Úvod - Život s epilepsií - Firearms License and Epilepsy

Firearms License and Epilepsy

Strict criteria apply to firearms ownership for individuals diagnosed with epilepsy.

A diagnosis of epilepsy can affect your eligibility to possess and use firearms—even if you obtained your firearms license before the onset of the condition. The decision regarding medical fitness for firearms ownership from a neurological standpoint must be made by your treating neurologist.

Epilepsy as a Restriction

For Type A (collecting purposes) and Type B (sport shooting) firearms licenses, epilepsy is considered a condition limiting medical fitness in the following cases:

Uncontrolled or partially controlled epilepsy or epilepsy syndromes, meaning a seizure-free period shorter than one year.
After a first epileptic seizure, if anti-seizure medication was initiated, for at least one year following the seizure.

Epilepsy as a Disqualifying Condition

Epilepsy is considered a condition excluding medical fitness for the following firearms license categories:

Type C – for hunting purposes
Type D – for professional use or employment
Type E – for personal protection (life, health, or property)

Exception

An exception applies to the disqualifying status for Type C, D, and E licenses in cases where the individual has a history of epilepsy, epileptic syndromes, or a previous seizure, if 10 years have passed since discontinuing antiepileptic treatment.

Legal Framework

These rules are governed by:

Act No. 119/2002 Coll., on Firearms and Ammunition
Decree No. 493/2002 Coll., on the Assessment of Medical Fitness for Firearms Licensing and the Contents of First Aid Kits at Shooting Ranges

You can access the full legal text (in Czech) here:

Vyhláška č. 493/2002 Sb. – zákonyprolidi.cz

Living with Epilepsy