![Guns in czech rep](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Guns_in_czech_rep.png)
Gun laws in the Czech Republic in many respects differ from those in other
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...
member states ''(see
Gun laws in the European Union)''. The "''right to acquire, keep and bear firearms''" is explicitly recognized in the first Article of the
Firearms Act
Firearms Act is a stock short title used for legislation in Canada, Hong Kong, Jamaica, and the United Kingdom. This list includes not only Firearms Acts as such, but legislation of different names governing firearms and also other weapons.
List
...
. At the constitutional level, the
Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms
The Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms ( cs, Listina základních práv a svobod, sk, Listina základných práv a slobôd) is a document enacted in 1991 by the Czechoslovak Federative Republic and currently continued as part of the cons ...
includes the "''right to defend own life or life of another person also with arms under conditions stipulated by law''".
A gun in the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
is available to anybody subject to acquiring a
firearms license. Gun licenses may be obtained in a way similar to a driving license – by passing a gun proficiency exam, medical examination and having a clean
criminal record. Unlike in most other European countries, the Czech gun legislation also permits a citizen to carry a
concealed weapon for
self-defense
Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force ...
– 252,245 out of 308,990 gun license holders have a concealed carry permit (31 December 2021).
The most common reason for firearm possession by Czech gun owners is for protection, with hunting and sport shooting being less common.
The beginning of Czech civilian firearms possession dates back to 1421, with the first use of firearms as the primary weapons of
Hussite militia ''(see
History of Czech civilian firearms possession
History of Czech civilian firearms possession extends over 600 years back when the Czech lands became the center of firearms development, both as regards their technical aspects as well as tactical use.
In 1419, the Hussite revolt against Cath ...
)''. Firearms became indispensable tools for the mostly commoner militia in a war for religious freedom and political independence. Firearms possession became common throughout and after the Hussite wars. The universal right to keep arms for "''all people of all standing''" was formally affirmed in the 1517 Wenceslaus Agreement. Throughout its 600-year history, Czech firearms legislation remained permissive, with the exception of periods of
German Nazi occupation and
Communist dictatorship. Today, the ability to be legally armed is considered a symbol of liberty in the country, alongside freedom of speech and free elections.
The English term ''pistol'' originated in 15th-century
Czech language
Czech (; Czech ), historically also Bohemian (; ''lingua Bohemica'' in Latin), is a West Slavic language of the Czech–Slovak group, written in Latin script. Spoken by over 10 million people, it serves as the official language of the Czech R ...
.
''Mariánská skála'' in
Ústí nad Labem
Ústí nad Labem (, , ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 92,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of its eponymous region and district. It is a major industrial centre and, besides being an active river port, is an important railway ju ...
is Europe's oldest continually-open shooting range, established in 1617.
History
![Husitsky_bojovy_vuz_replika](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Husitsky_bojovy_vuz_replika.jpg)
History of Czech civilian firearms possession extends over 600 years back, when local militia became the first force whose military strategy and tactics depended on mass use of firearms in battlefield warfare during the 1419 - 1434
Hussite wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, European monarchs loyal to the Cat ...
.
In 1419, the
Hussite
The Hussites ( cs, Husité or ''Kališníci''; "Chalice People") were a Czech proto-Protestant Christian movement that followed the teachings of reformer Jan Hus, who became the best known representative of the Bohemian Reformation.
The Huss ...
revolt against
Catholic church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor started. The ensuing
Hussite wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, European monarchs loyal to the Cat ...
over religious freedom and political independence represented a clash between professional
Crusader armies from all around Europe, relying mostly on standard medieval tactics and cold weapons, and primarily commoners' militia-based Czech forces which relied on use of firearms. First serving as auxiliary weapons, firearms gradually became indispensable for the Hussite armies.
1421 marks a symbolical beginning of the Czech civilian firearms possession due to two developments: enactment of formal duty of all inhabitants to obey call to arms by provisional elected Government in order to defend the country and first battle in which Hussite
Taborite
The Taborites ( cs, Táborité, cs, singular Táborita), known by their enemies as the Picards, were a faction within the Hussite movement in the medieval Lands of the Bohemian Crown.
Although most of the Taborites were of rural origin, they ...
militia employed firearms as the main weapons of attack.
Universal right to keep arms was affirmed in 1517 Wenceslaus Agreement. In 1524 the Enactment on Firearms was passed, establishing rules and permits for carrying of firearms. Firearms legislation remained permissive until the
1939-1945 German occupation. The
1948-1989 period of Communist dictatorship marked another period of severe gun restrictions.
Permissive firearms legislation returned in 1990s after the
fall of Communist dictatorship. Today, the "''right to acquire, keep and bear arm''" is explicitly recognized in the first Article of the
Firearms Act
Firearms Act is a stock short title used for legislation in Canada, Hong Kong, Jamaica, and the United Kingdom. This list includes not only Firearms Acts as such, but legislation of different names governing firearms and also other weapons.
List
...
.
[''Firearms Act'', Section 1(1)] On constitutional level, the
Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms
The Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms ( cs, Listina základních práv a svobod, sk, Listina základných práv a slobôd) is a document enacted in 1991 by the Czechoslovak Federative Republic and currently continued as part of the cons ...
includes the "''right to defend own life or life of another person also with arms''".
Article 6(4) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms
Czech Constitutional
Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms
The Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms ( cs, Listina základních práv a svobod, sk, Listina základných práv a slobôd) is a document enacted in 1991 by the Czechoslovak Federative Republic and currently continued as part of the cons ...
Article 6(4) states that "''the right to defend own life or life of another person also with arms is guaranteed under conditions set out in the law.''"
Media dubbed the provision "''Czech Republic's second amendment''" both in connection with the protection of the
right to keep and bear arms in the US constitution and due to the fact that before approval of this provision, the Czech Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms had only been amended once since adoption in 1992.
According to the Czech gun laws expert and attorney Tomáš Gawron the provision bears no resemblance to the American second amendment. Unlike its US counterpart, the Czech provision doesn't stipulate a restraint on Government's power, but only symbolically sets out significance of the mentioned right and otherwise leaves the Government a free hand in setting detailed conditions in law. By being mostly symbolic, the provision is more similar to the
Article 10 of Mexican constitution. Also while the American second amendment centers on the right to keep and bear arms, the Czech provision deals primarily with right of personal defense, including with arms.
2002 Firearms Act
Cornerstones of current Czech gun law remain the same since the 1990s: precisely defined requirements that an applicant must meet in order to be granted a license. Once a person obtains the necessary license, the law is relatively permissive as regards both the type of firearms that become legally accessible, as well as possibility of their concealed carry for personal protection. At the same time, the issuing authority (police) firearm owners' database is connected to information needed for a background check and red flags any incidents that may lead to loss of license requirements. Similarly, health clearance by the general practitioner is needed for periodical renewal of license (every ten years).
Under Act No. 119/2002 Coll.
every citizen that meets the act's conditions has the right to have firearms license issued and can then obtain a firearm.
[''Firearms Act'', Section 8][''Firearms Act'', Section 16(1)] Holders of ''D'' (exercise of profession) and ''E'' (self-defense) licenses, which are also
shall-issue
Gun laws and policies, collectively referred to as firearms regulation or gun control, regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, and use of small arms by civilians. Laws of some countries may afford civilians a right to ...
, can carry up to two concealed firearms for protection.
[''Firearms Act'', Section 28(3)(B), 28(4)(C)]
Types of licenses
There are five types of gun license; however, these should not be mistaken with the categories for guns:
[''Firearms Act'', Section 16(2)]
* A – Firearm collection
* B – Sport shooting
* C – Hunting
* D – Exercise of a profession
* E – Self-defense
Obtaining a license
An applicant applies for a gun license at a designated local office of the National police. If the conditions of age, qualification, health clearance, criminal integrity and personal reliability are met and a fee of 700
CZK (US$ ) per type is paid, the license
shall be issued in thirty days.
[''Firearms Act'', Section 18] The license must be renewed every ten years
(no need to undergo qualification exam if the application is filed at least two months before termination of the previous license; health clearance still necessary
[''Firearms Act'', Section 24(1)]).
Age
To obtain a B or C type license, the applicant must be at least 18 years old. Under special circumstances, the applicant need only be 15 if a member of a sporting club, or 16 if taught hunting in schools with such a curriculum. To obtain an A, D or E type license, the applicant must be 21.
[''Firearms Act'', Section 19]
Qualification
![Pistole cz75 hauptbaugruppen](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Pistole_cz75_hauptbaugruppen.jpg)
Obtaining the license requires passing a theoretical and practical exam.
* Theoretical exam: The theoretical exam consists of a written test of 30 multiple choice questions (Created and distributed by the Ministry of the Interior) with a maximum of 79 points possible. To pass the written exam, 67 points are needed for type A, 71 for type B or C, and 74 for type D or E.
[''Firearms Regulation'', Section 7(1)] The test deals with the following issues:
**knowledge of firearms legislation,
[''Firearms Act'', Section 21(4)(A)]
**knowledge of legislation related to legitimate use of firearm (e.g. self-defense),
[''Firearms Act'', Section 21(4)(B)]
**general knowledge of firearms and ammunition,
[''Firearms Act'', Section 21(4)(C)] and
**first aid.
[''Firearms Act'', Section 21(4)(D)]
* Practical exam
**Safe handling:
[''Firearms Act'', Section 21(5)(A)] this comprises
***inspecting, whether the firearm is loaded (safely unloading),
[, Section 5(1)(A)]
***field stripping as needed for clean-up,
[''Firearms Regulation'', Section 5(1)(B)]
***preparation of firearm and ammunition for shooting, shooting, procedure of handling the firearm in case of malfunction, conclusion of shooting.
[''Firearms Regulation'', Section 5(1)(C)]
**Touching the trigger, pointing in an other-than-safe direction or trying to field-strip a loaded gun (
dummy round
A dummy round or drill round is a round that is completely inert, i.e., contains no primer, propellant, or explosive charge. It is used to check weapon function, and for crew training. Dummy ammunition is distinct from "practice" ammunition, w ...
is used) results in the applicant failing the exam. Depending on the types of licenses sought, applicants may be asked to show their ability safely to manipulate multiple firearms (typically
CZ 75
The CZ 75 is a semi-automatic pistol made by Czech firearm manufacturer ČZUB. First introduced in 1975, it is one of the original " wonder nines" and features a staggered-column magazine, all-steel construction, and a hammer forged barrel. I ...
and/or
CZ 82
The Pistole vz. 82 is a compact semi-automatic pistol made for the Czechoslovakian military. "vz." is an abbreviation for "vzor", which translates to "model." A civilian export version is called the CZ 83.
Overview
Manufactured by the Czecho ...
pistol, bolt-action
CZ 452
The CZ 452 also known as BRNO Model Two ''.22'' Rifle is a series of magazine-fed bolt-action rimfire repeating rifles manufactured by the Czech firearms manufacturer Česká Zbrojovka Uherský Brod (abbreviated "CZ-UB", English: ''Czech Weapons ...
rifle and a double-barreled shotgun).
[''Firearms Regulation'', Section 5(3)]
**A shooting test,
[''Firearms Act'', Section 21(5)(B)] which requires specific scores dependent on the type of license applied for:
***For the B type license it is 25m on rifle target (
A4 sheet sized) with 4 out of 5 rounds hitting the target sheet shooting from a rifle (2 out of five for A type).
.22 Long Rifle
The .22 Long Rifle or simply .22 LR or 22 (metric designation: 5.6×15mmR) is a long-established variety of .22 caliber rimfire ammunition originating from the United States. It is used in a wide range of rifles, pistols, revolvers, smo ...
chambered rifle is used.
[''Firearms Regulation'', Section 8(1)(B),(B)] Alternatively, an applicant can shoot a pistol on 50/20 pistol target at 10 m.
***For the C type license, the applicant must fire at 25m with a rifle (same as cat. B) and also successfully hit the rifle target from the distance of 25m shooting from a shotgun (Usually double-barreled), 3 out of 4 rounds must hit the target (at least partially).
[''Firearms Regulation'', Section 8(1)(C)]
***For the E type license, the applicant must successfully hit the international pistol target 50/20 (50 cm x 50 cm) from a distance of 10m (15m for D type license) shooting from a pistol, 4 out of 5 rounds must hit the sheet (2 out of 5 for A type).
[''Firearms Regulation'', Section 8(1)(D),(E)]
** In each of the cases above, the actual score is irrelevant; the projectiles simply have to hit the target sheet within the circles.
[''Firearms Regulation'', Section 8(2)] Also in each case, the applicant is allowed 3 test shots to familiarise himself with the particular firearm used for the test. The shotgun is an exception to this, where only one round is allowed as a test shot.
[''Firearms Regulation'', Section 6(5)]
A person can obtain any combination of the types at once, but must make his selections known before the exam and the highest score needs to be met.
[''Firearms Regulation'', Section 7(2)] Typically, people obtain E and B type because these two types provide the best versatility (almost any firearm can be owned and carried concealed). The D type is required by law for members of the municipal police (members of the state police do not need a license for on-duty firearms) and does not itself permit private gun ownership (unless the person obtains at least one additional license type).
[''Firearms Act'', Section 28(3)]
Health clearance
Applicant (license holder) must be cleared by his general practitioner as being fit to possess, carry and use a firearm. The health check includes probes into the applicant's anamnesis (i.e. medical history) and a complete physical screening (including eyesight, hearing, balance). The doctor may request examination by a specialist in case he deems it necessary to exclude illnesses or handicaps stated in the respective governmental regulation. Specialist medical examination is obligatory in case of illnesses and handicaps that restrict the ability to drive a car.
[Eligibility Regulation, Section 2(2)]
Governmental Regulation No. 493/2002 Coll.
divides the listed illnesses and handicaps into four groups, covering various issues from psychological and psychiatrical to eyesight and hearing (for example, the applicant must be able to hear casual speech over distance of 6 meters to be cleared for the ''E'' type). Generally, the regulation is more permissive when it comes to the license type ''A'' and ''B'', and more strict with view to the other types, listing which illnesses and handicaps may curtail or outright prevent positive clearance by the general practitioner.
[Eligibility Regulation, Annex No. 1] The outcome of the medical examination may be either full clearance, denial, or conditional clearance that lists obligatory health accessories (glasses, hearing aid, etc.) or sets obligatory escort when armed (e.g. ''B'' – sport shooters with minor psychological issues, or with addiction habits cured more than three years prior to the health check).
[Eligibility Regulation, Section 6(2)]
Criminal integrity
The enactment specifies the amount of time that must elapse after a person is released from prison for serving time for particular groups of crimes. Ex-convicts punished for committing selected crimes, such as public endangerment, or participation in organized crime group or murder, if sentenced to more than 12 years imprisonment, may never fulfill this condition.
[''Firearms Act'', Section 22] There is a central registry of criminal offenses in the Czech Republic. The criminal integrity is reviewed notwithstanding any possible
expungement
In the common law legal system, an expungement proceeding is a type of lawsuit in which a first time offender of a prior criminal conviction seeks that the records of that earlier process be sealed or destroyed, making the records nonexistent or ...
of the records for other purposes.
[''Firearms Act'', Section 22(4)]
* After being conditionally discharged, the criminal integrity is regained after the probation period ends or in 3 years in special cases
* After serving less than 2 years or being sentenced to different kind of punishment than imprisonment, the criminal integrity is regained after 5 years
* After being sentenced for 2 to 5 years, the criminal integrity is regained after 10 years
* After being sentenced for 5 to 12 years, the criminal integrity is regained after 20 years
* After being sentenced for more than 12 years (for defined crimes, such as murder, treason, etc.) the criminal integrity is never regained.
Conditional discharge does not count, only the original sentence.
Police may order temporary seizure of firearm license and firearms in case that the holder is charged with any intentional crime, or a negligent crime connected with breach of duties relating to possession, carrying or use of firearms or ammunition.
[''Firearms Act'', Section 57(1)]
Personal reliability
A person who verifiably excessively drinks alcohol or uses illegal drugs, as well who was repeatedly found guilty of specified misdemeanors (e.g. related to firearms,
DUI, public order, etc.) in the preceding three years, is considered unreliable for the purposes of issuing a gun license. The police has the right to inquire information regarding these issues also from municipal authorities (misdemeanors are dealt with by municipal authorities and there is no central registry related to them).
[''Firearms Act'', Section 23]
Losing reliability is caused by:
* Committing a crime and being conditionally discharged, until the probation period ends.
* Excessive use of alcohol or addictive substances
* Committing multiple misdemeanors from specific segments of the law (Regarding Firearms, Explosives, Driving under influence, Czech Republic defense, public order, property and illegal hunting/fishing). Only one transgression in the last 3 years is tolerated. Other types of misdemeanors do not count to personal reliability criteria.
Police may order temporary seizure of firearm license and firearms in case that administrative proceedings against the holder are initiated for committing selected misdemeanors (e.g. carrying while intoxicated, refusing to undergo intoxication test while armed, shooting outside licensed range unless in self-defense).
Obtaining of a license by a foreigner
The law distinguishes foreigners according to their country of origin. For selected foreigners, a license is shall-issue as same as for Czech citizens, while for others it is a may-issue.
[''Firearms Act'', Section 18(3)]
*
Shall-issue
Gun laws and policies, collectively referred to as firearms regulation or gun control, regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, and use of small arms by civilians. Laws of some countries may afford civilians a right to ...
** foreigners from countries of the
EU,
European Economic Area
The European Economic Area (EEA) was established via the ''Agreement on the European Economic Area'', an international agreement which enables the extension of the European Union's single market to member states of the European Free Trade As ...
and Switzerland (in case of their being granted temporary or permanent residency, then also their family members)
** foreigners from
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
countries
** foreigners having been granted permanent residency in the Czech Republic and long-term EU residency or long-term residency in other state of EU and longterm residency in the Czech Republic (and their family members, if having been granted long-term residency)
** persons having been granted international asylum in the Czech Republic
*
May-issue
Gun laws and policies, collectively referred to as firearms regulation or gun control, regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, and use of small arms by civilians. Laws of some countries may afford civilians a right t ...
** other foreigners (no appeal possible against decision of appropriate police department to deny permit)
Foreign born residents are treated equally in the eye of Czech law (see above), but proof of a lack of criminal record in their country of origin must be provided;
[''Firearms Act'', Section 24(2)] persons having residence also in another EU country must provide documentation showing that they are allowed to own a firearm therein.
[''Firearms Act'', Section 17(5)] All the documents with the exception of the documents in Slovak must be translated into Czech by a sworn translator.
Foreigners with registered place of residence in the Czech Republic may purchase firearms after obtaining corresponding licenses and permits; persons having residence in another EU country must provide documentation showing that they are allowed to own such a firearm therein in order to be granted a permit to purchase a B category gun.
[''Firearms Act'', Section 12(4)]
The written test as well as the practical exam has to be taken in Czech. Until 31 December 2011, test-takers were allowed to use a sworn interpreter/translator, but this has since been forbidden.
Categorization
Categories of guns
Under the current gun law, guns, ammunition and some accessories are divided into four categories (these should not be mistaken with types of licenses):
A person must obtain the Gun License (Zbrojní průkaz) to be allowed to own gun of categories A, A-I, B and C.
[''Firearms Act'', Sections 9-14] To own a gun in the D category only the age of 18 is required.
[''Firearms Act'', Section 15] A, A-I, B, C and C-I category weapon has to be registered within 10 working day with the police after it is bought.
[''Firearms Act'', Section 42(1)]
Other
Obtaining firearms
![Cz75](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Cz75.jpg)
A, A-I, B and C category of firearms may be acquired and possessed only by gun license holders and their transfer must be registered with police within 10 days. A-category firearms may be acquired only for collecting purposes and are subject to may-issue exemption. Each of A-I and B category firearm is subject to shall-issue permitting process. C category firearms can be purchased by any gun license holder.
C-I category of firearms may be acquired and possessed by a person older than 18, with full legal capacity, place of residence in the Czech Republic, without conviction for selected felonies, full mental capacity. Transfer must be registered with police within 10 days.
D category fiearms are available to anyone older than 18 and are not subject to registration.
There is no limit in the law on the number of owned guns. The law specifies
safe storage requirements for those owning more than two weapons or more than 500 rounds of ammunition. Additional safe storage requirements are stipulated for those owning more than 10 and more than 20 firearms.
[''Firearms Act'', Section 58(2)]
Possession of a firearm that does not belong to category D or C-I without a gun license (as well as sale, manufacturing, procurement, etc.) is a criminal offense which carries a penalty of up to two years imprisonment (up to eight years in defined cases).
Using firearms and shooting ranges
Shooting is permitted only within licensed shooting ranges or when allowed by special laws, e.g. hunting or self-defense.
[''Firearms Act'', Section 28-5]
Shooting of blank rounds or signal weapons is also permitted in case that it does not threaten life, health and public order.
There are about two hundred places opened for the public. Any adult can visit such a range and shoot from available weapons. A person without a gun license has to be supervised (if younger than 18, then by a person at least 21 years old who has been a holder of a gun license for at least 3 years).
[''Firearms Act'', Section 59(4)]
Rules on open and concealed carry
Rules on carrying of firearms underwent general overhaul on 30 January 2021, allowing more flexibility for open carry of firearms during special events when open carry is considered customary, e.g. military re-enactment (including movement of units in historical uniforms between reenactment locations) and sports (e.g. biathlon).
* ''Permitless carry''
** Concealed carry: Firearms of D and C-I category (e.g. black powder derringer or gas pistol) must be carried in concealed manner.
** Open carry: Similar rules as in case of gun license holders below.
* ''A, B, C type gun license holders'':
[''Firearms Act'', Section 29(4)]
** General rule: Firearms must be transported unloaded and in closed container.
** Open carry in publicly accessibly areas is possible in case that all of the following conditions are met:
*** firearm is unloaded, and
*** it is done within context of conducting activity that includes shooting or similar handling of firearms and ammunition, the rules of which permit gun license holder to open carry of a firearm, and
*** it is permitted as regards the chosen means of transport; when using public transport, a firearm must always be within a closed container, and
*** it may be considered appropriate under local conditions and within given activity, and
*** it does not disturb public order.
** Open carry of loaded long firearm is also possible within hunting areas.
* ''D, E type gun license holders'':
[''Firearms Act'', Section 28]
** Concealed carry: Up to two firearms (loaded, with a round chambered).
** Open carry within privately owned premises: The Firearms Act defines having a firearm within "''residential or commercial premises or within clearly demarcated real estate with the consent of the owner or tenant of said premises or real estate''" as possession, not carrying within the legal meaning of the term. As such, owners or tenants of clearly demarcated privatly owned, publicly accessible properties may allow factual open carry within their premises.
* ''D type gun license holders working for Municipal Police or Czech National Bank while on duty'':
** Open carry: Up to two firearms (loaded, with a round chambered).
It is prohibited to carry or transport a firearm with silencer installed.
[''Firearms Act'', Section 29(3)(e)]
Carrying firearm while intoxicated is illegal and can lead to heavy fines and loss of the gun license.
[''Firearms Act'', Section 76a, 57] Police often conduct intoxication tests of open-carrying hunters.
The law does not include any "gun-free zones" provisions, apart from general prohibition of firearm carry during protests and demonstrations.
Public authorities that enact and practically enforce ban on firearm carrying within their premises are legally bound to provide option for storing a short firearm upon entry (either in a safe compliant with the Firearms Act or with a police officer).
[''Firearms Act'', Section 29a]
The Czech Republic is a relatively safe country: Prague, with the highest crime rate in the country, still ranks as one of the safest capitals in the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...
. Considering the number of E type licenses issued, there are about 240,000 people who could potentially carry a firearm; however, it is not clear how many regularly do so.
Ammunition and magazine restrictions
![Hollow Point](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Hollow_Point.JPG)
Ammunition may be purchased only by a gun license holder. Owners of historical firearms (D - category) can also purchase ammunition suitable for their firearm without a gun license.
High-penetrating (
armor-piercing
Armour-piercing ammunition (AP) is a type of projectile designed to penetrate either body armour or vehicle armour.
From the 1860s to 1950s, a major application of armour-piercing projectiles was to defeat the thick armour carried on many wars ...
) ammunition is classified as category A.
[''Firearms Act'', Section 4]
Hollow point bullets for use in short firearms are classified in A-I category and available subject to shall-issue exemption permit. For use in long firearms, hollow point bullets are treated the same as other types of ammunition.
[''Firearms Act'', Section 4a]
There are no restrictions on caliber type, however firearms with caliber larger than 20mm (apart from signal weapons) are classified as category A. Special safe storage requirements apply for those having more than 500, 10,000 and 20,000 bullets.
A January 2021 amendment of the Firearms Act necessitated by the
EU Gun Ban introduced "over-the-limit" magazines, i.e. those holding more than 10/20 rounds for use in long/short firearms. These may be used in a B category firearm subject to shall issue exemption permit; previous owners were
grandfathered
A grandfather clause, also known as grandfather policy, grandfathering, or grandfathered in, is a provision in which an old rule continues to apply to some existing situations while a new rule will apply to all future cases. Those exempt from t ...
.
[''Firearms Act'', Section 11b]
Armament licences
Gun licences equivalent for conducting business with firearms. Divided into 11 types.
* A – Development or manufacturing of firearms/ammunition
* B – Repairs, modifications or deactivation of firearms/ammunition
* C – Firearms/ammunition buying and selling
* D – Lending and safekeeping of firearms/ammunition
* E – Deactivation or destruction of weapons/ammunition
* F – Training in handling and using firearms/ammunition
* G – Providing security for persons/property.
* H – Cultural, sports and hobby shooting activities.
* I – Collecting and displaying firearms/ammunition
* J – Securing tasks defined by special legal enactments.
* K – Pyrotechnical Survey (replaced F type gun licence in 2017)
Self defense with firearms
![Defensive gun use training - Prague Cech Republic](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Defensive_gun_use_training_-_Prague_Cech_Republic.jpg)
There are three main concepts in Czech law which exclude criminal & civil liability based on self-defense.
"Utmost necessity" (''krajní nouze'') may be invoked against a danger other than an attack by another person, such as a raging dog.
"Necessary self defense" (''nutná obrana'') may be invoked against attack by another person, be it a direct assault or a dog ordered to attack. The third concept is called "eligible use of a gun" (''oprávněné užití zbraně'') and generally may not be invoked by civilians, but rather by police or other officers.
Czech law does not include specific provisions regarding self-defense with use of a weapon. Same rules apply in case of unarmed defense or defense with any type of weapon. The Ministry of the Interior officially recommends carrying non-lethal weapons such as pepper sprays, paralyzers, or
gas pistol
A gas pistol is a non-lethal weapon used for self-defense and other purposes. It is typically a close-to-exact replica or conversion of a traditional handgun made to be able to fire blanks or tear gas cartridges. Effective range is up to 4.5 met ...
s as means of self-defense.
To keep and bear arms for personal protection, Czech citizens must first obtain a
shall-issue
Gun laws and policies, collectively referred to as firearms regulation or gun control, regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, and use of small arms by civilians. Laws of some countries may afford civilians a right to ...
license.
A number of successful defensive uses of firearms or other weapon is being cleared as legitimate self-defense by authorities every year without raising wider public concern, including for example a 2014 shooting of an attacker by a bartender in Hořovice, or a 2014 shooting of an aggressive burglar in a garage by homeowner in
Čimice
Prague has a local-government structure of two or three tiers, depending on the area of town. At the top is the Magistrate of the Capital City of Prague ( cs, Magistrát hlavního města Prahy), which is responsible for public transport; waste coll ...
. However, some cases become rather notable, see
Self-defence (Czech Republic)#Defensive gun use cases.
Popularity of guns
![PAR MK3 Rifle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/PAR_MK3_Rifle.jpg)
Given that firearms possession was banned during German Nazi occupation and then allowed only to those deemed loyal during the Communist regime, the right to be armed is seen as one of attributes of liberty in the country . A rapid rise of criminality involving illegal firearms following the Velvet Revolution led to an associated fast rise in legal firearms ownership in the country in the 1990s. By 2001, some 3% of the population possessed firearms licenses. The number of license holders fell slightly from this point (faster as regards C licenses, while E licenses remained mostly level) until the 2015 EU Gun Ban Proposal, from which point the number of license holders began to rise again (mostly E licenses).
The police recorded a tripling of average monthly applications for firearms licenses by the end of 2015 compared to the beginning of that year.
While the number of license holders started to rise gradually, firearm sales rose even faster in 2015, mostly prompted by the EU efforts to restrict law abiding citizens' access to firearms. Average annual rise in the number of registered firearms amounted to 14,500 guns between 2006 and 2014, there were 54,508 new registered firearms in 2015 alone.
Local tendencies generally follow the nationwide trend, however any worsening of security in any given district is often followed by a sharp rise in gun ownership therein. For example, in 2011, after a wave of racially motivated against majority population victims, there was a rise of gun ownership in
Šluknov Hook area.
250,342 out of 307,372 (2020) gun owners have self-defense licenses, which permit them to carry concealed firearms for protection (any B or C category firearm, not only pistols). Following a wave of terror attacks around Europe, a number of politicians as well as security professionals started urging gun owners to actually carry firearms in order to be able to contribute to
soft targets protection. These included, among many others, the President
Miloš Zeman
Miloš Zeman (; born 28 September 1944) is a Czech politician serving as the third and current President of the Czech Republic since 2013. He previously served as the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic from 1998 to 2002. As leader of the Cze ...
, whose own wife obtained E license and a revolver, as well as Libor Lochman, Chief of
URNA
In Buddhist art and culture, the Urna (more correctly ūrṇā or ūrṇākośa (Pāli uṇṇa), and known as in Chinese) is a spiral or circular dot placed on the forehead of Buddhist images as an auspicious mark. It symbolizes a third eye, ...
, the country's main special forces anti-terrorism unit. While there are no statistics as regards how many E license holder actually do carry firearms in general, there are places known for high concealed carry rate, such as
Prague Jewish Quarter.
Unlike elsewhere in Europe, there is a relatively high proportion of semi-automatic firearms in the country, which are generally considered better suited for self-defense. The most owned firearms in the country are CZ 75 Compact and Glock 17.
Other popular guns include
1911
A notable ongoing event was the Comparison of the Amundsen and Scott Expeditions, race for the South Pole.
Events January
* January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory ...
clones and semi-automatic rifles made by Czech manufacturers, especially
vz. 58 and
AR-15
An AR-15-style rifle is any lightweight semi-automatic rifle based on the Colt AR-15 design. The original ArmaLite AR-15 is a scaled-down derivative of Eugene Stoner's ArmaLite AR-10 design. The then Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporatio ...
(of which there are ). There are relatively fewer
revolvers, mostly from US manufacturers such as
Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (S&W) is an American firearm manufacturer headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States.
Smith & Wesson was founded by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson as the "Smith & Wesson Revolver Company" in 1856 ...
and
Colt, or Czech producers
ALFA and Kora.
Incidents and gun crimes
![Crimes_in_the_Czech_Republic_by_weapon_type](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Crimes_in_the_Czech_Republic_by_weapon_type.png)
It is generally not common for licensed gun owners to commit violent crimes with their guns, and most of the gun crimes are committed with illegal weapons that are beyond the control of the law. Annually, police investigate about 500 cases of illegal arming (with or without direct connection to committing other crime).
Police recorded 45 violent crimes (most of them, 17, being "dangerous threats" and 6 homicides - including attempts, mostly intra-family) being committed with legal firearms (A,B,C category) in 2016, down from 71 in 2014 and 51 in 2015 respectively. Meanwhile, illegally possessed firearms (A,B,C category) were used in 71 violent crimes (9 murders) in 2016. When resorting to use of firearms, perpetrators mostly utilize non-lethal free-to-buy D category weapons (see above) that resemble real guns, with 906 such crimes taking place in 2016.
Apart from simple threats, the most common crime committed with firearms is robbery. Out of 1.500 robberies recorded in 2016, 153 took place with use of D category free-to-buy non-lethal weapons, 24 with illegally possessed firearms and 3 with legally possessed firearms (out of over 900,000 legally owned firearms).
It is important to note that Czech police records completed and attempted homicides in the same category. The total number of people shot dead (homicides, police action, self defense), without distinction of legal or illegal source of gun, is recorded by CZSO. CZSO recorded 7 gun related assault deaths in 2016, 9 in 2017 and 5 in 2018.
In 2018, police recorded three homicides with legally held firearms including attempts of which one was subsequently ruled self defense and the other was ruled manslaughter with only a probation sentence, leaving a single criminal murder.
Overall, legally held firearms are implicated in about 3.5% of murders including attempts while 7% of the adult male population owns one (adult males are responsible for about 90% of murders in the Czech Republic).
Occasionally, crimes with legally owned guns do happen. The most notable examples include:
* 2001 shooting of three policemen who were called by a woman claiming she was being attacked by her husband. On the scene, the policemen were negotiating with the husband who was threatening to commit suicide with his legally owned .38 revolver. When the situation seemed about to be peacefully solved, the hysteric wife ran into the room. The husband thereafter shot three policemen (two mortally) and committed suicide.
* 2005 ''"Forest Killer"'', who was planning to go on a killing spree in
Prague Metro. As part of his preparation, the former policeman randomly murdered two hikers in a forest and another person four days later in another forest about 200 km from the first killing with his legally owned Glock. Police captured Kalivoda a week later, thus preventing further murders. Kalivoda was sentenced to life imprisonment. While in prison, he committed suicide in 2010. Being a former policeman, Kalivoda had passed a difficult psychological evaluation as part of the police selection procedure.
* 2013
Raškovice shooting, where a 31-year-old schoolteacher invaded house of one of his students, aged 17, with whom he had allegedly been previously intimately involved, and shot the student and her grandparents, using various legally owned firearms (with caliber .22, .38 and .45). The perpetrator had passed psychological evaluation ordered by his general practitioner before getting gun license. He was sentenced to 27 years imprisonment.
* 2015
Uherský Brod shooting, the second mass murder committed with a firearm in the country's peacetime history, in which a deranged individual murdered 8 people (same death toll as Olga Hepnarová's
1973 vehicular murder). He was a holder of a gun license and legally owned both of the guns he used in the shooting. Previously, he and his wife committed misdemeanors against public order, which would have allowed police to revoke his license.
The first mass murder with use of a firearm in modern (post 1993) Czech history happened in 2009 in Petřvald with four victims and the third happened in
2019 in Ostrava with seven people shot dead; both were committed with illegally held handguns.
General attitudes to guns
![Bekanntmachung cz](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Bekanntmachung_cz.jpg)
Many businessmen felt the need to obtain a firearm because the times shortly after the
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution ( cs, Sametová revoluce) or Gentle Revolution ( sk, Nežná revolúcia) was a non-violent transition of power in what was then Czechoslovakia, occurring from 17 November to 28 November 1989. Popular demonstrations agains ...
are known for the rise in organized crime often related to the economic transformation in the early 1990s.
Due to falling crime rates, fewer people felt the need to carry a firearm for protection after 2000. This trend however changed in 2015 following the
European migrant crisis
The 2015 European migrant crisis, also known internationally as the Syrian refugee crisis, was a period of significantly increased movement of refugees and migrants into Europe in 2015, when 1.3 million people came to the continent to reques ...
and
November 2015 Paris attacks. Gun advocacy groups argue that there is no point in banning guns because criminals will get guns no matter how tight the law is.
At the same time, however, the rules are deemed to be restrictive enough to prevent criminals from easily obtaining firearms, while allowing upstanding citizens to own them for personal protection. For example, in 2010, Norwegian terrorist
Anders Breivik, incited by a
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
documentary which described Prague as "being the most important transit site point for illicit weapons in Europe",
.
That Czech Republic has a strong tradition in firearms manufacturing and competition shooting contributes to generally moderate attitude to gun control.
About a fifth of members of the Czech Parliament are holders of gun license; some of them are believed to conceal carry also within the parliament grounds (parliamentarians are not required to pass gun check on entry unlike other staff or visitors).
s, batons or electrical paralyzers. These items can be freely bought and carried.
Similarly as in the case of firearms, it is prohibited to carry these weapons to court buildings, demonstrations and mass meetings.
The Ministry of the Interior officially recommends carrying non-lethal weapons such as pepper sprays, paralyzers, or
The Czech penal code defines "weapon" as "''anything that may make an attack against the person more severe''". Although there are no restrictions on possession and carrying of weapons, their use in commission of a crime is punishable by stiffer sentences. For example, blackmail carries six months to four years imprisonment, but blackmail with a weapon carries four to eight years imprisonment.