Can I take wood from the forest in Czechia?
Brushwood yes, timber no. The Forest Act lets everyone hand-collect dry brushwood lying on the ground — fallen branches up to 7 cm diameter at the thick end — for personal use, even in private forests. Anything thicker (trunks, logs, chainsaw work, hauling by trailer) counts as timber extraction, allowed only to the owner or with their consent — without it, it's theft. For cheap firewood, ask the owner: the state forest company (Lesy ČR) sells "self-harvest" — marked wood you process yourself for a token price. Never fell anything, dead or alive — even a standing dry tree belongs to the owner.
📋 The rules
- Brushwood to 7 cm at the thick end, dry and fallen: free to collect for own use
- Hand collection only — no saws, axes or trailers
- Thicker wood: only with the owner's consent (self-harvest schemes)
- Felling anything — dry trees included — is banned without consent
- Collecting brushwood for sale needs the owner's consent
🔓 Exceptions
- Owners may temporarily restrict collection (logging, fenced areas, storm damage)
- Self-harvest: the owner marks wood and a price, you process it yourself
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Taking wood beyond brushwood: property misdemeanour or theft (criminal above CZK 10,000). Forest Act violations: fines to CZK 15,000 from the forest administration.
📎 Official sources
- České stavby · Brushwood yes, timber no (CS) →
- dTest · Carrying wood from forests has rules (CS) →
- Lesy ČR · Forest-owner FAQ (CS) →
❓ Frequently asked
What exactly is brushwood?
Dry branches fallen to the ground, up to 7 cm diameter at the thick end — not trunks, logs or freshly cut limbs.
May I take a storm-felled trunk?
No — trunks are the owner's timber however they fell. After storms, forest entry is often banned entirely.
How does self-harvest work?
The owner (e.g. Lesy ČR via the district forester) marks wood, you agree a per-m³ price and process it yourself — legal, cheap firewood.
Can I use a chainsaw on brushwood?
Collection is meant to be by hand; sawing in someone's forest without consent exceeds the collection right.
Same rules in municipal forests?
Yes — state, municipal and private forests follow the same rules.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “collect firewood czech forest”
- “brushwood rules czechia”
- “take fallen branches czech law”
- “self harvest wood lesy cr”
- “forest wood theft czech”