Brazil's Supreme Court Upholds Suspension of São Paulo App Mototaxi Law

Overview

• In a virtual session on Monday, the Supreme Federal Court formed a majority to keep the São Paulo state law suspended, with voting set to close at 11:59 p.m.
• Relator Alexandre de Moraes argued the statute conflicts with federal rules and creates disproportionate barriers to a lawful activity, risking a shift to clandestine services that could endanger consumers.
• Ministers Dias Toffoli, Edson Fachin, Cármen Lúcia, André Mendonça, Flávio Dino, and Cristiano Zanin joined Moraes’s position, forming the majority.
• The challenged law, sanctioned on June 23, 2025, conditioned app‑mediated motorcycle passenger transport on prior municipal authorization and delegated regulation to municipalities.
• The case stems from an action by the National Confederation of Services, and the Court’s majority validated Moraes’s September injunction that halted the state measure.