Repair and maintenance of household goods, objects of cultural value, fine mechanics products, optical instruments and measuring devices

The unqualified (free) trade (field No. 77) covers the repair and maintenance of household goods, objects of cultural value, fine mechanics products, optical instruments and measuring devices. Among other things, it includes the sharpening of knives and scissors, repairs of mechanical sewing, typing and calculating machines, photographic and optical instruments, and the repair of electrical and electronic devices operating at a voltage lower than 50 V AC or 75 V DC. It requires no professional qualification - it is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act, and the licence comes into existence on the day of notification.

Conditions for operating

Full legal capacity (usually reaching the age of 18; exceptionally one may do business earlier - for a minor who has reached the age of 16 the court may, on a motion, approve the independent operation of business activity with the consent of the legal representative, Section 6(1)).
A clean criminal record / integrity within the meaning of Section 6(2) of the Trade Licensing Act (for Czech citizens the office obtains the extract from the Criminal Records itself).
Professional qualification is NOT documented - this is an unqualified (free) trade (Annex 4 to Act No. 455/1991 Coll.); no apprenticeship certificate, diploma or practice is submitted.
The option to appoint a responsible representative under Section 11 (voluntary for an unqualified/free trade; a legal person usually needs one, and one person may act as responsible representative for no more than 4 entrepreneurs).

Examples of activities

Sharpening of knives, scissors and other tools for household use
Repairs of mechanical sewing machines, mechanical typewriters and calculating machines
Servicing and maintenance of optical instruments (telescopes, magnifiers, microscopes) and photographic and projection apparatus
Repairs of electrical and electronic household devices operating at a voltage lower than 50 V AC / 75 V DC
Repairs and maintenance of measuring devices and measuring instruments
Repairs and maintenance of objects of cultural and collectors' value for the purpose of their further preservation
Repairs of fine mechanics products
Repairs and adjustment of clocks and watches without manufacture and without intervention in precious metals

What this trade is and what it is for

The trade "Repair and maintenance of household goods, objects of cultural value, fine mechanics products, optical instruments and measuring devices" is field No. 77 of the unqualified (free) trade (Annex 4 to Act No. 455/1991 Coll., the Trade Licensing Act). There is only one single unqualified (free) trade in the law ("Manufacture, trade and services not listed in Annexes 1 to 3"), but internally it is divided into fields of activity - and this is one of them.

The field covers repair and servicing services for smaller items: consumer goods for the household, objects of cultural and collectors' value, fine mechanics products, optical instruments and measuring devices. It is suited to craftspeople and service technicians who repair things whose repair is not classified by law among the craft trades.

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

The substantive content of the field is precisely defined by Government Regulation No. 278/2008 Coll. Field No. 77 includes in particular:

repairs and maintenance of household goods, especially the sharpening of knives, scissors and other tools for household use,
repairs of mechanical sewing machines, mechanical typewriters and calculating machines,
repairs of photographic, projection and optical instruments (telescopes, magnifiers, microscopes),
repairs and maintenance of other mechanical machines and devices predominantly for households, including repairs of electrical and electronic machines and devices operating at a voltage lower than 50 V AC or 75 V DC,
repairs and maintenance of measuring devices and measuring instruments,
repairs and maintenance of objects of cultural value - that is, objects from various fields of human activity which document the historical development and way of life of society, for the purpose of their further preservation.

Beware of the boundaries with neighbouring craft trades - they tend to be thin, and the office assesses them according to the substantive content (Government Regulation No. 278/2008 Coll.):

Repairs of electrical devices on ordinary mains voltage (i.e. at a voltage of 50 V AC / 75 V DC and higher) fall under the craft trade Manufacture, installation, repairs of electrical machines and devices, electronic and telecommunications equipment, not under field No. 77. Only the repair of devices operating at a voltage lower than these values falls under free field No. 77.
Manufacture, assembly, adjustment, diagnostics and repairs of clocks (mechanical, electromechanical and electronic timekeeping devices) are the content of the craft trade Clockmaking. If you repair clocks and watches as your main activity, the office will usually assess it as the craft Clockmaking; only minor and marginal repairs within the servicing of other goods can be classified under free field No. 77.
Repairs of jewellery and interventions in precious metals = the craft trade Goldsmithing and jewellery making.
Manufacture and repairs of musical instruments have their own craft trade.

If you are not sure whether your particular activity falls under the free field or already under a craft, check it with the Trade Licensing Office before you start invoicing.

Conditions for obtaining it under the law

This trade is unqualified (free), so qualification is not documented. It is enough to meet only the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act:

full legal capacity (usually age 18; exceptionally one may do business earlier - for a minor from the age of 16 the court may grant approval with the consent of the legal representative),
a clean criminal record / integrity (for Czech citizens the office obtains the extract from the Criminal Records itself).

No examinations, apprenticeship certificate or practice are submitted. You may (but do not have to) appoint a responsible representative under Section 11 - for a natural person this is voluntary; a legal person usually needs one (one person may act as responsible representative for no more than 4 entrepreneurs). For an unqualified (free) trade the licence comes into existence on the day of notification.

How to notify or obtain the trade step by step

Fill in the Unified Registration Form (URF). As the object of business you choose the unqualified (free) trade and select field No. 77 (and, if you like, other fields at the same time - for one fee).
Submit it. In person at any municipal Trade Licensing Office (the office of a municipality with extended powers), at a Czech POINT contact point, or electronically via the rzp.gov.cz portal or a data box. The requirements for the notification are set out in Sections 45 and 46 of the Trade Licensing Act.
Pay the fee. The first notification of a trade costs CZK 1,000, electronically CZK 800. Adding another field to an existing unqualified (free) trade is free of charge (CZK 0).
Wait for the registration. The office enters you in the Trade Register and issues the extract within 5 working days of receiving a flawless notification (Section 47). You can do business from the very day of notification.

You will find the detailed procedure in the guide How to start a trade.

Documents and fees

Documents: a completed URF, proof of identity; for Czech citizens the office obtains the extract from the Criminal Records.
Professional qualification: not documented (unqualified/free trade).
Fee for the notification: CZK 1,000, electronically CZK 800.
Adding another field of the unqualified (free) trade: CZK 0.
Registration deadline: within 5 working days of a flawless notification.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to document education or practice for this field?

No. This is an unqualified (free) trade, where professional qualification is not proven. The general conditions under Section 6 are enough - legal capacity and a clean criminal record / integrity.

Can I repair washing machines, fridges and other electrical appliances under field 77?

It depends on the voltage. Field 77 includes repairs of electrical and electronic devices only up to a voltage lower than 50 V AC / 75 V DC. Repairs of appliances on ordinary mains voltage (230 V) fall under the craft trade for electrical equipment. To be sure, check the content with the Trade Licensing Office.

Do repairs of clocks and jewellery belong here?

Minor repairs and adjustments within servicing can be classified under field 77, but the manufacture and ordinary repairs of clocks are the content of the craft Clockmaking, and interventions in jewellery and precious metals fall under Goldsmithing and jewellery making. If clocks are your main activity, it will usually be a craft.

How much does it cost to add this field to a trade I already have?

Adding another field to the unqualified (free) trade is free of charge (CZK 0). You just notify the change to the Trade Licensing Office.

When can I start repairing?

For an unqualified (free) trade the licence comes into existence on the very day of notification - you do not have to wait for the extract to be delivered.