The new legislation (Act No. 90/2024 Coll.) changes the categorization and the licensing system, which brings both new rules and welcome simplifications. In this article, we cover everything from the new firearms license groups and digitalization to the central firearms register and the new concept of a secondary firearm holder.
One of the main changes concerns firearms licenses and firearms permits, specifically their new categorization and validity periods.
The existing five groups of firearms licenses (A, B, C, D, E) issued under the old law valid until the end of 2025 are being transformed into 2 categories.
If you are a holder of a firearms license issued before 2026, the conversion to the new firearms license took place automatically – you do not need to apply for anything.
This corresponds to the previous firearms license groups A, B, and C, used for collecting, sporting, and hunting purposes.
This corresponds to the previous firearms license groups D and E, used for the use of firearms for employment purposes and for the protection of life, health, and property. At the same time, the extended firearms license includes the general one. Therefore, if you become a holder of an extended firearms license, you can automatically handle firearms and ammunition for collecting,sporting, and hunting purposes without the need to obtain a general firearms license.
"Simplifying from five groups to two will help clarify the firearms licensing system and remove existing ambiguities. Digitalization will hopefully reduce unnecessary administrative burdens and bring firearms legislation into the modern age. However, only practice will show whether this was a step in the right direction," adds attorney Jiří Mlčák.
For current firearms license holders and applicants, the most significant change is likely the abolition of paper documents.
"The new law (Act No. 90/2024 Coll.) removes the obligation to prove the existence of individual authorizations by presenting them in paper form. New methods primarily include proof via a valid identity document (ID card or passport) or a digital extract from the Central Arms Register (the so-called 'firearms certificate'). The only exception that remains in its physical form is the European Firearms Pass," explains Jiří Mlčák.
This change has significant implications, especially for firearms dealers, shooting range operators, and other entities that previously verified their customers' authorizations by simply looking at a plastic card.
The system is moving to a digital environment, and the existence of authorizations is now verified primarily through the Central Arms Register, which provides all relevant information today.
The law introduces a new concept of a firearms certificate, which is an electronic extract from the Central Arms Register, documenting the current status of all authorizations held by a specific person under the new law. Every holder of such an authorization can request a firearms certificate via the Citizen Portal,at Czech POINT contact pointsoror through the standard procedure from a regional police directorate.
However, unlike previous documents, the firearms certificate is only current as of the moment of issuance. The older it is, the less reliable it becomes. A week-old firearms certificate will, in the vast majority of cases, reflect the current reality; however, a year-old document no longer guarantees, for example, that the holder has not lost their authorization due to a loss of medical fitness or the commission of a criminal offense.
The new law allows for proving firearms authorization in several ways. When purchasing a weapon, it will be possible, for example, to present an ID card (or passport) along with the firearms certificate, or just an ID card, with the seller verifying the buyer's firearms authorization directly in the Central Arms Register.
However, it is entirely up to the buyer which method of proof they choose. If the Central Arms Register happens to be unavailable at a specific moment, it cannot be concluded that the person being checked (the buyer) does not hold a firearms authorization. In such a case, however, the buyer must prove their authorization in another way (e.g., by presenting their firearms license and ID card).
In practice, however, the most common method will likely be verification via the system after presenting an ID card. The seller will then also be able to see your firearm purchase permit in the system – you will obtain this from the relevant Czech Police authority as before.
According to the law from January 2026, the processing of various procedures is also moving to a digital environment.
Through the Citizen Portal, you can now submit applications for exemptions, purchase permits for specific firearms or ammunition, or apply for a European Firearms Pass.
On the other hand, the law does not explicitly mandate electronic submissions. Those who do not wish to or cannot communicate electronically may continue to visit the appropriate police department and handle everything in person.
However, this does not always apply to holders of ZL1 group firearms licenses, and in some cases ZL2 group licenses – we mention this later in the article.
They are now required to record specific information stipulated by law in the Central Firearms Register regarding the acquisition of registerable firearms, category PO firearms, and ammunition (for example, the date of acquisition or details about their storage location).
Under the old law, the validity period of a firearms license was limited to a period of 10 years. The current legislation does not list such a reason for the expiration of a firearms license and introduces firearms licenses for an indefinite period.
However, this does not mean the end of all oversight. A firearms license holder is required every 5 years to submit to the regional police directorate a new medical fitness certificate. Although a similar obligation already existed under the old legislation, it is now mitigate the consequences of failing to comply.
If a holder forgets to submit a new medical report on time, the firearms license does not automatically expire; only the medical report does.
The police will merely suspend the license and call upon the holder, to undergo a medical examination within a period of no less than ten working days.
Only if the license holder fails to fulfill this obligation is the license revoked, and they are then required to surrender their firearms and ammunition to police custody or dispose of them in another manner prescribed by law. However, upon subsequently submitting a valid medical report, the holder will once again meet the conditions for the issuance of a firearms license, which the police will then reissue and return their firearms.
"The new regulation takes into account that it can happen that a person simply forgets. The system is significantly more lenient than the previous one, where failing to apply for a new firearms license led not only to the expiration of the license but also to an offense and a potential fine," explains Jiří Mlčák.
Another new feature is the concept of "secondary firearm holder" – a person who may handle a firearm similarly to the primary holder, even though the registrable firearm is not registered to them. There can be an unlimited number of them for a specific firearm.
The concept of a secondary firearm holder will be welcomed by many gun owners who previously had to transfer firearms under the more complicated old regulations.
In families, a parent (primary firearm holder) can share a firearm with their son or daughter (secondary firearm holder); sports clubs, hunting associations, and private security companies can register their members or employees (factory shooters, demonstration teams with display firearms) as secondary firearm holders, which then allows them to lend the weapons to them.
Furthermore, any secondary holder can register such a firearm in a European Firearms Pass and travel with it to competitions or international events within the Czech Republic or abroad.
A secondary holder has broader rights and can use the firearm even outside of working hours, unlike an employee, who may additionally only handle the firearm within the scope of their work duties.
However, this concept also has its limits, which stem primarily from the fact that the authorization of a secondary firearm holder is derived from the authorization of the primary firearm holder.
The authorization of a secondary firearm holder therefore expires if the authorization of the primary firearm holder expires, but also if the primary holder loses the right to handle the firearm (e.g., they sell the weapon). In the event of a sale, the secondary holder has no right of first refusal and automatically loses their rights upon the transfer.
The situation would be similar in the event of the death of the primary firearm holder, and thus the expiration of their firearms license. A secondary firearm holder has no right to handle the firearm during probate proceedings or a priority claim to inherit the firearm.
Until the end of 2025, there were ten categories of firearms licenses (A through J). With the entry into force of the new law, however, these have been reduced, or rather, the previous categories have been reorganized into the current three – ZL1, ZL2, ZL3.
Firearms license category ZL1 corresponds to the current categories A through E issued under the old Firearms and Ammunition Act. This is typically a license used by persons who sell, manufacture, import, or otherwise trade in firearms or ammunition.
What exactly does a ZL1 category firearms license allow:
ATTENTION: Companies dealing in historical and paintball firearms (i.e., firearms previously in category D, now falling under category NO) must now also hold a firearms license.
This license corresponds to the current groups F through J. It is typically used by sports clubs with their own firearms, hunting associations, private security services, museums or collections, and zoos. In short, the ZL2 license allows for the handling of firearms or ammunition for activities that do not require obtaining the "higher" ZL1 license.
The ZL3 group firearms license is a completely new license. It authorizes a non-entrepreneurial individual to perform a one-time activity or to carry out non-commercial activities for a specific purpose, for which a ZL1 or ZL2 group firearms license would otherwise be required.
Non-business activity, in short, means that the person does not carry out the activity continuously and for the purpose of profit (e.g., selling their own products).
It is issued primarily for collector purposes, but also, for example, for the self-manufacture of a firearm, and related research, development of prototypes, and testing.
ATTENTION: 3D printing a firearm without a group ZL3 firearms license constitutes illegal possession of weapons.
All information about your firearms can be found in the Central Firearms Register and you can print it out in a firearms certificate.
The five original groups (A, B, C, D, E) have been merged into two types of authorization. A group A, B, or C firearms license was automatically converted to general firearms authorization (for sport, hunting, collecting). A group D or E firearms license was converted to extended firearms authorization (for work and protection).
A firearms certificate is an extract from the Central Firearms Register that documents the current status of your authorizations (firearms authorization, exemptions, permits) and registered firearms. It is valid at the moment of issuance – the older it is, the less reliable it becomes. A week-old firearms certificate will, in most cases, reflect the current situation, but a year-old document no longer guarantees that you have not lost your authorization in the meantime.
You can obtain a firearms license in one of 3 ways:
The Central Arms Register is a state information system that contains all data on firearms authorizations, licenses, registered weapons, exemptions, and permits. As of January 2026, all records have been moved to the CRZ – virtually no paper documents are issued anymore. Holders of ZL1 and ZL2 firearms licenses use it to record weapons transactions.
The new Firearms Act introduces the sixth firearms amnesty in the history of the Czech Republic. From January 1 to June 30, 2026, you can surrender or legalize any weapons held (even illegally) without penalty at any Police of the Czech Republic department. The amnesty also applies to ammunition and main parts of weapons.
Every 5 years. The medical report now has a maximum validity of 5 years and the holder of the firearms authorization is required to submit a new report to the regional police directorate in a timely manner.
The Firearms Act is complex and every situation is different. Write to us; we will forward your message to Jiří Mlčák and get back to you within 24 hours. ––> Ask a lawyer
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Jiří Mlčák is an attorney, a hunter,andand an active holder of an extended firearms license. He focuses primarily on the arms industry, capital market regulation, and contract law. In the arms industry, he provides legal counsel and participates in negotiations with international partners. He also gained valuable experience at the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the High Court in Prague.
Attorney Jiří Mlčák has also written a guide for entrepreneurs. In it, you will find out who can be a chief armorer, who must be registered as a participating person, and what belongs in the inventory records. →Firearms License 2026 and the New Arms Act: A Guide for Entrepreneurs
