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Self-defense

Transfer of firearm ownership

Selling, donating or inheriting a firearm between private individuals needs prior Polícia Federal approval. The recipient must meet purchase requirements.

Required documents

  • From the recipient: the Sinarm electronic transfer application, completed and signed
  • From the recipient: identity document and CPF (Brazilian taxpayer number)
  • From the recipient: clean record certificates from the Federal, State (or District), Military and Electoral Courts, according to the Polícia Federal (Federal Police) list for your state
  • From the recipient: proof of lawful occupation and of a fixed residence, issued within the last 60 days
  • From the recipient: psychological assessment report and proof of technical capability from professionals accredited by the PF, up to one year old
  • From the recipient: proof of payment of the fee (GRU, the federal payment slip)
  • From the transferor: identification document
  • From the transferor: a document proving the intention to transfer the firearm (for example, a purchase and sale contract or a donation agreement), signed by both parties
  • In case of inheritance or incapacitation: a court authorization (alvará judicial), or an authorization signed by all adult, legally capable heirs, with their identification documents

Step by step

  1. Agree on the deal, but do not hand over the firearm

    The firearm stays with the registered owner until the Polícia Federal (PF) authorizes the transfer. Handing it over earlier may constitute illegal possession or carrying for both parties. If the application is denied, the original owner remains responsible for the firearm.

  2. Check the CRAF and the status of the firearm

    Ask the seller for the CRAF (Certificado de Registro de Arma de Fogo, the firearm registration certificate) and verify its authenticity on the PF website. Expired registrations, or those with a theft, robbery, loss or seizure report, are not transferred without proof of release. The firearm must be of permitted use for personal defense.

  3. The recipient gets the assessments and gathers the documents

    The buyer or donee takes the psychological assessment and the shooting test with professionals accredited by the PF and obtains the certificates and proofs, as in a new purchase.

  4. Formalize the intention to transfer

    Prepare a document, signed by both parties, showing the intention to sell or donate the firearm, with the firearm's details (serial number, Sinarm number, make, model and caliber).

  5. Fill in the application in Sinarm

    The person receiving the firearm accesses the Transferir Propriedade de Arma de Fogo service on gov.br with a silver or gold account, chooses the category, fills in the application, prints and pays the GRU (federal payment slip).

  6. Attach the documents and follow up

    Upload them at the end of the application or under Consultar Andamento de Processos (check case status). The PF may request extra documents, an interview or a scheduled appointment.

  7. Once approved, print the CRAF and the transit permit

    Once the transfer is authorized, the recipient prints the new CRAF in their name and the guia de trânsito (transit permit). Only then is the firearm handed over and transported, unloaded, to the new storage location.

    Where to file the request: Transferir propriedade de arma de fogo (transfer firearm ownership) on gov.br

Understand the service

Transfer of ownership is the request to the Polícia Federal (PF, Federal Police) for a registered firearm to pass legally from one person to another, by sale, donation or inheritance. The rule is in art. 4º, § 5º, of Lei 10.826/2003 and art. 22 of Decreto 11.615/2023: every transfer between private individuals requires prior authorization from the PF, and the recipient must meet the same requirements as someone buying a new firearm.

What transfer of ownership is

It is the process, carried out in Sinarm (Sistema Nacional de Armas, the national firearms system), that changes the holder of a firearm's registration. At the end, the PF issues a new CRAF (Certificado de Registro de Arma de Fogo, the firearm registration certificate) in the recipient's name and the guia de trânsito (transit permit) to take the firearm to the new address.

Key points:

  • the firearm may only be handed over after authorization (art. 22, § 2º, of the decree);
  • if the application is denied, the original owner remains responsible for the firearm;
  • the application is filed by the person receiving the firearm;
  • restricted-use firearms and firearms in Sigma (the Exército, Brazilian Army, system) follow their own procedures.

Who needs it

  • Anyone who will sell or donate a registered firearm to another private individual.
  • Anyone who will buy or receive a used firearm.
  • The estate administrator or the guardian, when the firearm owner dies or is declared incapacitated.

The recipient must be 25 or older and have clean record certificates, a lawful occupation, a fixed residence, a psychological assessment report and a shooting test, and must declare a genuine need. For personal defense, the limit is two firearms per person (art. 15, § 2º, of the decree).

Inherited firearm: what to do

When the owner of a firearm registered with the PF dies or is declared incapacitated, art. 29 of Decreto 11.615/2023 requires the estate administrator or guardian to:

  1. Notify the PF within 90 days of the death or incapacitation.
  2. Choose between transferring the firearm to an heir or third party who meets the requirements, through a court authorization (alvará judicial) or an authorization signed by all adult, legally capable heirs, or surrendering the firearm to the PF in exchange for compensation.
  3. Keep the firearm in a safe place until the new CRAF is issued.

Inheriting the firearm does not waive the requirements: the heir who wants to keep it must meet everything required of a buyer. If the firearm had no federal registration, the PF's guidance is to surrender it in the disarmament campaign.

Common mistakes that delay the application

  • Handing over the firearm before authorization.
  • Buying a firearm with an expired registration or with a theft or loss report.
  • A document of intention without both parties' signatures or without the firearm's details.
  • A buyer without valid assessment reports or with expired proofs.
  • Heirs who do not notify the PF within 90 days.

Beware of scams

Be wary of anyone who wants to hand over the firearm before authorization, without a CRAF, without an invoice or online without identification. Buying or receiving a firearm without authorization is a crime (art. 14 of Lei 10.826/2003), and a firearm with a scratched or altered serial number can never be regularized.

After the transfer

With the new CRAF, the firearm is yours, valid for 5 years for possession. Store it in a safe or secure place, update your details with the PF when you move and renew before expiry.

What changed recently

  • 21/07/2023: Decreto 11.615/2023 kept the prior authorization, applied all purchase requirements to the buyer and set 90 days to report the death or incapacitation of the firearm owner.
  • 29/11/2024: Portaria Conjunta COLOG/C Ex e DPA/PF nº 1 (a joint Army and PF ordinance) began to govern the transfer of restricted-caliber firearms for the categories allowed to own them.
  • 2026: the official service page was updated on 09/09/2026, with a fee of R$ 88,00, average review of 30 calendar days and the warning that handing over the firearm before authorization may constitute a crime.

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.

Sources

Regulations and official pages used in this guide. Always check the version in force.

Frequently asked questions

Direct answers to the most common questions about this service.

Can I sell my firearm to another person?

Yes, as long as the Polícia Federal (Federal Police) authorizes it before the handover. The buyer must meet the same requirements as for a new purchase, such as being 25, certificates, a psychological assessment report, a shooting test and a genuine need.

Who files the firearm transfer application: the seller or the buyer?

The application is filled in by the person receiving the firearm, in Sinarm (the national firearms system). The seller provides an identification document and a document signed by both parties proving the intention to transfer.

How much does it cost to transfer a firearm?

The PF fee is R$ 88,00, paid by GRU (the federal payment slip) by the person receiving the firearm. Add the psychological assessment, the shooting test and the recipient's certificates.

Can I hand over the firearm before PF authorization?

No. The handover may only take place after authorization, under art. 22 of Decreto 11.615/2023. Handing it over earlier may constitute the crime of illegal possession or carrying.

I inherited a firearm. What should I do?

The estate administrator must notify the PF within 90 days of the death. The firearm can be transferred to an heir who meets the requirements, with a court authorization or an authorization from all adult, legally capable heirs, or surrendered to the PF for compensation.

How long does a firearm transfer take?

The official page estimates about 30 calendar days of review. Requests for documents or an interview may extend this time.

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