Designing electrical installations

Designing electrical installations is field no. 63 of the unqualified (free) trade, covering the preparation of project and technical documentation for both high-current and low-current electrical installations. It is a notifiable unqualified (free) trade that requires no proof of professional qualification - it is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act. The trade licence arises on the very day of notification.

Examples of activities

• Preparation of project documentation for high-current electrical wiring and installations (e.g. lighting and socket circuits, switchboards)
• Design and engineering of low-current systems - structured cabling, data networks, intruder alarms (EZS), fire alarms (EPS), CCTV and attendance systems
• Designing electrical connections, transformer stations and indoor and outdoor low- and high-voltage distribution
• Design of lightning conductor systems and protection against lightning and surges
• Preparation of technical documentation for photovoltaic power plants and charging stations for electric vehicles
• Designing electrical installations for smart buildings (KNX systems, lighting and heating control)
• Preparation of studies, calculations and materials for the electrical part of construction projects
• Design of lighting systems for buildings, roads and outdoor areas

What this trade is and what it is for

The trade Designing electrical installations (field of activity no. 63 of the unqualified trade) covers the preparation of project, plan and technical documentation for electrical installations and their parts. It includes the design of high-current and low-current distribution, calculations, wiring diagrams, layout solutions and materials for the electrical part of construction projects.

The purpose of this activity is to translate the investor's requirements into a technically correct and feasible design, according to which an electrical installation can be manufactured, fitted and put into operation. The trade is used by designers, technicians and firms that create documentation for new builds, refurbishments, industrial operations or renewable energy sources.

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

Field no. 63 covers in particular:

• designing high-current distribution and installations (lighting, sockets, switchboards, connections, transformer stations),
• designing low-current systems (structured cabling, data networks, intruder alarms, fire alarms, CCTV),
• design of lightning conductors and protection against lightning and surges,
• documentation for photovoltaic power plants, charging stations and smart-building systems.

Where the boundaries lie: the installation, repair, inspection and testing of electrical equipment itself does not fall here - that is a separate craft trade, "Installation, repair, inspection and testing of electrical equipment" (Annex 1, requiring professional qualification). Inspections of electrical equipment likewise fall under that craft trade, not under designing.

Also note authorisation under Act No. 360/1992 Coll.: if a building's project documentation requires authorisation by law (an authorised engineer/technician of CKAIT), the trade licence alone does not substitute for that professional guarantee. The unqualified trade entitles you to design activity but does not confer an authorisation stamp - that is a separate authorisation granted by the Czech Chamber of Authorised Engineers and Technicians (CKAIT).

Conditions for obtaining it under the law

This is an unqualified (free) trade (Annex 4 to the Trade Licensing Act), so professional qualification is not proven. You need not prove any education or experience in the field.

It is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6(1) of the Trade Licensing Act:

• full legal capacity (for a minor this may be replaced by a court's approval of the legal representative's consent to independent pursuit of business activity),
• clean criminal record - the Trade Licensing Office obtains the extract from the Criminal Records Register itself under Section 46 of the Trade Licensing Act.

At the same time there must be no obstacle to pursuing the trade under Section 8 (e.g. ongoing insolvency or a judicial or administrative ban on the activity). For a legal entity the general conditions are met by the natural person who is a member of its statutory body.

Under Section 11 of the Trade Licensing Act you may (but need not) appoint a responsible representative. For an unqualified trade the law requires of them only that they meet the general conditions. One person may act as responsible representative for no more than 4 entrepreneurs.

How to notify or obtain the trade step by step

1. Fill in the Unified Registration Form (JRF) - with a single form you notify the trade and may at the same time register for income tax and for social and health insurance.
2. Select field no. 63 (and, where appropriate, further fields of the unqualified trade - notifying several fields at once is for a single fee).
3. Submit the notification under Section 45 of the Trade Licensing Act at any municipal Trade Licensing Office, electronically via the rzp.gov.cz portal, or at a Czech POINT branch.
4. Pay the administrative fee for the trade notification: CZK 1,000, or CZK 800 for an electronic submission via the RZP portal (Act No. 634/2004 Coll., on administrative fees, item 24).
5. Wait for the entry - the Trade Licensing Office makes the entry in the Trade Register within 5 working days of the notification being delivered (Section 47). For a notifiable trade, however, the licence arises on the very day of notification (Section 10(1), provided the statutory conditions are met).

A detailed procedure is set out in the guide How to start a trade.

Documents and fees

• Proof of identity (identity card or passport).
• Completed JRF stating field no. 63.
• You do not prove professional qualification (unqualified trade).
• Administrative fee for the notification: CZK 1,000 (electronically CZK 800) - Act No. 634/2004 Coll., item 24.
• Adding another field of the unqualified trade later: free of charge (CZK 0).
• Entry in the Trade Register: within 5 working days (Section 47).

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an electrotechnical education or a qualification under Decree No. 50/1978 Coll.?

No. For the unqualified trade itself, no qualification is proven. Electrotechnical qualification under Act No. 250/2021 Coll. (which replaced the former Decree No. 50/1978 Coll.) concerns work on electrical equipment (installation, repair, inspection), not the notification of the unqualified design trade.

Can I stamp projects as an authorised person on the basis of this trade?

No. The trade entitles you to design, but the authorisation stamp is granted separately by CKAIT under Act No. 360/1992 Coll. If a building requires authorisation, you must arrange it through an authorised person.

Can I notify several fields of the unqualified trade at once?

Yes. There is a single unqualified trade with 80 fields of activity (numbered in Annex 4 up to no. 82; numbers 54 and 81 have been abolished). You notify several fields with one form for a single administrative fee, and adding another field later is free of charge (CZK 0).

When can I start doing business?

The licence arises on the day of notification (Section 10(1), provided the general conditions are met); you need not wait for the actual entry in the register, which the office makes within 5 working days.

Sources

• Act No. 455/1991 Coll., on trade licensing (the Trade Licensing Act)
• Act No. 634/2004 Coll., on administrative fees
• Ministry of Industry and Trade