Firearms legislation

Firearms legislation in Brazil has three layers: Lei 10.826/2003 (Estatuto do Desarmamento, the Disarmament Statute), which sets the general rules; Decreto 11.615/2023, which details them; and the normative instructions and portarias (ordinances) of the Polícia Federal (Federal Police), which define the procedures. Understanding this order avoids most mistakes in registration, carry and CAC (colecionador, atirador desportivo e caçador: collector, sport shooter and hunter) applications.

What each rule is

Lei 10.826/2003 (Estatuto do Desarmamento)

This is the foundation. It creates Sinarm (Sistema Nacional de Armas, the national firearms system), sets the requirements to own a firearm (minimum age of 25, good standing, lawful occupation, fixed residence, technical capacity and psychological aptitude), distinguishes posse (possession) from porte (carry), sets the fees (art. 11 and Anexo), covers voluntary surrender (arts. 31 and 32) and defines the crimes (arts. 12 to 21-A).

Decreto 11.615/2023

Regulates the law. Among other points, it:

• requires concrete proof of effective need, which is not presumed;
• allows up to two firearms for personal defense and up to 50 rounds per firearm, per year;
• sets the validity of the CRAF (Certificado de Registro de Arma de Fogo, the firearm registration certificate): five years for possession and three years for CAC;
• ordered the transfer of CAC oversight from the Exército (Brazilian Army) to the Polícia Federal.

It was amended by Decreto 12.345, of 30 December 2024, which created the category of high-performance sport shooter, redefined collection and historical firearms, tightened security rules for shooting entities and banned CACs from transporting firearms on election day and in the 24 hours before and after.

In 2025, the Supremo Tribunal Federal (STF, the Supreme Court) declared Decreto 11.615/2023 constitutional in ruling ADC 85.

Other decrees

• Decreto 10.030/2019: Regulamento de Produtos Controlados (controlled products regulation), still applied by the Army in the parts not revoked.
• Decreto 9.847/2019: remains in force only in the provisions not revoked by Decreto 11.615/2023.

Polícia Federal rules

• IN DG/PF 201/2021: Sinarm procedures (purchase, registration, renewal, carry, transit permit, appeals).
• IN DG/PF 311/2025: collecting, sport shooting and exceptional hunting under Polícia Federal oversight, amended by IN DG/PF 322/2025.
• Portaria DG/PF 19.040/2025: schedule for the start of CAC services at the Polícia Federal.
• IN DG/PF 310/2025: on-duty carry for municipal guards.
• Portaria Conjunta C Ex/DG-PF 2/2023, consolidated with Portaria Conjunta 4/2025: permitted and restricted calibers.
• Portaria DG/PF 18.988/2024: issue of the CRPF and CRPJ.
• Portaria Interministerial MESP/MJSP 30/2025: recognition of shooting confederations and leagues and classification of high-performance shooters.
• IN DG/PF 111/2017 (firearms and shooting instructors) and IN DG/DPF 78/2014 (accredited psychologists).
• Portaria MJ 797/2011 and Portaria MJ 2.969/2012: procedure and compensation amounts for voluntary surrender.

Who needs to know them

Anyone who owns or wants to own a firearm for personal defense, CACs, professionals in the sector and heirs of firearms. Each group follows its own rules: personal defense follows IN 201/2021; CAC follows IN 311/2025.

Step by step to read the rules

1. Open the consolidated law on the Planalto website and find the topic (registration, carry, fees, surrender).
2. Look for the same topic in the consolidated Decreto 11.615/2023.
3. Find the normative instruction for the procedure on the Polícia Federal legislation page.
4. Check the update date of each text.

Common mistakes

• Reading an old version of the law or a revoked decree (for example, Decretos 9.845, 9.846 and 9.847 of 2019, almost all replaced).
• Confusing posse (a firearm at home or at work) with porte (carrying a firearm outside those places).
• Following advice from social media without checking the official rule.
• Ignoring that CAC rules now come from the Polícia Federal, no longer from the Army.

What changed recently

• 31 December 2024: publication of Decreto 12.345/2024, which amended Decreto 11.615/2023.
• June 2025: the STF upheld Decreto 11.615/2023 in ADC 85.
• 27 June 2025: IN DG/PF 311/2025 and Portaria DG/PF 19.040/2025, for CAC services at the Polícia Federal.
• 1 July 2025: the Polícia Federal took over oversight of CAC firearms from the Army. Ammunition and accessories initially stayed with the Army.
• 18 July 2025: Portaria Conjunta 4/2025 changed the caliber list.
• 22 December 2025: Lei 15.306/2025 extended carry to the legislative police of the state Legislative Assemblies and of the Federal District Legislative Chamber.
• 23 December 2025: IN DG/PF 322/2025 kept the ten-year validity for CAC CRs issued or renewed while Decreto 9.846/2019 was in force.
• 24 March 2026: Lei 15.358/2026 (Marco Legal do Combate ao Crime Organizado, the legal framework against organized crime) added art. 21-A to the Statute: penalties increased by two thirds for the crimes in arts. 12, 14 and 16 when linked to drug trafficking.
• April 2026: the Polícia Federal set a staggered calendar, by birthday month, for renewing CAC CRAFs issued before 21 July 2023.
• 9 June 2026: Decreto 13.012/2026 regulated Lei 14.967/2024 (Estatuto da Segurança Privada, the private security statute), with effects on the firearms of security companies.
• 23 July 2026: Lei 15.474/2026 authorized the purchase and possession of plant extract spray (pepper spray) for women's personal defense, with its own rules.

Notice

This guide is for information only and does not replace the official text of the rules or advice from a professional. Rules change often: before any application, check the current version of Lei 10.826/2003 (Estatuto do Desarmamento), Decreto 11.615/2023 (with the changes from Decreto 12.345/2024) and the Polícia Federal normative instructions, such as IN DG/PF 201/2021 and IN DG/PF 311/2025 (amended by IN DG/PF 322/2025).