Manufacture of motor and trailer vehicles and bodywork
Field of activity No. 32 under the Trade Licensing Act.
What you need: No professional qualification needed — general conditions and a notification suffice.
- Volná živnost
- Field No. 32
- See conditions below
- 8 activity examples
Manufacture of motor and trailer vehicles and their bodywork is an unqualified (free) trade (field no. 32). It does not require professional qualification - it is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act, and the trade arises on the day of notification (Section 10).
You only need to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act:
- full legal capacity (as a rule reaching the age of 18; exceptionally you may do business earlier, from the age of 16, with the consent of the legal representative approved by a court),
- a clean criminal record (the Office obtains the criminal record extract itself for Czech citizens).
The trade licence arises on the day of notification (Section 10 of the Trade Licensing Act) - you do not wait for the extract to be issued.
The unqualified (free) trade is, by law, a single trade; field no. 32 is one of its 80 fields - you may notify several fields at once for a single administrative fee.
Note: a manufactured vehicle intended for operation on public roads is subject to approval of technical eligibility under Act No. 56/2001 Coll. - this is a separate process before the relevant authority, not a condition of the trade.
Examples of activities
- manufacture of passenger cars and trucks
- manufacture of buses and trolleybuses
- manufacture of trailers and semi-trailers
- manufacture of vehicle bodywork and cabs
- manufacture of vehicle superstructures (box, tanker, tipper)
- manufacture of caravans and motorhomes
- manufacture of tractors and prime movers
- assembly and completion of vehicles from parts
What this trade is and what it is for
The trade Manufacture of motor and trailer vehicles and bodywork is field of activity no. 32 within the single unqualified (free) trade ("Manufacture, trade and services not listed in Annexes 1 to 3 of the Trade Licensing Act"). It entitles you to manufacture, complete and assemble motor vehicles (passenger cars and trucks, buses, tractors), trailer vehicles (trailers, semi-trailers) and their bodywork and superstructures.
As an unqualified (free) trade (Annex 4 to Act No. 455/1991 Coll.), it requires no professional qualification. It is enough to meet the general conditions and you can operate the trade right from notification. It is suited to manufacturers of trailers, caravans and special superstructures and to companies assembling vehicles from parts.
What falls under this trade (and what does not)
Field no. 32 typically includes:
- manufacture and assembly of passenger, goods and special cars,
- manufacture of buses, trolleybuses, tractors and prime movers,
- manufacture of trailers, semi-trailers, caravans,
- manufacture of bodywork, cabs and superstructures (box, tanker, tipper, fire-fighting, etc.).
What does not belong here - watch out for neighbouring trades where qualification does have to be proven:
| Activity | Where it belongs |
|---|---|
| Repairs and servicing of road vehicles | the craft trade Road vehicle repairs |
| Panel-beating repairs and bodywork repair | the craft trade Tinsmithing and bodywork repair |
| Routine maintenance, washing, oil change, fitting accessories | free field no. 50 Maintenance of motor vehicles and their accessories |
| Repairs of other means of transport and working machines | the craft trade of the same name |
The dividing line is simple: the manufacture of a vehicle or bodywork is free, but as soon as it is a repair of a road vehicle or a panel-beating repair of bodywork, you are in a craft trade and must prove an apprenticeship certificate or practical experience. The boundary is assessed by the Office according to the substantive content of the fields (Government Regulation No. 278/2008 Coll.); if you are unsure, verify the classification with the Trade Licensing Office in advance.
Conditions for obtaining it under the law
Because this is an unqualified (free) trade, professional qualification is not required - no apprenticeship certificate, diploma or practical experience. It is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act:
- full legal capacity (the age of 18 is traditionally cited; exceptionally you may do business from the age of 16 with the consent of the legal representative, which the court approves),
- a clean criminal record (the Office obtains the criminal record extract itself for Czech citizens).
You do not need any qualification or responsible representative under Section 11 for this field - that is appointed mainly where the entrepreneur does not themselves meet the qualification, which cannot happen with an unqualified (free) trade. You may, however, use a responsible representative voluntarily if you wish to have the operation overseen by another person.
An important distinction: the manufacture itself is free, but for a vehicle to be allowed to drive on public roads, it must pass approval of technical eligibility under Act No. 56/2001 Coll. (type approval or approval of an individual vehicle). This is a separate procedure before the relevant authority, it is not a condition of the trade, but you should reckon with it when placing vehicles on the market.
How to notify or obtain the trade step by step
- You fill in the Unified Registration Form (URF) and, for the field of business, you select the unqualified (free) trade and field no. 32 (and any other fields at once if you wish).
- You submit the notification - in person at any Trade Licensing Office (a municipal Trade Licensing Office), electronically via the rzp.gov.cz portal, or at a Czech POINT contact point.
- You pay the administrative fee - CZK 1,000 on first entering business, or CZK 800 with a discount electronically. The fee applies regardless of the number of fields notified.
- You wait for registration - the Trade Licensing Office enters you in the Trade Register and issues an extract within 5 working days (Section 47). The licence, however, arises already on the day of notification (Section 10).
You will find a detailed step-by-step guide at /jak-zalozit-zivnost.
Documents and fees
- Identity document (identity card or passport).
- Completed URF stating field no. 32.
- No documents on education or practical experience - they are not required for an unqualified (free) trade.
- Administrative fee of CZK 1,000 (or CZK 800 electronically).
- Adding another field of the unqualified (free) trade later - free of charge (CZK 0).
- Registration and issue of the extract within 5 working days.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an apprenticeship certificate to manufacture trailers or caravans?
No. This is an unqualified (free) trade, qualification is not required. Legal capacity and a clean criminal record under Section 6 are enough. The Office does not ask you for an apprenticeship certificate or practical experience.
Can I also repair cars under this trade?
No. Road vehicle repairs are a separate craft trade, where qualification is proven. This field covers only the manufacture of vehicles and bodywork, not their repairs.
Can I sell the vehicle I manufacture and put it into operation straight away?
The manufacture is covered by the trade, but putting a vehicle into operation requires approval of technical eligibility under Act No. 56/2001 Coll. You deal with that separately before the relevant authority; it is not part of notifying the trade.
How much does it cost to add this field to a trade I already have?
If you already operate the unqualified (free) trade, adding field no. 32 is free of charge (CZK 0). You merely notify the change to the Trade Licensing Office.
How long does it take before I can start manufacturing?
The licence arises on the day of notification, so in practice you can start straight away. The Office issues the extract from the Trade Register within 5 working days.