Conducting voluntary auctions of movable property
Field of activity No. 15 under the Trade Licensing Act.
What you need: Specific expertise set by law (education, experience, certification).
- Vázaná živnost
- Field No. 15
- See conditions below
- 8 activity examples
A regulated trade authorising the holding of public auctions of a voluntary nature. From 1 January 2025 this trade bears the name "Conducting public auctions with the exception of forced auctions" and is governed by the new Act No. 250/2023 Coll., on public auctions (the original Act No. 26/2000 Coll. was repealed). It now also covers auctions of both movable and immovable property. It requires documenting professional qualification under Annex 2 to the Trade Licensing Act; the licence arises on the day of notification.
Professional qualification under Annex 2 to the Trade Licensing Act for the trade "Conducting public auctions with the exception of forced auctions" – it is sufficient to meet one of the options:
a) university education, or
b) higher professional education and 1 year of practice in auction or real estate activity, or
c) secondary education with a school-leaving (maturita) examination and 2 years of practice in auction or real estate activity, or
d) a retraining certificate or other proof of professional qualification for the relevant work activity issued by an institution accredited under special legal regulations, an institution accredited by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, or by a ministry within whose competence falls the sector in which the trade is operated, and 4 years of practice in auction or real estate activity, or
e) a certificate of obtaining the professional qualification Auctioneer under Act No. 179/2006 Coll., on the recognition of further education results, or
f) documents under Section 7(5)(j), (k), (l) or (m) of the Trade Licensing Act (recognition of professional qualifications obtained in another EU Member State).
The professional qualification may be proved through a responsible representative under Section 11 of the Trade Licensing Act if the entrepreneur does not meet it; one person may be a responsible representative for no more than four entrepreneurs.
Examples of activities
- Preparing and organising a public auction of a voluntary nature at the proposal of the owner (the proposer)
- Concluding a contract for conducting a public auction with the proposer and drawing up the auction notice
- Publishing the auction notice in the central register of public auctions
- Estimating the price and setting the lowest bid for the auctioned movable and immovable property
- Conducting the auction itself (the bidding) and concluding the purchase contract by the fall of the hammer
- Conducting electronic auctions through an electronic auction system
- Drawing up the record of the successful bid, the log of the electronic auction and the confirmation of conclusion of the purchase contract by the fall of the hammer
- Auction of works of art, collectors' collections, machinery, equipment and real estate in the form of a public auction of a voluntary nature
What the trade is and what it is for
This trade entitles an entrepreneur to act as an auctioneer and to organise public auctions of a voluntary nature. A public auction is understood to mean an auction in which the auctioneer addresses, at a predetermined place, an unspecified group of persons with a call to submit bids in order to conclude a purchase contract (or a contract for a future purchase contract) with the person who, under the specified conditions, submits the best bid; the item is sold to that person by the so-called fall of the hammer.
Important change from 1 January 2025: This trade was previously called "Conducting voluntary auctions of movable property under the Act on public auctions" and applied only to movable property. By the new Act No. 250/2023 Coll., on public auctions (which from 1 January 2025 replaced the repealed Act No. 26/2000 Coll.), it was renamed "Conducting public auctions with the exception of forced auctions" and now also covers auctions of movable and immovable property. Existing trade licences for the original trade are by law deemed to be licences for this new regulated trade (transitional provisions). The term "voluntary auction" was replaced by the term "public auction" and "involuntary auction" by the term "forced auction".
This is a regulated trade included in Annex 2 to the Trade Licensing Act, for which the professional qualification must be documented. The activity is governed in particular by Act No. 250/2023 Coll., on public auctions, which regulates the rights and obligations of the auctioneer, the proposer and the participants in the auction.
What falls under this trade (and what does not)
The trade covers the complete organisation and conduct of a public auction with the exception of forced auctions, namely of both movable and immovable property: concluding a contract for conducting a public auction with the proposer, arranging the announcement of the auction by an auction notice, publishing the auction notice in the central register of public auctions, the bidding itself, drawing up the record of the successful bid and the confirmation of conclusion of the purchase contract by the fall of the hammer. Auctions may also be conducted electronically through an electronic auction system.
The boundaries with neighbouring activities:
- This trade does not cover forced (formerly involuntary) auctions. For those there is a separate licensed (concession) trade "Conducting forced auctions" (Annex 3 to the Trade Licensing Act). A forced auction is a public auction in which the proposer is an auction creditor with an enforceable claim.
- Auctions (public auctions) in the field of securities are not the subject of this trade.
- Auctions within the enforcement of a decision and execution proceedings under the Code of Civil Procedure or the Enforcement Code are conducted by courts and bailiffs, not by an auctioneer on the basis of this trade.
- Ordinary sale of goods or commission sale without the form of a public auction falls under an unqualified (free) trade, not here.
Statutory conditions for obtaining the trade
To notify the trade you must meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act – full legal capacity and a clean criminal record. The Trade Licensing Office verifies the clean criminal record itself by an extract from the Criminal Records register.
Furthermore, you must document the professional qualification under Annex 2 to the Trade Licensing Act. It is sufficient to meet one of these options:
| Option | Education / qualification | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| a) | university education | no practice required |
| b) | higher professional education | 1 year in auction or real estate activity |
| c) | secondary education with a school-leaving (maturita) examination | 2 years in auction or real estate activity |
| d) | a retraining certificate / proof of professional qualification from an accredited institution (or an institution accredited by the Ministry of Education or the relevant ministry) | 4 years in auction or real estate activity |
| e) | a certificate of obtaining the professional qualification Auctioneer under Act No. 179/2006 Coll. | no practice required |
| f) | documents under Section 7(5)(j), (k), (l) or (m) of the Trade Licensing Act (recognition of a qualification from another EU Member State) | as per recognition |
If you do not meet the professional qualification yourself, you may prove it through a responsible representative under Section 11 of the Trade Licensing Act – that is, a person who meets the conditions and is responsible for the proper operation of the trade. One person may be a responsible representative for no more than four entrepreneurs.
How to notify or obtain the trade step by step
- Fill in the Unified Registration Form (URF) for notifying the trade.
- Submit it at any municipal Trade Licensing Office (the central registration point), electronically via the rzp.gov.cz portal, or through Czech POINT or a data box.
- Document the documents proving professional qualification (diploma, certificate, retraining certificate or certificate of the professional qualification Auctioneer, proof of practice in auction or real estate activity); when appointing a responsible representative, also their documents and declaration.
- Pay the administrative fee – CZK 1,000 for the notification, or CZK 800 for electronic filing.
- Arising of the licence – the trade licence arises on the day of notification; the office makes the entry in the Trade Register and issues an extract usually within 5 working days.
You can find the detailed procedure in the guide How to start a trade.
Documents and fees
- A completed Unified Registration Form (URF).
- Proof of identity.
- Documents on professional qualification (education, possibly proof of practice in auction or real estate activity, a retraining certificate or certificate of the professional qualification Auctioneer).
- When appointing a responsible representative, their documents and a written declaration.
- An administrative fee of CZK 1,000 (notification) / CZK 800 (electronic filing).
- A clean criminal record is not documented – the office verifies it by an extract from the Criminal Records register.
Frequently asked questions
Under what name does the trade operate today?
From 1 January 2025 this regulated trade bears the name "Conducting public auctions with the exception of forced auctions". The original name "Conducting voluntary auctions of movable property under the Act on public auctions" was repealed together with Act No. 26/2000 Coll.; Act No. 250/2023 Coll. now applies. If you hold an older licence, it is by law deemed to be a licence for the new trade.
Can I auction real estate on the basis of this trade?
Yes. Unlike the earlier regulation, the trade now also applies to movable and immovable property. A separate licence solely for real estate is no longer needed.
Do I need a special permit for each auction?
For holding public auctions of a voluntary nature, this trade licence is sufficient; individual auctions are not approved separately. It is, however, always necessary to follow the procedure under Act No. 250/2023 Coll. (a contract for conducting the auction, an auction notice, publication in the central register of public auctions, etc.).
What if I do not have the required education or practice?
You may operate the trade through a responsible representative under Section 11 of the Trade Licensing Act who meets the professional qualification. Alternatively, the qualification can be documented by the professional qualification Auctioneer under Act No. 179/2006 Coll.
How quickly can I start doing business?
The licence arises on the day of notification, so you can begin the activity immediately after meeting the conditions and submitting the notification. The office makes the entry in the register usually within 5 working days.
Can the qualification be substituted by practice alone, as with a craft trade?
No. For a regulated trade, the professional qualification is laid down directly in Annex 2 and cannot be substituted by mere general practice – you must always meet one of the specifically listed options (a combination of education and practice in auction or real estate activity, a professional qualification, or recognition of a qualification from the EU).