Firearm registration (CRAF)

The CRAF (Certificado de Registro de Arma de Fogo, the firearm registration certificate) is the document issued by the Polícia Federal (PF, Federal Police) proving that the firearm is registered in Sinarm (Sistema Nacional de Armas, the national firearms system) in your name. It is mandatory: without a CRAF, the store does not hand over the firearm and possession is irregular. For anyone who bought a firearm for personal defense, the CRAF is valid for five years and only authorizes keeping the firearm at home or at the workplace, if you are the owner or legal representative of the establishment.

What the CRAF is

Registration is required by art. 3º of Lei 10.826/2003. Art. 5º of the law and art. 23 of Decreto 11.615/2023 state what it allows:

• keeping the firearm inside the residence or its premises, including the entire registered private area of the property, built or not, also on rural property;
• keeping the firearm at the workplace, as long as you are the owner or legal representative of the establishment or company.

The CRAF does not authorize carrying or transporting the firearm. To take the firearm from one place to another, you need a guia de trânsito (transit permit); to carry it, you need a porte (carry permit).

CRAF validity

Under art. 24 of Decreto 11.615/2023:

• 5 years for a possession CRAF (personal defense) and for subsistence hunting;
• 5 years for private security companies;
• 3 years for a CRAF held by a collector, sport shooter or special hunter (CAC: colecionador, atirador desportivo e caçador);
• indefinite term for active members of certain public institutions.

The law requires the requirements to be proven again at intervals of no less than three years (art. 5º, § 2º). The expiry date appears on the CRAF itself and can be checked on the PF document authenticity page.

Who needs it

Anyone who bought a permitted-use firearm with a PF purchase authorization. The registration is also issued at the end of a transfer between private individuals and in inheritance cases, after PF authorization.

Common mistakes that delay the application

• Missing the 15-day deadline after the invoice: registration is denied and the purchase process starts over.
• An invoice with a serial number or caliber different from the authorization.
• Assuming the purchase authorization is already the registration.
• Taking the firearm home without the transit permit issued with the CRAF.

After registration

• Keep the CRAF with the firearm, in a safe or secure locked place, away from minors under 18 and legally incapable persons (failing to take care is a crime, art. 13 of the law).
• Keep your details up to date: the holder must report changes in personal data to the PF within 15 days (art. 20 of the decree). A change of address requires updating the registration and, to move the firearm, a transit permit.
• Theft, robbery or loss: file a police report (boletim de ocorrência) and notify the PF.
• Replacement: to update details or replace a lost document, request a replacement (R$ 88,00).
• Renewal: start before expiry. See the registration renewal guide.

What changed recently

• 21/07/2023: Decreto 11.615/2023 reduced the validity of the possession CRAF to 5 years (previously 10 years). Under art. 80, the new term applies to current CRAFs in which, on the date of the decree, less than half of the original term had elapsed. The PF advises requesting a replacement to obtain the document with the updated validity.
• 21/02/2024: the PF updated its guidance on the new 5-year validity and on the fee table.
• 2026: the official registration service page was updated on 24/07/2026 and confirms the 5-year validity and the issuance of the CRAF and transit permit at the end of the process.

Disclaimer

This guide is for information only and does not replace the official rules or advice from a professional. Rules change: before any application, check the current version of Lei 10.826/2003 (Estatuto do Desarmamento, the Disarmament Statute), Decreto 11.615/2023 (with the amendments of Decreto 12.345/2024), Instrução Normativa 201/2021-DG/PF (a PF normative instruction) and the official service pages on gov.br and on the Polícia Federal website.