Manufacture of bicycles, wheelchairs and other non-motorised means of transport

Manufacture of bicycles, wheelchairs and other non-motorised means of transport is field no. 36 of the unqualified (free) trade. It does not require professional qualification - the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act are enough, and the licence arises on the day of notification.

Conditions for operating

This is an unqualified (free) trade (Annex 4 to the Trade Licensing Act) - professional qualification is NOT required (no education or practical experience).

You only need to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act:
- full legal capacity
- a clean criminal record (the Office verifies it from the Criminal Records register)

The option to appoint a responsible representative under Section 11 (who must meet the general conditions; qualification is not proven for an unqualified (free) trade). One person may be a responsible representative for at most 4 entrepreneurs.

The licence arises on the day of notification; registration in the Trade Register within 5 working days.

Examples of activities

Manufacture and assembly of bicycles without a motor
Manufacture of manual wheelchairs and wheelchairs for the disabled
Manufacture of hand carts, sack trucks, barrows and wheelbarrows
Manufacture of luggage trolleys and trailers towed behind bicycles
Completion of bicycles from supplied parts
Manufacture of frames, parts and accessories for non-motorised bicycles
Manufacture of rickshaws and vehicles powered by human force
Manufacture of animal-drawn carts and other non-motorised means of transport

What this trade is and what it is for

The trade "Manufacture of bicycles, wheelchairs and other non-motorised means of transport" is one of the 80 fields of activity of the unqualified (free) trade (field no. 36). It entitles you to manufacture, assemble and complete means of transport powered by human force or without their own motor propulsion. It covers both the craft manufacture of individual pieces and industrial series production.

The unqualified (free) trade is the most accessible form of business under Act No. 455/1991 Coll., on trade licensing (the Trade Licensing Act). To operate it you do not need any professional education or practical experience in the field. It is enough to meet only the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act. This trade allows you to do business legally in the manufacture of bicycles without a motor, wheelchairs for the disabled and other non-motorised means of transport, including their parts and accessories.

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

According to the substantive content of field no. 36 (Government Regulation No. 278/2008 Coll.), it includes in particular:

manufacture of bicycles without a motor and other wheeled vehicles without a motor
manufacture of wheelchairs (with and without a motor) and wheelchairs for the disabled
manufacture of barrows, wheelbarrows, luggage trolleys, hand sack trucks and trailers towed behind bicycles
manufacture of animal-drawn carts and other non-motorised means of transport
manufacture of parts and accessories for non-motorised means of transport and the completion of bicycles from supplied parts

What does not belong here: the substantive content of the field expressly excludes the manufacture of bicycles with an auxiliary motor (i.e. e-bikes and bicycles with assisted propulsion) and also the manufacture of children's tricycles and other wheeled toys. Children's tricycles, balance bikes, prams and similar wheeled toys fall under another field of the unqualified (free) trade (field no. 38 - manufacture, repair and maintenance of sports goods, games, toys and prams). The repair and maintenance of bicycles for customers usually falls under another field of the unqualified (free) trade (repair and maintenance of household needs, items of a cultural nature, fine mechanics products). The manufacture of motorcycles, mopeds and motor vehicles belongs to the separate fields of manufacture of motor and trailer vehicles. If you are unsure how to classify a particular activity, verify it with the Trade Licensing Office.

Conditions for obtaining it under the law

Because this is an unqualified (free) trade (Annex 4 to the Trade Licensing Act), you do not have to prove any professional qualification - that is, neither education nor practical experience. It is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act:

full legal capacity (for a minor it can be replaced by the court's approval of the legal representative's consent to doing business)
a clean criminal record - the Office verifies this automatically from the Criminal Records register

The law lays down no other special conditions for this field. If you do not wish to operate the trade in person, you may appoint a responsible representative under Section 11 of the Trade Licensing Act - who must meet the general conditions; they do not have to prove professional qualification for an unqualified (free) trade. One person may act as responsible representative for at most 4 entrepreneurs. A responsible representative is especially suitable for legal entities.

How to notify or obtain the trade step by step

Fill in the Unified Registration Form (URF) for a natural or legal person. Through the URF you can at the same time register for income tax and for social and health insurance.
Submit the notification at any municipal Trade Licensing Office (at any Czech POINT workplace), or electronically via the rzp.gov.cz portal.
Provide the required documents and pay the administrative fee.
Wait for registration. For an unqualified (free) trade the trade licence arises already on the day of notification; the Office enters you in the Trade Register within 5 working days and issues an extract.

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

Documents and fees

completed Unified Registration Form (URF)
identity document (identity card or passport)
administrative fee of CZK 1,000 for notifying the trade on first entering trade business; CZK 800 for an electronic submission via rzp.gov.cz
adding another field of the unqualified (free) trade is free of charge (CZK 0), as it is still a single trade
for legal entities, proof of the registered office and, where applicable, documents relating to the responsible representative

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an apprenticeship certificate or practical experience to manufacture bicycles?

No. This is an unqualified (free) trade, for which professional qualification is not proven. It is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 - full legal capacity and a clean criminal record.

When can I start doing business?

The licence for an unqualified (free) trade arises on the day of notification at the Trade Licensing Office. You can therefore start doing business immediately and do not have to wait for the issue of the extract, which the Office enters within 5 working days.

Can I add other activities to this field?

Yes. The unqualified (free) trade has 80 fields and you can notify several of them at once for one administrative fee. Adding another field of the unqualified (free) trade later is free of charge.

Can I also manufacture e-bikes under this field?

No. The substantive content of field no. 36 expressly excludes the manufacture of bicycles with an auxiliary motor. This field covers only bicycles and wheeled vehicles without a motor. To manufacture powered e-bikes, verify the correct classification (usually another field, e.g. manufacture of motor vehicles or electrical engineering manufacture) with the Trade Licensing Office.

Do I have to have business premises or a workshop?

The law does not make the arising of the licence conditional on having your own workshop. If you do have business premises, however, you are obliged to notify them to the Trade Licensing Office and to mark them properly.