A trade licence proves you're a registered business. It doesn't prove you're good, or safe, at the specific job in front of a customer right now.
That distinction is invisible to a lot of tradespeople, because they've never had to think about it. For a customer, especially one who doesn't know the Czech trade system at all, it's exactly the thing that decides whether they trust you immediately, or not at all.
Key Takeaways
- Anyone can verify a trade licence for free at rzp.gov.cz, but for a free trade (volná živnost) it confirms registration, not any specific skill
- Since 1 July 2022, electrical work falls under Government Regulation 194/2022 Sb., which replaced the old 1978 rules and reduced nine qualification levels to five
- Gas equipment was governed by a 1979 regulation, repealed the same year and replaced by Government Regulations 191/2022 and 192/2022 Sb.
- Liability insurance isn't legally required for most trades, but it's available from roughly 300 CZK a year and reads as a genuine trust signal
What does a trade licence actually prove?
A trade register extract, free at rzp.gov.cz or through ARES, confirms you're a registered business and what type of trade licence you hold: free, craft, bound, or licensed. For a free trade (volná živnost), which covers general handyman work, it confirms registration, not any specific skill.
That's the distinction most customers never learn. General trade work, shelving, drilling, painting, can legally be done by anyone holding a free trade licence, with no proof of skill required at all. Electrical and gas work sit in a completely different legal category.
What changed for electrical work in 2022?
Since 1 July 2022, Government Regulation 194/2022 Sb. has governed electrical qualifications, replacing the old 1978 rules and reducing nine qualification levels down to five.
In practice, that means any certificate referencing only the old 1978 regulation no longer reflects current rules. If you renewed your qualification after mid-2022, you should hold a certificate under the new regulation. A customer checking whether your qualification is current can ask exactly that: whether it's issued under Government Regulation 194/2022 Sb.
What about gas and heating work?
Gas equipment was governed by a 1979 regulation, repealed the same year, 2022, and replaced by Government Regulations 191/2022 and 192/2022 Sb.
There's also an important distinction between roles: a heating technician can install and connect gas equipment, but only a certified inspection technician holding a certificate from the Technical Inspection of the Czech Republic (TIČR) can issue an inspection. If you do both, installation and inspection, both credentials are worth having visibly on hand.
Do I need liability insurance?
Liability insurance isn't legally required for general trades, that obligation applies only to specific regulated professions like doctors, architects, or auditors. For a general tradesperson, though, it's available from roughly 300 CZK a year.
Even though it's not required, it's worth mentioning in your profile. It covers damage to health and property as well as legal representation costs, and the premium is a tax-deductible expense. For a customer who has no other way to judge your reliability, it's one of the simplest signals that you take the work seriously.
How do you actually show all of this to a customer, especially an expat?
A customer who doesn't know the Czech trade system can't tell the difference between a trade register extract and a professional qualification certificate unless you explain it plainly. A regulation number means nothing to them. A plain-language sentence does.
Instead of "qualified under NV 194/2022 Sb.," try something like "currently qualified under the latest 2022 electrical safety rules" in your profile. Add a photo of the certificate, a link to your own rzp.gov.cz record, and a few photos of finished work. This is exactly what many expat customers look for, not the lowest price, but clear, verifiable trust.
You don't need to speak or write English to show any of this. On a platform like Tool Connect, you build your profile entirely in Czech and it's shown to the customer in English, automatically, in both directions.
Build a profile a customer trusts at first glance
A complete profile on Tool Connect, with photos of finished work, a plainly explained qualification, and a link to your own trade register record, does most of this work for you automatically.
Build your profile in Czech, it's translated to English for customers automatically, and every conversation is translated in both directions, so you never need English yourself. For the full picture on how a customer finds you in the first place, see our guide on how to get more jobs as a tradesperson.
Set up your profile at tool-connect.com.
FAQ
Is it enough to show a customer my trade licence?
Not always. For a free trade, general handyman work, yes. For electrical or gas work, a customer is right to expect a professional qualification certificate as well, since the trade licence alone says nothing about that specific competence.
Is the old 1978 electrical regulation still valid?
No. Since 1 July 2022, Government Regulation 194/2022 Sb. replaced it, and also reduced the number of qualification levels from nine to five.
Who can inspect a gas installation?
Only a certified inspection technician holding a certificate from the Technical Inspection of the Czech Republic (TIČR). A heating technician who installs the equipment doesn't necessarily hold the authority to issue an inspection.
Do I need liability insurance?
Not legally, unless you're in one of the specific regulated professions. For a general trade, it's available from roughly 300 CZK a year and gives a customer another reason to trust you.
How do I verify my own or someone else's trade licence?
For free at rzp.gov.cz or through ARES, just enter a name or company number (IČO). The result appears instantly and can be downloaded as a PDF.
Sources and Data
| Data point | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| New electrical qualification rules | Government Regulation 194/2022 Sb., replaced Regulation 50/1978 Sb. | Government Regulation 194/2022 Sb. |
| Effective date for electrical rules | 1 July 2022 | Government Regulation 194/2022 Sb. |
| Qualification levels reduced | From 9 to 5 | Government Regulation 194/2022 Sb. |
| New gas equipment rules | Government Regulations 191/2022 and 192/2022 Sb., replaced Regulation 21/1979 Sb. | Government Regulations 191/2022, 192/2022 Sb. |
| Gas inspection certification issuer | Technical Inspection of the Czech Republic (TIČR) | TIČR |
| Liability insurance requirement | Mandatory only for specific regulated professions, not general trades | Czech insurance industry guidance, 2026 |
| Liability insurance starting cost | From roughly 300 CZK per year | Czech insurance industry guidance, 2026 |
| Foreign nationals living in Czechia | Over 1 million | Czech Statistical Office |