Brazil Launches CNH Overhaul With New App, Ending Mandatory Driving School

Overview

• The government is set to publish the Contran resolution in the Diário Oficial after a Palácio do Planalto event launching the CNH do Brasil app, making the new rules effective immediately.
• Theoretical instruction will be free and online via the app, the minimum practical training drops from 20 to 2 hours, candidates may use credentialed independent instructors or autoescolas, and there is no longer a one‑year deadline to complete the process.
• Core in‑person steps remain required, including biometrics, medical exams, and the mandatory theory and road tests, which will be standardized nationwide with official simulators in the app.
• Drivers with no infractions in the year before renewal will receive a “good driver” seal and qualify for automatic, free CNH renewal, without changing the document’s validity period.
• Autoescolas have staged protests and opposition lawmakers filed a decree project to revoke the Contran act, while separate ciclomotor rules move toward full enforcement by January 2026.