Brazil's Supreme Court upholds shorter CR and CRAF validity: what changes for CACs
CAC CRAF validity: on September 26, 2026, Brazil's STF upheld the 3 and 5 year periods for older registrations too. Who is affected and what to do.
Photo: Pedro França/Agência Senado, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.On September 26, 2026, the Supreme Federal Court (Supremo Tribunal Federal, STF) ruled that the shorter validity periods in Decree 11.615/2023 (Decreto 11.615/2023) also apply to firearm registrations issued before it. For CACs (collectors, sport shooters and exceptional hunters), the Firearm Registration Certificate (CRAF) is valid for 3 years; in other cases, for 5 years. The ruling has general repercussion, meaning it binds other courts (STF Theme 1483, Tema 1483).
Warning: this text is for information only and does not replace legal advice or the Federal Police (Polícia Federal, PF).
What did the STF decide?
The case was decided in the Virtual Plenary, in Extraordinary Appeals (Recursos Extraordinários, REs) 1616922 and 1616090, filed by the Federal Government. The session began on September 18, 2026, and the decision appears in the case record of RE 1616922 on September 26, 2026.
The thesis set was: "The reduction of the validity periods of the Registration Certificate (CR) and of the Firearm Registration Certificate (CRAF) provided for in Decree No. 11.615/2023 is constitutional, and these periods also apply to certificates issued under the previous regulations, subject to the relevant transition rules".
According to the case record, general repercussion was recognized unanimously and, on the merits, case law was reaffirmed "by majority", with no vote from Justice André Mendonça. The STF news release of October 9, 2026 describes the ruling as unanimous.
Why did the case reach the STF?
The Federal Regional Court of the 5th Region (Tribunal Regional Federal da 5ª Região, TRF-5) had kept the original 10 year periods for certificates already issued. For the TRF-5, the new period would only apply at the next renewals.
The STF President, Justice Edson Fachin, recalled that the Court had already upheld the decree in Declaratory Action of Constitutionality (Ação Declaratória de Constitucionalidade, ADC) 85. According to him, the validity period "is not a right definitively incorporated into the holders' assets", as reported in the official STF news release.
Who is affected and what should they do?
The ruling requires compliance with "the relevant transition rules". As of October 19, 2026, these were:
Document | Rule in force | What to do |
|---|---|---|
CAC CRAF issued before July 21, 2023 | 3 years counted from July 21, 2023 (article 80, sole paragraph, of the decree); renewal under the IN 330 calendar | Apply for renewal by the date set for your birth month |
Ownership CRAF issued before the decree | 5 years, if on July 21, 2023 less than half of the original period had passed (article 80) | Request a duplicate to get the document with the new validity, as the PF advises on the CRAF with new validity |
CAC CR granted or revalidated under Decree 9.846/2019 | Keeps the period originally granted (PF Normative Instruction DG/PF No. 322, Official Gazette of January 5, 2026) | Check the date on the CR itself |
The STF ruling did not revoke IN 322. As of October 19, 2026, the Official Gazette (Diário Oficial da União) had no new PF rule issued after the ruling.
CACs born in October have until November 3, 2026 to apply for renewal of an older CRAF. See the full calendar in CAC CRAF renewal in 2026.
What if the CRAF has already expired?
Under article 26 of Decree 11.615, the PF notifies the owner, who has 60 days to renew, transfer or surrender the firearm. See what to do with an expired CRAF.
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