A Brazilian criminal record certificate (Certidão de Antecedentes Criminais) is issued by the Federal Police (Polícia Federal) and by the state Civil Police (Polícias Civis), and you can request it yourself. Antecedentes Criminais Brasil is a private service, not a government agency: we explain the route and help when it gets complicated, with the Hague apostille, sworn translation and issuance for people living abroad.
Quick answer: the Federal Court (Justiça Federal) criminal certificate is a judicial document, not a police one. You request it in the Unified Certificate (Certidão Unificada) system, choosing the certificate type and the Federal Regional Courts (TRFs) to search. A negative certificate is available for instant download and by email; if there is a positive hit, it is sent only by email, within six hours.
| Quick answer | |
|---|---|
| What you need | The certificate the recipient named: Federal Court (judicial), PF, state court or electoral |
| Where to get it | Federal Court: Certidão Unificada system; electoral: TSE portal; state: each Court of Justice |
| Time | Negative: instant download; positive hit: by email within six hours (per TRF1) |
| Cost | Not stated for the Federal Court system; PF certificate is free; our assistance from R$ 30 |
| Apostille | Only if the recipient requires it; ours from R$ 95, notary fee (cartório) extra |
The Federal Court criminal certificate (certidão criminal da Justiça Federal) is a judicial document: the source is the court, not the police. For that reason it differs from the criminal record certificate of the Federal Police or of the Civil Police, although both types are requested in similar situations. In the Federal Court, the request is made through the Unified Certificate system, where you choose the type of certificate and the Federal Regional Courts (Tribunais Regionais Federais, TRFs) searched. There are also the electoral crimes certificate, from the Electoral Court (Justiça Eleitoral), and the criminal certificates of the State Courts (Justiça Estadual), each with its own procedure.
In this guide: what the criminal judicial certificate reports, when it is positive or negative, how to request it, how long it takes and what to check before using it in Brazil or abroad.
Which certificate do you need
| Document | Issued by | Where to request |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal judicial certificate (Federal Court) | Federal Court | Unified Certificate system |
| Electoral crimes certificate (nada consta) | Electoral Court | TSE portal |
| State criminal certificate (criminal distribution, criminal enforcement) | Court of Justice of each state | Each court's service |
| Criminal records | Federal Police / Civil Police | Police service |
What the criminal judicial certificate is
It is a document issued within the Judiciary (Poder Judiciário). In the Federal Court, the reference is CJF Resolution No. 680/2020, of the Federal Justice Council (Conselho da Justiça Federal). Article 14 provides that the criminal judicial certificate must report:
- proceedings of criminal classes in progress; and
- archived proceedings with a final criminal conviction (sentença penal condenatória transitada em julgado), until the record of serving or extinguishing the imposed sentence is entered.
It follows its own rules on which proceedings are reported, and should not be read as a generic statement about all of a person's records. Article 15, in turn, defines when the certificate is positive.
Proceeding in progress and final conviction
A proceeding in progress is one still under way. It is part of what the certificate reports (art. 14), but the existence of a proceeding should not be confused with a definitive conviction. Trânsito em julgado (finality) means a decision that has become definitive, with no appeal available through the ordinary routes.
What it is for and what the recipient calls it
The document presents criminal judicial information within the Federal Court. An institution may ask for a "certidão judicial criminal", a "certidão negativa criminal da Justiça Federal" or a "certidão de antecedentes criminais da Justiça Federal". These names are not equivalent without checking the issuing authority and the content requested. If the requirement says only criminal record certificate, confirm whether the recipient wants a police or a judicial certificate.
Positive or negative: what it means
Under article 15 of CJF Resolution No. 680/2020, the criminal judicial certificate will be positive only when there is a final conviction handed down in a proceeding of the classes listed in Annex II.
When is the certificate positive?
There are three conditions, analyzed together:
- a criminal conviction;
- finality (trânsito em julgado) of that conviction;
- a proceeding of one of the classes in Annex II.
Having a procedural record does not, by itself, make the certificate positive.
What does a negative criminal certificate mean?
A negative certificate indicates that the conditions for the positive classification were not identified, under the criteria of the issuance. It is not an absolute guarantee that no procedural information exists: article 14 deals with what the certificate covers, and article 15 with when it is positive. This difference matters when the institution requires detailed judicial information.
Is "negative" the same as "nada consta"?
The terms appear together in requests, but the meaning depends on the system that issued the document. In the Federal Court, the criteria are in CJF Resolution No. 680/2020. See also our content on nada consta criminal. Do not treat police and judicial documents as if they had the same purpose and the same criteria.
What to do with a positive certificate
Identify the issuing authority and check the information shown. A private service like ours does not draw conclusions about anyone's legal situation: if a proceeding or conviction needs analysis, seek qualified legal advice. Assisted issuance does not replace that analysis.
How to request it from the Federal Court (Unified Certificate)
TRF1 announced the Federal Court's Unified Certificate system on June 27, 2024. In the request you choose the type of certificate and the TRFs to search.
Step by step
- Open the service indicated by the court. Use the public authority's own environment, not pages of private companies.
- Select the certificate type: criminal, civil or for electoral purposes. For this case, criminal.
- Choose the courts to search: the TRFs of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Regions. If the recipient specifies the regions, follow that requirement; do not assume the certificate covers all judicial bodies in the country.
- Complete the request following the system's interface and checking the data before you finish.
- Receive the certificate according to the result, negative or with a positive hit.
How long does it take?
According to TRF1, negative certificates come by instant download and also by email. If there is a positive hit, the certificate is sent exclusively by email, within six hours.
| Situation | Availability stated by TRF1 |
|---|---|
| Negative certificate | Instant download and email |
| With a positive hit | Exclusively by email, within six hours |
Not getting the download right away does not, by itself, mean an error in the request. These times apply to the Unified Certificate, not to private services or to acceptance by the recipient.
Do I need to request from each TRF?
The system lets you choose the TRFs searched, so the point is to know which ones the recipient requires. If the requirement does not make this clear, confirm with the institution rather than assuming a limited selection is enough.
Electoral crimes certificate (TSE)
The electoral crimes certificate comes from the Electoral Court and should not be confused with the Federal Court criminal judicial certificate. The TSE portal (Tribunal Superior Eleitoral) issues and validates five types of certificates:
- electoral clearance (quitação eleitoral);
- electoral crimes (nada consta);
- party affiliation;
- party composition;
- negative of voter registration.
If the recipient specifically asks for the electoral crimes certificate, do not replace it with a judicial certificate from another authority.
How to issue it and what to do if the data do not match
Use the certificate issuing and validation service on the TSE portal and enter the data the system asks for. The TSE states that issuance will be possible only if there is no discrepancy between the data entered and those in the electoral register. Being unable to issue because of a data discrepancy does not indicate a criminal record: these are separate matters. If you have difficulty with the register, follow the guidance of the responsible authority.
How to verify
The TSE portal also validates certificates, through the Electoral Court's own service. Validation confirms authenticity, not acceptance for any purpose. See also how to verify a Brazil criminal record certificate.
State Courts: criminal distribution and criminal enforcement
The state Courts of Justice (Tribunais de Justiça) also offer criminal certificates, with names such as state criminal certificate, criminal distribution certificate and criminal enforcement certificate. The information was not found in the official content consulted; confirm directly on the portal of the responsible authority: no single national rule was found, and each Court of Justice defines its own service. One state's procedure does not automatically apply to the others.
Criminal distribution and criminal enforcement
To know which certificate will be issued, what it covers and how to request it, consult the competent Court of Justice. Do not assume that the criminal distribution certificate and the criminal enforcement certificate are always the same document, or that all courts use the same names and criteria.
Example: Santa Catarina
The TJSC (Santa Catarina Court of Justice) announced on June 24, 2020 that the criminal certificate can be requested over the internet and is received by email, at no cost. It is an example from a State Court, and it does not guarantee that other courts adopt the same form of service or free issuance.
How to identify the right state certificate
Check the issuing authority (which Court of Justice), the type requested (distribution, enforcement or other) and the scope the recipient requires. When in doubt, confirm with whoever will receive the document. See also the state criminal record certificate.
Judicial certificate or Federal Police records
The Federal Court certificate comes from the Judiciary; the Federal Police criminal record certificate is a service of the police institution.
See also the guide on ficha criminal and folha corrida.
| Feature | Federal Court | Federal Police |
|---|---|---|
| Authority | Federal Court | Federal Police |
| Document | Criminal judicial certificate | Criminal record certificate |
| How to request | Unified Certificate | PF criminal records service (gov.br) |
| Content | Criteria of arts. 14 and 15 of CJF Resolution No. 680/2020 | PF's own service |
| Time | Negative: instant download; positive hit: email within six hours | Free and immediate issuance over the internet |
When the recipient requires the Federal Court certificate, presenting the PF one may not meet the requirement. The same applies to the Civil Police and the State Court.
Is the PF certificate free?
Yes. The PF service on gov.br states that the certificate is issued free of charge, over the internet, with immediate issuance, and is valid for 90 days. That validity belongs to the PF certificate and should not be attributed to the judicial ones. See our page on the Brazil federal police certificate.
Does one certificate replace the other?
Do not assume so. Read the requirement according to the recipient's indication; if it asks for more than one document, check each one, and if it cites only "criminal certificate", clarify which authority must issue it, especially for use abroad.
When you need an apostille or translation
Issuing the certificate and preparing it for use abroad are different steps. First identify which document the recipient requires (Federal Court judicial, state, electoral or PF); then, the requirements for international presentation. Depending on the country and the institution, there may be a request for a Hague apostille, sworn translation or other requirements. Not every Brazilian criminal certificate requires the same procedures.
What to confirm before hiring
- Which specific certificate must be presented.
- Which Brazilian authority must issue it.
- Whether the recipient requires a Hague apostille.
- Whether it requires sworn translation and in which language.
- Whether there are additional conditions of presentation.
An apostille or translation does not guarantee acceptance: the decision rests with the recipient.
How much does document assistance cost?
Antecedentes Criminais Brasil is a private and optional service. Starting prices:
| Private service | Starting price |
|---|---|
| Assisted issuance | From R$ 30 |
| Hague apostille | From R$ 95 |
| Sworn translation | From R$ 110 per page |
For a one-page certificate: sworn translation from R$ 110. The notary fee (emolumento cartorário) is charged separately where applicable. The amounts are for the private service, not fees of public authorities; the PF, for example, issues its certificate free of charge.
Can I prepare the certificate while living abroad?
Start by identifying the document the recipient requires. We can help organize the request and the Hague apostille for criminal records or translation steps that apply. No private assistance replaces the issuing authority or guarantees acceptance by a foreign institution.
Need help with the certificate?
Using the certificate abroad, or stuck on the request? Leave your contact: we review the case and tell you the deadline and price before any payment.
Sources
- Federal Justice Council (Conselho da Justiça Federal) — Resolution No. 680/2020, arts. 14 and 15 and Annex II: https://www.cjf.jus.br/publico/biblioteca/Res%20680-2020.pdf
- TRF1 — Unified Certificate System of the Federal Court (06/27/2024): https://www.trf1.jus.br/trf1/noticias/lancado-sistema-de-certidao-unificada-da-justica-federal-saiba-como-acessar-
- TSE — Electoral Court certificates on the TSE portal (08/25/2023): https://www.tse.jus.br/comunicacao/noticias/2023/Agosto/certidoes-da-justica-eleitoral-podem-ser-emitidas-no-portal-do-tse
- TJSC — Criminal certificate over the internet (06/24/2020): https://www.tjsc.jus.br/web/imprensa/-/-folha-corrida-certidao-de-antecedente-criminal-pode-ser-solicitada-pela-internet
- Federal Police (Polícia Federal) — gov.br, criminal records: https://www.gov.br/pf/pt-br/assuntos/antecedentes-criminais