Firearm purchase authorization for CACs

The purchase authorization (autorização de aquisição) is the prior permission from the Polícia Federal (Federal Police) for a collector, sport shooter or exceptional hunter to buy a firearm for their collection. Without it, no store can sell. The application is made on Portal PF, costs R$ 25,00, the authorization is valid for 180 days and the purchase must respect the limits of your activity and level.

What it is

Under IN DG/PF 311/2025 (art. 52), acquisition is any way of obtaining a firearm that changes its ownership. Purchases from a store or manufacturer follow this guide; purchases from another CAC (colecionador, atirador desportivo e caçador: collector, sport shooter and hunter) follow the transfer guide.

The authorization is personal and non-transferable and is only valid for the stated activity. A firearm bought for sport shooting, for example, may only be used for sport shooting (Decreto 11.615/2023, art. 31, § 2).

Who can buy

• Hold a valid CR (Certificado de Registro, the CAC registration certificate) in the activity.
• Be 25 or older.
• Be within the firearm limit for the activity and level.
• Shooters: prove regular practice (habitualidade), except in the first 12 months of CR.

Limits by activity and level

Sport shooter

For level 3, buying a restricted-use firearm is exceptional, with up to 6.000 cartridges per year for these firearms, within the limits the sport requires. The PF may authorize permitted-use firearms above the limit, with justification tied to training and competitions.

Exceptional hunter

Up to 6 firearms, of which 2 restricted-use, and up to 500 rounds per firearm per year (Decreto 11.615/2023, art. 39), always tied to authorization from Ibama (the federal environmental agency) for control of invasive wildlife.

Collector

One firearm of each type, make, model, variant, caliber and origin. Automatic firearms or semiautomatic long guns of restricted caliber manufactured less than 70 years ago may not be collected, nor firearms identical to those in use by the Armed Forces. A collection firearm is not used for shooting.

Permitted or restricted use

In short, permitted-use firearms are handguns whose standard ammunition has up to 407 joules at the muzzle, rifled repeating long guns up to 1.620 joules, repeating shotguns up to 12 gauge and .22 LR semiautomatic carbines (Decreto 11.615/2023, art. 11, as worded by Decreto 12.345/2024). Above that, and every automatic firearm or semiautomatic shotgun, is restricted use (art. 12). The classification of each caliber is in Portaria Conjunta C Ex/DG-PF nº 2/2023 and amendments.

Common mistakes that delay the application

• Requesting a firearm above your level's limit, or a restricted caliber without being level 3.
• Paying for the firearm before the authorization: if denied, you depend on cancelling the deal with the store.
• Letting the authorization expire (180 days) without buying.
• Incomplete proof of regular practice, after 12 months of CR.
• Invoice without verification code in the registration request.

After the purchase

• Store the firearm according to the DSA (Declaração de Segurança do Acervo, the collection security statement): safe or locked container, in a masonry room, unloaded.
• The firearm now counts toward your limit and, for shooters, toward the regular practice requirement by firearm type.
• The CRAF is valid for 3 years; renew it up to 30 days before expiry.

Recent changes

• 7/1/2025: the PF takes over CAC purchase authorizations; IN DG/PF 311/2025 in force.
• August 2025: acquisition and registration opened in Sinarm-CAC, state by state (Portaria DG/PF 19.040/2025).
• December 2024: Decreto 12.345/2024 creates the high-performance shooter category and makes .22 LR semiautomatic carbines permitted-use.
• October 2026: new acquisition and firearm registration applications move to Portal PF.

Who handles CACs today: Polícia Federal or Exército?

Since July 1, 2025, the Polícia Federal (PF) is the agency that grants the CR, authorizes purchases and transfers, registers collection firearms and issues the 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 Exército (Brazilian Army) keeps some roles: registration of shooting organizations, final review of restricted-use firearms (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 07/23/2026; and, for new applications, granting of CR, CR revalidation, purchase authorization and firearm 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 of applications started there, apostilamento (updating the records on your CR) and traffic permit.
• Email to the PF office for your area: firearm 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 then 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 (with the amendments of Decreto 12.345/2024), Instrução Normativa DG/PF nº 311/2025 (amended by IN DG/PF nº 322/2025) and the official Polícia Federal pages before making any application.