On Friday, Czech lawmakers approved a new gun control legislation, introducing electronic permits and changing weapon categories. The law also imposes an obligation on sellers to report suspicious deals. Gun permit holders will also have to undergo health suitability checks more frequently. The bill now heads to the Senate.
This proposal, due to come into effect in 2026, was initiated and passed the first two rounds of the legislative process even before the tragic shooting at the Faculty of Philosophy of Charles University that happened last year on December 21st. During this incident, a 24-year-old shooter killed 14 people and injured 25 others, then shot himself. The new gun law, passed by Parliament on Friday, does not contain any additional changes in response to this event.
However, lawmakers agreed with Interior Minister Vít Rakušan that they would try to introduce further measures with a separate amendment this year. Under the law, the deadline for reviewing health suitability for gun holders is to be reduced from ten to five years. The police will also have the opportunity to order this checkup at any time.
The law was passed with 151 votes, with no one against. “The law introduces the possibility for the police to immediately secure weapons to a person about whom there is information that it represents a danger to internal order and security. It also shortens the review time of the right to hold a firearm from ten to five years and imposes an obligation on entrepreneurs to report suspicious transactions,” summarized Defense Minister Jana Černochová.
Interior Minister Vít Rakušan stated that the law removes unnecessary bureaucracy. “Paper documents are being abolished; most actions will be able to be performed electronically in the central weapons register,” said Rakušan. He emphasized that the government refused any amendments that would soften the legislation.