Night-time quiet in Czechia: the hours and the fine
Night-time quiet from 10 pm to 6 am, the fine for breaking it for an individual, a business and for repeat offences, exceptions for celebrations under a municipal ordinance, what to do when you are the one disturbed, and what to read in your lease and house rules.
Half past eleven at night and music thumping through the wall? Or you are planning a party yourself and are not sure how late it can run? Night-time quiet in Czechia is set by law, and breaking it can bring a fine. What exactly does the law say?
1. The exact hours
Night-time quiet means the period from 10 pm to 6 am (Section 5(7) of Act No. 251/2016 Coll., on Certain Misdemeanours). So music at half past eleven falls within it, music at nine in the evening does not. This provision sets no measurable noise limit.
2. What breaking it costs
- An individual who breaks night-time quiet commits a misdemeanour (Act No. 251/2016 Coll., Section 5(1)(d)); the fine can be up to CZK 10,000 (Act No. 251/2016 Coll., Section 5(3)(b)).
- The same misdemeanour can be committed by a self-employed person or a legal entity, for example the operator of a venue (Act No. 251/2016 Coll., Section 5(2)(a)); the upper limit of the fine is CZK 10,000 here too.
- If the misdemeanour is repeated after a decision on a misdemeanour of the same kind has become final, the fine is up to CZK 15,000 (Act No. 251/2016 Coll., Section 5(4)(a)).
3. A party: when night-time quiet need not be observed
The law itself provides no exception for parties. A municipality can introduce one: by a generally binding ordinance it may set out exceptional cases, in particular celebrations or similar social or family events, for which the night-time quiet period is shorter or need not be observed (Section 5(7) of Act No. 251/2016 Coll.). Before a party, check your municipality's website to see whether such an ordinance applies and what it says.
4. Before you sign a lease
A lease or the house rules may set additional rules, for example noise limits before 10 pm. Read them before you sign and ask about anything that is unclear. Night-time quiet applies to everyone, whether they rent or own their flat.
5. When it is you who is disturbed: step by step
The law gives you several routes. Start with the simplest and escalate only if needed.
- Politely ask the neighbour to turn it down, ideally straight away or the next day. Note the date, the time and what exactly disturbs you.
- It is better not to record the neighbour's noise. Nobody may, without a person's consent, intrude on their private spaces or make a sound or video recording of their private life (Section 86 OZ). Your own notes and witnesses, such as other neighbours, are more reliable.
- If the noise continues during night-time quiet, you can call the Police of the Czech Republic on 158, which the police say is meant for situations where public order is threatened, or, where a municipal police force operates, on 156. Municipal police supervise compliance with the rules of civil coexistence (Act No. 553/1991 Coll., Section 2(b)).
- For a misdemeanour against public order the police may impose a fine on the spot, up to CZK 10,000, if a warning is not enough and the accused agrees (Act No. 250/2016 Coll., Section 91(1) and (2)). Otherwise the police identify the suspect, draw up an official record and, within 30 days at the latest, report the matter to the competent administrative authority (Section 74(1) and (2)).
- If the neighbour is a tenant, you can also contact their landlord or the building manager. The landlord may give three months' notice if the tenant grossly breaches an obligation under the lease (Section 2288(1)(a) OZ). Whether noise amounts to such a breach depends on the circumstances.
- Call 158 only for a genuine disturbance of public order: malicious calls to emergency lines are penalised.
