TRF1 Keeps Brazil’s Overhauled Driver-Licensing Rules in Force Nationwide

Overview

• Appellate judge João Batista Moreira of TRF1 suspended a Mato Grosso injunction on December 23, restoring nationwide application of the CNH do Brasil program.
• Drivers with no infractions in the renewal year qualify for automatic renewal, with medical exams required only when entering new age bands at 50, 60 and annually from 70.
• The reform ends mandatory in-person theory classes by offering a free online course with no minimum hours and cuts the minimum practical training from 20 to 2 hours.
• Candidates may train with autonomous instructors or in their own regularized vehicles, subject to age limits of up to 8 years for motorcycles, 12 for cars and 20 for cargo vehicles.
• State enforcement continues in parallel: Detran-DF imposed one-year suspensions on 1,823 drivers (108 for DUI and 1,715 for breathalyzer refusal), while Detran-MS published four notices with appeal deadlines of January 31, 2026 and penalties starting February 15, 2026 for non-responders, and reported its first license issued under the new rules in a pilot phase.