Inspection technician: verify certificates and authorisations

Before commissioning an inspection of designated electrical equipment, verify two separate documents: the certificate held by the person who will perform the inspection and the authorisation held by the entity supplying the relevant service. Compare the identity, validity and scope with the specific job. The title “inspection technician”, a photograph of a document or an advertising claim such as “we do everything” is not enough to make this comparison.

This article is intended for clients and facility managers. It does not explain how to obtain the qualification or replace legal assessment of every commercial relationship. The distinction below applies to the regulatory framework for designated technical equipment; do not automatically apply it to every task involving any electrical appliance.

Two questions instead of one

A certificate is linked to a professionally qualified natural person. An authorisation concerns the relevant activity of a legal entity or self-employed natural person. TIČR explains the difference between these documents and the associated public registers in its questions and answers.

For a small job, the business owner and the technician may have the same name. This does not combine the two roles into a single document. With a larger supplier, a sales representative may accept the order while another person performs the inspection itself. It is therefore important to know who will actually perform the work and who is responsible for each part.

The legal basis is set out in Zákon č. 250/2021 Sb., o bezpečnosti práce v souvislosti s provozem vyhrazených technických zařízení. Under Section 17, an inspection may be performed only by an inspection technician holding a certificate whose scope corresponds to the equipment being inspected; if the technician performs inspections as a business, they must also hold an authorisation. Under Section 7(1), a company may perform inspections if it ensures that they are carried out by a professionally qualified natural person. A technician’s certificate is valid for 5 years from the date of issue (Section 11(3)), while an entity’s authorisation is valid for 10 years from the date on which the decision becomes legally effective (Section 8(4)).

Both public registers are maintained by the designated organisation, TIČR. Under Sections 18(2) and 18(4), the public register of inspection technicians includes the person’s name, identification number if assigned, registration number, certificate scope and expiry date; their home address is not public. Under Section 10(2), the register of authorised entities includes the entity’s name, company identification number (IČO), registered office, the name of the responsible specialist, registration number, authorised activities and scope, and the expiry date. For clients, these registers are verification tools, not substitutes for a precisely defined work specification.

Describe the equipment before assessing the scope

For electrical equipment, the scope of an inspection technician’s certificate is defined by Nařízení vlády č. 190/2022 Sb., Section 9 and Annex 5. It uses two types of designation: one for the equipment scope and one for the environment:

A technician holding E2A will therefore typically be qualified for a low-voltage office installation, but not for the site’s own transformer station, which requires E1 with the appropriate voltage range, or for an area with an explosion hazard, which requires designation B. Without information about the equipment, it is impossible to determine reliably whether the certificate covers the job. Prepare details of the location, the equipment’s purpose, available documentation and the required scope of work. If the scope is unclear, consult an appropriately qualified specialist. A request for “a company inspection” is too broad to support a meaningful comparison.

The job may concern a specific part of an installation, several buildings or equipment operating under different conditions. Do not infer the certificate’s scope merely because the supplier has previously inspected a similar building. Ask for specific documents and an explanation of how their defined scope applies to your equipment.

If a document specifies a limited scope, conditions or restrictions, you need to understand what they mean for your job. If the supplier cannot explain them and the document remains unclear, request verification from the issuing institution. Do not confirm professional competence yourself merely because the wording or designations look similar.

How to verify records in the TIČR public register

On the official TIČR website, open the relevant public register. Do not begin with a random business directory or advertising portal. In your working notes, record which type of document you are checking; otherwise, it is easy to compare an individual’s certificate with a company’s quotation.

For the supplier, compare the entity’s identifying details, particularly its name and IČO, with the order and the authorisation provided. For the individual, compare the name and the necessary document details. Then check the scope and validity against the planned date of the work. A matching surname is not enough to establish identity reliably.

Ask the supplier for a current document if any information is missing or illegible. A blurred photograph cropped so that it omits the validity period or scope is not useful evidence. You need the relevant details, not complete personal archives or unrelated documents.

In its answers, TIČR states that it may publish only documents issued under Zákon č. 250/2021 Sb., meaning documents issued from 1 July 2022 onwards. An older certificate that remains valid may therefore be absent from the register, and it would be incorrect to conclude automatically that every older document with no matching record is invalid. Do not make the opposite assumption either—that an unclear document must be valid. Have the specific case clarified using the document and the issuing institution.

For older authorisations, distinguish between the transitional rules. Under Section 24(2) of Zákon č. 250/2021 Sb. and the TIČR explanation, authorisations issued by Institut technické inspekce Praha up to 31 December 2009 expired no later than 30 June 2025. Authorisations issued by TIČR between 1 January 2010 and 30 June 2022 may remain valid until no later than 30 June 2027, unless they expired earlier. Do not automatically apply these final dates to personal certificates: under Section 24(1), those remain valid for the period for which they were issued.

If a record cannot be found or does not match

First distinguish between a search error and a genuine discrepancy. You may be searching the wrong register, using incomplete details or working with a different name for the entity. Check the document type and identifying information. The next step is not more aimless clicking, but a specific question to the supplier.

For example, record a discrepancy as follows: “The quotation names entity A, but the authorisation provided belongs to entity B; neither the contractual relationship nor who will perform the work has been explained.” This is factual and verifiable. Calling the supplier fraudulent because of an unclear record would be unsupported.

Request a corrected document or an explanation of the roles. If a subcontractor is involved, it must be clear who will perform the relevant activity and which documents apply to that person and entity. This article does not provide a universal assessment of the validity of all subcontracting arrangements.

Until the necessary conditions have been clarified, do not approve an order with an unclear scope or allow the activity in question to proceed without further resolution. Operational urgency may require a different organisational solution, not the deliberate overlooking of missing documentation.

Example scenario: the certificate is valid, but the quotation is unclear

This is a hypothetical example. A facility manager receives a quotation for inspecting several parts of a building. The supplier attaches the technician’s certificate, which is legible and valid. However, the quotation does not identify the equipment or explain which entity will supply the work.

The facility manager adds a description to the order, requests the relevant authorisation and verifies both roles. The comparison shows that part of the proposed scope has not been explained sufficiently. The manager requests clarification rather than a general assurance that “the technician is qualified for everything”.

In the unsuccessful outcome, the supplier fails to provide usable documentation or the discrepancy remains unresolved. The facility manager must not mark the check as complete. Instead, the manager records what is missing and addresses either the choice of supplier or the scope of the order. The successful outcome is a specific assignment with the required documents matched to it, not unrestricted approval for all future work.

Once the job has been completed, the actual scope and the person named in the documents must also be checked. If a different technician performed the work, the original preliminary verification does not automatically apply to that person. The appropriate documents must be matched to the work actually performed.

Keep proportionate evidence of the verification

For each job, retain the date of the check, identification of the documents used, their scope and the outcome of any clarification. Do not record “everything verified” if you compared only the validity of one document. There is no need to collect private addresses or other details that are irrelevant to the job.

Verification is time-sensitive. A document that was valid when the quotation was submitted may not necessarily cover work scheduled for a later date. If the date, person or scope changes, repeat the check for the affected detail. This does not mean printing the entire register after every phone call; it means updating the information that has actually changed.

A properly prepared order makes it possible to compare the completed work with the original specification. An authorisation and a certificate do not guarantee that every report will match the order without further checking. You also need to verify the documents received and obtain an explanation of any limitations.

For an explanation of the inspection process and what to prepare for the report, see how an electrical installation inspection is carried out in a company. Professional competence in electrical engineering explains who may work on electrical equipment outside the inspection process. Do you need an inspection with clearly defined equipment, scope and supporting documents? You can request electrical inspections in Brno from SOHE and provide the documentation for your premises.

Frequently asked questions

Is a technician’s certificate the same as a company’s authorisation?

No. A certificate applies to a professionally qualified natural person, while an authorisation applies to the relevant activity supplied by an entity.

Is finding the name on any list sufficient?

No. Use the relevant official register and compare the identity, document type, scope and validity.

Does a missing record automatically mean that the document is invalid?

It is not safe to draw that conclusion without further verification. TIČR publishes only documents issued from 1 July 2022 onwards; verify an older valid certificate against the document itself and, if necessary, by contacting TIČR.

How long are certificates and authorisations valid?

An inspection technician’s certificate is valid for 5 years from the date of issue (Section 11(3) of Zákon č. 250/2021 Sb.), while an entity’s authorisation is valid for 10 years (Section 8(4)). Older authorisations issued by TIČR up to 30 June 2022 remain valid until no later than 30 June 2027.

Must I verify a new technician if the person changes?

Yes. The required documents must correspond to the person who will actually perform the relevant activity. A previous check of someone else is not a substitute.

Does a valid authorisation prove that the final report is correct?

Not by itself. When accepting the work, also compare the actual scope, findings and documents with the order.

Sources and scope

• TIČR — Questions and answers
• Zákon č. 250/2021 Sb., o bezpečnosti práce v souvislosti s provozem vyhrazených technických zařízení — e-Sbírka
• Nařízení vlády č. 190/2022 Sb. — e-Sbírka: Section 9 and Annex 5

Sources verified on 7 October 2026. The practical procedure and example scenarios are the author’s recommendations; each specific operation requires assessment based on the equipment and its documentation.