Gun transfer between CACs

A gun transfer between CACs (colecionador, atirador desportivo e caçador: collector, sport shooter and hunter) is the sale, donation or exchange of a gun registered in the collection of one collector, sport shooter or exceptional hunter to another. It requires prior authorization from the Polícia Federal (Federal Police), is requested by the person receiving the gun and only ends with the issuance of the new CRAF (Certificado de Registro de Arma de Fogo, the firearm registration certificate) in the buyer's name. Only then can the gun be handed over.

What it is

Under Decreto 11.615/2023 (art. 22) and IN DG/PF 311/2025 (arts. 62 to 65), the transfer of ownership of a permitted or restricted-use gun used for collecting, shooting or hunting, in any form (sale, donation, exchange), is subject to prior authorization from the PF (Federal Police). The process follows, where applicable, the same rules as buying from a store: the recipient must meet all purchase requirements.

There is also the transfer between collections of the same holder (for example, from hunting to shooting), which is a separate service, and the migrations between Sinarm-CAC, the self-defense Sinarm and the Army's Sigma, which follow a joint act of the Exército (Brazilian Army) and the PF.

Who needs it

• The recipient (buyer): files the application. Needs a valid CR (Certificado de Registro, the CAC registration certificate) for the activity, must be 25 or older and have room within the gun limit.
• The seller or donor: signs the transfer agreement and only hands over the gun after the new CRAF.

Limits the buyer must respect

• Level 1 shooter: up to 4 permitted-use guns; level 2: up to 8; level 3: up to 16, of which up to 4 restricted-use.
• High-performance shooter: up to 16, of which 8 restricted-use.
• Exceptional hunter: up to 6, of which 2 restricted-use.
• Collector: one of each type, make, model, variant, caliber and origin.
• A historical gun from a collection can only be transferred to another collection.

Common mistakes that delay the application

• Buyer with no room within the level limit, or without the level required for a restricted gun.
• Gun CRAF expired or with inconsistent data.
• Missing signed transfer agreement.
• Shooter without proof of regular practice after 12 months of holding the CR.
• Handing over the gun before the new CRAF, which leaves both parties in an irregular situation.

After the application

• The recipient checks the CRAF and stores the gun according to the DSA (Declaração de Segurança do Acervo, the collection security statement).
• The seller checks that the gun has left their collection in the system and keeps a copy of the agreement and the authorization.
• The new CRAF is valid for 3 years.

What changed recently

• 1/7/2025: the PF takes over authorization of CAC transfers (IN DG/PF 311/2025).
• 18 to 29/8/2025: ownership transfer opened at the PF, depending on the state (Portaria DG/PF 19.040/2025).
• December 2025: at a hearing in the Minas Gerais state legislature, the PF acknowledged delays in the transition and said fees still follow the Army's law.
• 2026: the official page indicates applications by email to the station. Services such as CR and purchase have already moved to the Portal PF; transfer was not yet among them in October 2026.

Who handles CACs today: Federal Police or Army?

Since July 1, 2025, the Polícia Federal (PF) is the agency that grants the CR, authorizes purchases and transfers, registers collection guns and issues the guia de tráfego (traffic permit) for CACs. The change was set out in Decreto 11.615/2023 and organized by Portaria DG/PF nº 19.040/2025, which opened the services in stages between July and August 2025. The detailed rules are in Instrução Normativa DG/PF nº 311/2025, in force since July 1, 2025.

The Army keeps some roles: registration of shooting entities, final review of restricted-use guns (after PF authorization), import and ammunition reloading. The fees for these services are still those of Lei 10.834/2003 (Taxa de Fiscalização de Produtos Controlados, the controlled products inspection fee).

Which system to use in October 2026

• Portal PF (portal.pf.gov.br, login with a silver or gold gov.br account): CRAF renewal since 23/07/2026; and, for new applications, CR issuance, CR revalidation, purchase authorization and gun registration with CRAF issuance (official pages updated in October 2026).
• Sinarm-CAC (servicos.pf.gov.br, a PF system inherited from the structure of the former SisGCorp): tracking applications started there, apostilamento (record amendments) and guia de tráfego.
• Email to the PF station in your district: gun transfer between CACs and change of shooter level, according to the official pages of these services.
• Army SisGCorp: stopped receiving CAC applications with the 2025 transition. Documents issued by the Army before that remain valid until they expire.

Disclaimer

This guide is for information only and does not replace the official rules or advice from a professional. Rules change often: check the current version of Lei 10.826/2003, Decreto 11.615/2023 (as amended by Decreto 12.345/2024), Instrução Normativa DG/PF nº 311/2025 (as amended by IN DG/PF nº 322/2025) and the official Polícia Federal pages before filing any application.