Police: Growing number of Czechs acquiring firearms

The police report a growing interest in acquiring firearms licenses and weapons over the past year, with a growing number of women applying for a license. While in 2022 the authorities granted gun licenses to 300 women, in the first six months of this year alone 400 women obtained a gun license.

Police say interest in getting a gun license increased in Czechia after the war in Ukraine started, but not everyone can meet the strict criteria.  In 2021, Czechia had over 930,000 registered holders of firearms, and their number rose by 46,000 last year and over 18,000 more by mid-2023.