest, back, right side and left side. What you may do depends on which side the controller is showing you.
In the diagrams the controller faces the viewer, so the controller's right side is on the left of the picture. Green arrows show where vehicles may go and blue dashes show where a tram may go. A red bar means "stop". A green zebra means pedestrians may cross, a red one means they may not. The law and its annexes contain no drawings of the signals; these diagrams follow the text of Article 30.
One arm raised
a) one arm raised — for all road users this gesture means the signal "attention, stop", except for drivers who can no longer stop by braking sharply while keeping sufficient safety. In addition, if the signal is given at an intersection, a driver who has already entered the intersection may continue moving. A pedestrian who is on the carriageway when the signal is given must clear it, and if this is impossible, must stop on the line dividing the flows of vehicles moving in opposite directions;[1]
- Drivers stop, whichever side they come from.
- A driver who can no longer stop without braking sharply, and a driver already in the junction, carry on.
- Pedestrians do not step onto the carriageway. A pedestrian already on it must clear it or, if that is impossible, stop on the line between the opposing flows of traffic.
Exam question: A motor car driver is allowed to proceed at this signal of the traffic controller:
Correct answer: None of the directions[5]
A raised arm means "attention, stop" for everyone (¶5(a)), so the car may not go in any direction.
Exam question: Are pedestrians allowed to cross the crosswalk at this signal of the traffic controller?
Correct answer: No[5]
The signal is addressed to all road users, pedestrians included (¶5(a)).
Arms out to the sides, or lowered
b) arms stretched out to the sides or lowered — this gesture means the signal "stop" for road users who, whatever their direction of travel, are moving in a direction that crosses the direction indicated by the controller's outstretched arm or arms; at the same time, from the controller's right and left sides a tram may go straight, a trackless vehicle may go straight and to the right, and a pedestrian may cross the carriageway;[1]
- Chest and back: stop. A path from either of these sides crosses the line of the arms.
- Right and left side: trams go straight only; other vehicles go straight or turn right. Left turns and U-turns are not allowed.
- Pedestrians may cross the carriageway. The stop applies to everyone whose path crosses the line of the arms, so pedestrians cross along it, in front of the controller's chest and behind the back.
- Lowered arms mean the same as outstretched ones.
Exam question: A motor car driver is allowed to proceed at this signal of the traffic controller:
Correct answer: None of the directions[5]
The controller faces the car with the chest, and the car's path crosses the line of the arms. That is a stop (¶5(b)).
Exam question: In which direction is a car driver allowed to proceed at this signal of the traffic controller?
Correct answer: Straight and to the right only[5]
The controller stands side-on to the car with the arms lowered. Lowered arms mean the same as outstretched ones (¶5(b)), so the car may go straight or right.
Right arm stretched forward
c) right arm stretched forward — this gesture means the signal "stop" for all drivers moving from the controller's right side and back; at the same time, from the controller's left side a tram may go to the left, and a trackless vehicle may go in any direction. From the controller's chest side every vehicle may go only to the right. A pedestrian may cross the carriageway behind the controller's back;[1]
- Right side and back: stop for all drivers.
- Left side: trams turn left only; other vehicles may go in any direction. The exam counts a U-turn as one of them (see the question below).
- Chest: all vehicles, trams included, turn right only.
- Pedestrians cross only behind the controller's back.
The English translation of the law on matsne.gov.ge renders this clause as "Any transportation shall have the right to move left from the front side". The Georgian original says მხოლოდ მარჯვნივ, only to the right, and the official Russian translation agrees.[1, 2] The matsne English text translates the 2019 version; the translation on this page is from the current Georgian text.
Exam question: In which direction can the passenger car driver continue moving with this signal from the traffic controller?
Correct answer: In directions A, B, C and D only[5]
The car approaches the controller's left side, from where vehicles other than trams may go in any direction (¶5(c)). The exam counts the U-turn A as well.
A swinging red light
d) moving a red light — for all road users towards whom the light is directed, this signal means the signal "stop".[1]
This means "stop" for those the light is directed at. The law says nothing about the other sides, so the diagram marks only one.
Controller, traffic lights and signs
If a controller's signal contradicts the traffic lights, signs, markings or rules, you follow the controller, immediately.[1] Signs at a junction are an exception:
2. The signals of a traffic controller prevail over the requirements of traffic-light signals, road signs and road markings and over the requirements of the traffic rules. While a controller is regulating traffic at an intersection, prohibitory and mandatory road signs remain in force, except where the controller specifically indicates that their requirements are to be disregarded.[1]
So if the controller lets you go in any direction but one of the roads has a No Entry sign, you still may not enter it:
Exam question: In which direction is a motor car driver allowed to proceed further at this signal of the traffic controller?
Correct answer: In directions A, B and D only[5]
The signal and the side are the same as in the previous question, but the road straight ahead (C) has a No Entry sign. Prohibitory signs stay in force under a controller (Article 28(2)), which leaves A, B and D.
Where to stop
7. A driver whom the controller has prohibited from moving by giving a signal must stop at the "stop" line (or at road sign 7.16), and where there is none:
a) at an intersection — before the carriageway being crossed (in accordance with Article 36(3)(e) of this Law), so as not to obstruct pedestrians;
b) before a railway level crossing — in accordance with Article 39(3) of this Law;
c) elsewhere — before the traffic light or the controller, so as not to obstruct the vehicles and pedestrians that have been given the right to move.[1]
Sign 7.16 "Stop Line" is in the road sign catalogue. If there is a pedestrian crossing before the junction, stop before it or before the transverse marking in front of it, and once you may go, do not obstruct pedestrians already on the crossing.[1]
Trams and crossing paths
When one signal lets several road users go at once, two rules for regulated junctions set the order:
c) if the signals of a traffic light or a controller allow rail and trackless vehicles to move at the same time, the rail vehicle has priority whatever its direction of travel; but when moving in the direction of an arrow lit in an additional section of a traffic light together with the main yellow or red signal, the driver of the rail vehicle must give way to vehicles moving from other directions;
d) if a controller's signal allows trackless vehicles moving along intersecting paths to move at the same time, drivers must follow the rules for passing an unregulated intersection and the priority signs installed at the intersection;[1]
A tram that the signal lets through has priority whichever way it goes. Cars whose paths cross follow the rules for unregulated junctions and the priority signs. A junction with a controller counts as regulated; with no controller and no working traffic light it counts as unregulated.[1]
Railway level crossings
c) while a controller or a traffic light shows a signal prohibiting movement, no road user may enter a railway level crossing, whatever the position of the barrier or half-barrier, or whether there is one at all;[1]
The law describes the stop signal at a level crossing separately:
4. When giving a signal that prohibits movement over a railway level crossing, the controller stands facing the driver with the chest or the back, with the baton raised above the head, with a red lantern or flag, or with the arms spread to the sides.[1]
Exam question: The traffic controller is standing with right side to the vehicle, with hands down, in this situation the motor car driver:
Correct answer: Is allowed to proceed[5]
The controller stands with the right side to the car and the arms lowered. The level-crossing stop signal is given with the chest or back (Article 39(4)), and lowered arms seen from the side allow you to go straight (Article 30(5)(b)).
Other signals
6. Besides the signals defined in paragraph 5 of this article, a traffic controller may give drivers and pedestrians other signals with the hands that are clear to them.
8. If a traffic controller conveys a demand to stop a vehicle by loudspeaker or by gesturing towards the vehicle, the driver must stop at the place the controller indicates.[1]
Baton, disc, flag and whistle
9. A traffic controller gives signals:
a) with a baton striped black and white;
b) with a reflective red disc;
c) with a disc showing road sign "No Vehicles";
d) by hand;
e) with a red or yellow flag;
f) by moving a red light.[1]
10. An additional signal given by a traffic controller with a whistle is meant to attract the attention of road users.[1]
The whistle only draws attention; on its own it neither allows nor forbids anything. The sign on the disc in item (c) is 3.2 "No Vehicles". The controller must be clearly visible by day and night and give signals in good time, so that drivers do not have to swerve or change speed suddenly.[1]
Who can direct traffic
A traffic controller does not have to be a police officer. The law defines the term as follows:
32. Traffic controller — a person designated by the legislation of Georgia and authorised to regulate road traffic, who within their competence may restrict a road user's movement, change its direction and/or stop it.[1]
Traffic is regulated by persons authorised by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Within their powers, it may also be regulated by persons authorised by the Ministry of Defence for military convoys, the Special State Protection Service, rescuers during rescue work, ambulance crews, those accompanying a group of children, railway staff at level crossings, ferry organisers at ports, road owners and appointed temporary controllers during road works, events and closures, and those escorting oversize, overweight or dangerous loads.[1] Their signals must be obeyed in the same way as a police officer's.
The Vienna Convention
Georgia acceded to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic on 23 July 1993.[4] Article 6 of the Convention recommends three gestures, and the Georgian law repeats them almost word for word:[3]
- arm raised upright: "attention, stop" for everyone except drivers who can no longer stop with sufficient safety and drivers already on the intersection (in the law, ¶5(a));
- arm or arms outstretched horizontally: "stop" for everyone whose path would cut across the direction of the arms; the official may then lower the arms, and it is also "stop" for drivers in front of or behind the official (¶5(b));
- swinging red light: "stop" for those it is directed at (¶5(d)).
The Convention also puts an official's instructions above road signs, traffic lights, markings and the rules. It has no right-arm-forward signal (¶5(c)) and does not say where trams, cars and pedestrians may go from each side. Neither the Convention nor the law has drawings of the signals.
Exam questions
The category B question bank has more than thirty questions about traffic controllers, most of them with a picture. The free exam simulation needs no account. Sign up to practise this topic on its own and read the explanation for each answer. The full text of the law is under Traffic rules, and the theory test guide explains how the exam works.
Sources
The official text of the law is in Georgian.[1] The Legislative Herald also publishes a Russian translation, which matches the Georgian on every provision quoted here.[2] The Vienna Convention and its list of parties are published in the UN Treaty Collection.[3, 4] The exam questions come from the Service Agency's official question bank.[5] Sources checked on 24 September 2026.
- Law of Georgia on Road Traffic, official Georgian text (matsne.gov.ge, consolidated 25 June 2026): art. 5 ¶32, 24 ¶7, 25 ¶2, 28, 30, 36 ¶2–3, 39 ¶1, ¶4
- The same law in the Legislative Herald's Russian translation (matsne.gov.ge)
- Convention on Road Traffic, Vienna 1968 (UN Treaty Collection, certified true copy): art. 6
- Parties to the Vienna Convention; Georgia acceded on 23 July 1993 (UN Treaty Collection)
- Service Agency: theory exam questions