Country guide · 9 min read

Jakub Wujec

Last reviewed: 1 August 2026

How to verify a Czech carrier before assigning a load

Q: How do I check a Czech transport company register?

Use ARES at https://ares.gov.cz/. Search by IČO (8 digits). If you only have a DIČ, resolve the IČO on the same site. Confirm legal name and seat match the booking paperwork on the day you approve the carrier.

Q: Where do I verify a Czech carrier licence?

Road transport operators appear in RPSD at https://rpsd.mdcr.cz/undertaker/search. Use Quick search with the IČO, press Search, open the operator, and read haulage scopes, vehicle count, and eurolicence validity on booking day.

To verify a Czech carrier, pull ARES for the company, RPSD for road transport concessions and EU licence, RŽP for trade licensing, and ČKP when you have plates for insurance. Check VIES on the DIČ and compare email to ARES address on booking day. An active IČO in ARES does not replace a valid RPSD licence for your lane.

Key checks before you assign the load

ARES: legal form, status, address, and IČO resolved from DIČ.
RPSD: concession validity, heavy goods authorisation, eurolicence.
RŽP trade register where sole traders appear.
ČKP insurance with plates.
VIES on the Czech VAT number.
Email and domain versus ARES data.

What to check on a Czech transport company

Czech operators appear in ARES under IČO. Cross-border bookings often arrive with DIČ only. RPSD holds concessions and eurolicence lines that ARES status does not reveal.

How to check the main registers step by step

Run these on booking day and keep a screenshot or PDF in your load file.

Step 1: check the company in ARES by IČO

Open ARES and search by IČO (8 digits). If you only have a DIČ, resolve the IČO on the same site first.

Confirm the legal name and seat against the contract and invoice on booking day.

Step 2: check the transport licence in RPSD by IČO

Open RPSD road transport operator search (Search of a road transport operator). In Quick search, enter the IČO in the Enter text field and press Search.

Results show Name, Registration number, Legal form of business, Street, Number, City. Open the operator and read haulage scopes (Haulage <= 3,5t / Haulage > 3,5t), vehicle count, and eurolicence validity (number, kind CARGO, active copies, valid from/until).

An active ARES entry with no valid RPSD concession is a reason to pause before you assign the load.

Step 3: check VAT status in VIES by DIČ

Open VIES and search the DIČ.

VIES confirms whether the VAT number is currently active and returns the registered name for that ID.

Match the name against ARES and the invoice entity before payment.

What else to look for in the remaining registers

Beyond the main steps above, run these additional checks before you commit to the load.

ARES at ARES by IČO (8 digits): resolve IČO from DIČ on the same site when needed.
RŽP trade register where sole traders appear.
RPSD: haulage scopes Haulage <= 3,5t / Haulage > 3,5t, vehicle count, eurolicence validity.
Advanced search and Search by Community licences are available on the same RPSD page when Quick search is not enough.
VIES active status and name match to ARES and invoice.
ČKP (plate): search by SPZ at CKP plate insurance search. The form uses reCAPTCHA v2.

Czech IČO, DIČ and plate formats

IČO: 8 digits; primary key in ARES and RPSD.
DIČ: CZ prefix plus up to 10 digits; resolve to IČO when the register mapping is available.
RŽP: relevant for živnost sole traders not always visible in ARES company search.
Plates: standard Czech format for ČKP MTPL lookup when provided.

What ARES alone does not prove

Valid road transport concession in RPSD for heavy goods.
Current eurolicence for international lanes.
ČKP MTPL without vehicle registration numbers.
That RŽP trade licence covers freight if the entity is a sole trader.

Example mismatch on Czech lanes

Booking contact sends only a DIČ. ARES shows active s.r.o. since 2019. RPSD shows concession expired three months ago while eurolicence PDF in email still looks valid. VIES is active. The gap is licence validity, not company existence.

Documents to request from the carrier

Czech carriers may send ARES printouts in Czech only and RPSD exports without concession end date highlighted. Ask for RPSD line showing concession type and expiry on booking day.

ARES extract or equivalent company confirmation dated to booking.
RPSD licence or concession proof for the operator IČO.
VIES printout for the invoice DIČ.
Insurance confirmation when plates are not yet known.
Contract and invoice on the same ARES legal name.

Email and domain checks

Czech bookings sometimes use .cz domains registered to a Prague seat while ARES seat is in a different kraj. Seat mismatch plus expired RPSD is a common double signal.

Domain registration age versus ARES incorporation date.
Website address matches register seat, not an unrelated country TLD.
Booking email not only freemail when RPSD shows a multi-vehicle operator.
Phone number region consistent with ARES address.

Limits of a Czech carrier check

Fresh IČO assignments after company split can lag in DIČ-to-IČO resolution. Retry on booking day rather than reusing last week’s ARES PDF.

ARES confirms the entity exists; it does not prove current insurance without plates or documents.
ČKP MTPL check needs plates.
RPSD lines need careful reading for concession type and expiry.
DIČ-to-IČO resolution can fail on fresh registrations: retry on booking day.

Red flags and common mistakes

ARES active but RPSD shows no valid concession

May indicate a company outside road haulage or a lapsed operator. Clear before you assign the load.

Eurolicence expired in RPSD

International lanes need current EU licence data. Do not rely on an old PDF from email.

ČKP policy on different IČO than ARES

Insurance must sit on the entity you contract with. Ask for an updated policy.

Fresh domain on a Czech operator with old ARES record

Common after IT refresh, but also seen in impersonation. Confirm contact through an independently found or previously confirmed channel.

When you do not want to repeat this for every load

Send IČO or DIČ, country CZ, email, and plates when available. Certica maps identifiers to ARES and RPSD and runs ČKP when plates are present.

Eurolicence and concession expiry read from RPSD, not inferred from email PDFs.
DIČ-to-IČO resolution handled before register and licence fetches.
Domain and website compared with ARES registered seat.

Certica

Don't want to do this on every booking?

Certica pulls data from the same registers, checks it, and shows a clear result: what is OK, and what needs clarifying before loading.

Check 20 carriers for free

Official sources

FAQ

How do I check a Czech transport company register?

Use ARES at ARES. Search by IČO (8 digits). If you only have a DIČ, resolve the IČO on the same site. Confirm legal name and seat match the booking paperwork on the day you approve the carrier.

Where do I verify a Czech carrier licence?

Road transport operators appear in RPSD at RPSD road transport operator search. Use Quick search with the IČO, press Search, open the operator, and read haulage scopes, vehicle count, and eurolicence validity on booking day.

What is on a Czech carrier verification checklist?

ARES company register, RPSD licence, RŽP where relevant, VIES, ČKP with plates (reCAPTCHA on the plate search), plus email and domain checks against ARES.

How do I verify a Czech carrier before assigning the load?

Run register, RPSD, VIES, and contact checks together on booking day. One mismatch means pause and review, not automatic rejection.