Flying with a firearm: checked weapons and armed boarding (SISCAER)

To fly with a firearm on a domestic flight in Brazil, the rule is to check it: you generate the Guia de Despacho de Arma de Fogo (GDAF, the firearm check-in form) in SISCAER, a Polícia Federal (Federal Police) system, validate the form at the airport PF office and hand over the unloaded, packed firearm at check-in so it travels in the hold. Carrying the firearm in the cabin (embarque armado, armed boarding) is an exception, only for public officers with an official carry permit who prove they need the firearm during the flight. The PF service is free.

What SISCAER is and which rules apply

Transporting firearms on civil aircraft follows Resolução ANAC nº 461/2018 (a resolution of ANAC, the civil aviation agency), in force since 07/28/2018, and, within the PF, IN DG/PF nº 272/2024. Since the resolution, control has been computerized by the PF, in SISCAER (the PF system for authorizations of firearms on aircraft).

There are two forms:

• GDAF: Guia de Despacho de Arma de Fogo, for the firearm to travel in the hold.
• GEPAR: Guia de Embarque de Passageiro Armado, for the firearm to travel with the passenger in the cabin.

Who may check a firearm and who may board armed

Checking: any passenger whose firearm and transport are legal. In practice, this means a registered firearm and a valid carry permit, or a transport authorization for the route (guia de trânsito, the PF transit permit, or, for a CAC (colecionador, atirador desportivo e caçador: collector, sport shooter and hunter), the Guia de Tráfego Especial, the special traffic permit from Sinarm-CAC). There is no legal limit on checked firearms, but each GDAF holds up to 6.

Armed boarding: only public officers who both carry a firearm by reason of their position and can prove they need access to it between the departure lounge and disembarkation. The need is limited to:

• escorting an authority or witness;
• escorting a passenger in custody;
• carrying out a surveillance technique;
• traveling to an operation that would be harmed if the firearm were checked.

Retired officers and reservists may not board armed. Each authorized passenger carries at most 2 unloaded handguns, with 1 main load and 2 spare loads per firearm, or up to 2 precision rifles, unloaded, disassembled and in a locked case.

Step by step for checking a firearm

1. Before generating the form

Have at hand the firearm registration, the carry permit or transport permit and the flight booking. The name on the form must be identical to the one on the ticket. On the form, enter the airline that operates the flight, which may differ from the one that sold the ticket (codeshare).

2. Filling it in on SISCAER

Open the Despachar Arma de Fogo (Check a Firearm) service on gov.br and log in with your gov.br account (bronze, silver or gold level). Enter:

• personal details;
• flight: operating airline, number, airports, connections and booking code;
• each firearm: Sinarm or Sigma number, type, make, caliber and serial number;
• number of the carry permit or transit permit.

All outbound legs go on one form; the return needs another. The PDF with the copies arrives by email. Print everything.

3. Packing and ammunition

• The firearm travels unloaded: no ammunition in the cylinder (revolver) or no magazine and no round in the chamber (pistol and semiautomatics).
• Pack it in a rigid case that can be sealed, in the airline's envelope (firearm separate from ammunition and magazines) or, for a long gun, in its own packaging that can be sealed.
• Checked ammunition is limited to 5 kg per passenger. Explosive and incendiary projectiles are prohibited.
• Airline staff may not handle the firearm or the ammunition.

4. Validation at the PF

Go to the PF office at the departure airport before check-in. The PF checks the form and documents and may ask to see the unloaded firearm. The list of validation locations is in the PF's frequently asked questions on firearms control on aircraft (updated on 02/19/2026).

The form can be validated in advance, even on another day, but the QR Code is only activated on the day of the flight.

5. Check-in, flight and destination

At the counter, hand over the sealed firearm and the copy of the form. When communication between SISCAER and the airline works, presenting the paper may be waived, and the PF tells you this at validation. At the destination, the firearm must be returned within 1 hour after the aircraft is chocked, discreetly and outside the restricted area.

Automatic validation

Holders of a carry permit by prerogative of office, a personal defense carry permit or an on-duty security guard carry permit, all valid, with a firearm validly registered in Sinarm (or in Sigma, when the integration works), may have the GDAF validated automatically, without going to the PF. To do so:

• complete a first in-person validation at the airport PF office;
• do not change, on later forms, your official details or the firearm details.

The in-person validation is valid for 2 years. Automatic validation does not apply to armed boarding forms or to those traveling only with a transit or traffic permit.

International flights

Armed boarding is prohibited on international flights, except under treaties. Checking follows the same procedure as on domestic flights, but also requires authorization to take the firearm abroad (Resolução ANAC 461/2018 mentions the one from the Comando do Exército, the Brazilian Army Command). The laws of the destination country and the airline's rules, which may be stricter, also apply.

Loss and damage

• Firearm not returned within 1 hour after chocking: lost in transit (extravio). The airline notifies you, the PF and the airports, and reimburses your expenses.
• Firearm not returned in the same condition 48 hours after disembarkation: loss or destruction. Within 14 days, the airline returns the firearm in its original condition or pays the market value.

Common mistakes that delay boarding

• Name on the form different from the name on the ticket.
• Wrong airline on the form for a codeshare flight.
• Form missing connection legs, or outbound and return on the same form.
• Not printing the copies.
• Arriving at the PF with the firearm loaded or without suitable packaging.
• Transit or traffic permit expired or with a route different from the flight.
• Arriving at the last minute: validation and check-in add up.

Recent changes

• June 2, 2026: the PF updated its official answers on firearms control on aircraft, including automatic validation of check-in forms and advance validation with the QR Code activated only on the day of the flight.
• February 19, 2026: new list of locations for validating forms.
• July 1, 2025: the PF took over CAC registration from the Exército (Brazilian Army). The Guia de Tráfego Especial, used by CACs to transport firearms, began to be issued in Sinarm-CAC (IN DG/PF nº 311/2025).
• February 21, 2024: IN DG/PF nº 272/2024 began to regulate, within the PF, armed boarding and checking through SISCAER.

Disclaimer

This guide is for information only and does not replace the official rules or guidance from the Polícia Federal and the airline. Rules change: always check the current version of Resolução ANAC nº 461/2018, IN DG/PF nº 272/2024, Lei 10.826/2003, Decreto 11.615/2023 and IN DG/PF nº 311/2025 before traveling.