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Craft trades – conditions and disciplines

People performing manual work in the form of various crafts need a trade licence. However, this trade cannot be set up by just anyone. In order to practice it, several conditions must be met. In our article, we will tell you what these conditions are and what activities are included in a craft trade.

7 minutes of reading

Chapters of the article

What is a trade

A trade is a self-employed activity that an entrepreneur carries out on his own responsibility and for profit. It is governed mainly by the Trade Licensing Act, which defines the conditions for starting, operating and closing a trade. A person who is a sole trader is called a self-employed person (self-employed) and is a natural person, not a legal person.

There are two groups of trades – notifiable and licensed. Three other types of trades fall under reporting trades: free, craft and bound trades. In this article we will focus on the craft trades.

Tip: We have discussed other types of trades in our next article.

How to get a trade licence

To get a trade licence, you will either have to go to the trade office in person or apply for a trade licence online.

Trade Licensing Office

If you are planning to apply for a trade licence in person, then you will need to bring a few basic documents with you :

  • ID card to verify your identity.
  • A completed uniform registration form, which is the basis for applying for a trade.
  • If you want to have a place of business other than your permanent residence, then you will need a land registry extract proving ownership of the property or a lease agreement for the property.
  • Proof of your qualifications (e.g. school leaving certificate, certificate of passing a qualification exam, etc.)
  • Registration fee of 1000 CZK.

The trade in this case is established immediately. At the Trade Licensing Office, you will receive an extract from the Trade Register with your identification number (IČO) immediately upon registration.

Tip: Would you like to become a craftsman but don’t have the qualifications? Have you considered retraining? The Job Centre can be a big help. It can save you tens of thousands on retraining courses. You can find out exactly how this works in our article on the topic: The Job Centre’s offer of retraining.

Trade online

An online trade is usually a more convenient option. However, in this case, you will have to wait about a week for your application to be processed. The procedure is simple:

  1. You fill in the uniform registration form and send it electronically via data box or by post to the address of the trade office. Along with this, you will also submit evidence of your qualifications, and, if necessary, documents approving your place of business (a land registry extract or a lease agreement).
  2. You will receive an extract from the trade register with your registration number in about a week.

Do you need legal assistance in your trade?

Contact an Affordable Advocate. We will review your case and draft legal services to resolve it within 24 hours. Then, if you decide to put it in our hands, you get the drafting free of charge.

Conditions for setting up a craft business

Craft trades are regulated activities. This means that in addition to the general conditions (legal capacity and good character), you are required to have professional competence (i.e. education in the field, a related field or experience) to practice it.

The conditions imposed on a trade exist because it is an activity that simply cannot be carried out by just anyone. Otherwise, it would not be possible to ensure the quality and safety of the services or products provided. You can therefore only practise a trade if you really understand the field. You must prove this by education or experience or by providing professional supervision.

Specifically, you must meet one of the following conditions:

  • You must have duly completed secondary education with a diploma in the relevant field or a related field and one year’s experience.
  • You must have duly completed secondary education with a school-leaving certificate in the relevant field of education or vocational training courses in the relevant field or a related field and one year’s experience.
  • Have a duly completed higher vocational education in the relevant field or in a related field and one year’s experience.
  • Have completed upper secondary education in a relevant field of study or a related field and one year’s work experience.
  • Have a recognised professional qualification.
  • Have successfully completed retraining for a relevant occupational activity with accreditation from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, or retraining in a related field and one year’s experience in the field.
  • Have six years’ experience in the field.

For cases where you have neither experience nor education, there is still the option of a responsible representative.

Tip: Trade or job? Try both! What are the advantages of such a combination and what can get in your way of doing business? Find out in our article.

How a responsible representative for a trade works

A responsible representative is a person who fulfils the conditions to practice your trade. You choose this person yourself. The responsible person is responsible for the proper operation of the trade and for ensuring that the trade regulations are complied with. The relationship between the representative and the represented person must be contractually regulated. It is up to you to decide what conditions you put into the contract, including the remuneration for the work of the responsible representative. You might as well get your own Mr. Lawrence to drive around your shop with a beer in his hand. Also, you cannot be appointed to act as a responsible representative for more than four businesses.

Tip: Do you need to contractually manage the relationship with your responsible representative? We will be happy to prepare a contract for you or review an existing one.

You are obliged to notify the Trade Licensing Office within 15 days of the appointment of the responsible representative and the termination of his/her function. The responsible representative can then perform his/her duties from the date of appointment (provided that he/she meets all the conditions). If the responsible representative does not perform his/her duties or does not meet the conditions, you must appoint a new responsible representative within 15 days at the latest.

In our practice we met Mr Novák, who has set up a business in the butchery sector. However, he did not have the necessary education or experience, so he invited a responsible representative to help him. However, he did not do his job as he should have and did not alert Mr Novák to the errors in the hygiene regulations. As a result, Mr Novák was fined. Fortunately, however, he contacted an Accessible Advocate. We advised him that this was misconduct by the responsible representative and secured compensation for Mr Novák.

Trade – list of trades

Finally, let’s take a look at the list of activities that fall under the craft trade. As the name suggests, these are craft trades based on manual labour. Specifically, these include:

  • Butchery and sausage making
  • Dairying
  • Milling
  • Bakery, confectionery
  • Brewing and malting
  • Leather and fur processing
  • Application, manufacture and repair of orthopaedic footwear
  • Glass grinding and etching
  • Rubber compounding
  • Stone processing
  • Foundry, modelling
  • Blacksmithing, horseshoeing
  • Machining
  • Locksmithing, toolmaking
  • Electroplating, enamelling
  • Manufacture, installation, repair of electrical machinery and apparatus, electronic and telecommunications equipment
  • Watchmaking
  • Goldsmithing and jewellery making
  • Carpentry, flooring
  • Manufacture and repair of musical instruments
  • Repair of other transport equipment and working machines
  • Bricklaying
  • Installation, repair, revision and testing of electrical equipment
  • Installation, repair and reconstruction of refrigeration equipment and heat pumps
  • Plumbing, heating
  • Installation, repair, revision and testing of gas equipment and filling of gas containers
  • Installation, repair, revision and testing of pressure equipment and gas vessels
  • Installation, repair, revision and testing of lifting equipment
  • Insulation
  • Painting, varnishing, coating
  • Roofing, carpentry
  • Plumbing and body repair
  • Stonemasonry
  • Repair of road vehicles
  • Barber, hairdresser
  • Dyeing and chemical treatment of textiles
  • Cleaning and washing of textiles and clothing
  • Chimney sweeping
  • Catering
  • Cosmetic services
  • Pedicure, manicure

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Author of the article

JUDr. Ondřej Preuss, Ph.D.

Ondřej is the attorney who came up with the idea of providing legal services online. He's been earning his living through legal services for more than 10 years. He especially likes to help clients who may have given up hope in solving their legal issues at work, for example with real estate transfers or copyright licenses.

Education
  • Law, Ph.D, Pf UK in Prague
  • Law, L’université Nancy-II, Nancy
  • Law, Master’s degree (Mgr.), Pf UK in Prague
  • International Territorial Studies (Bc.), FSV UK in Prague

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