A Brazilian criminal record certificate (Certidão de Antecedentes Criminais) is issued by the Federal Police (Polícia Federal, PF) 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: to verify a Federal Police certificate, use the PF's own validation service (servicos.pf.gov.br, "validar-cac"). A São Paulo state atestado has its own free verification service on the Serviços SP portal. First identify who issued the document: the federal and state checks are different services and should not be mixed up.
| Quick answer | |
|---|---|
| What you need | The issued certificate or atestado you want to check |
| Where to get it | Federal: PF validation service; São Paulo atestado: Serviços SP portal |
| Time | Not stated in the sources; follow the service's own instructions |
| Cost | SP verification has no fee for the citizen; our assistance from R$ 30 |
| Apostille | Separate from verification; ours from R$ 95, notary fee (cartório) extra |
Want to look something up, not verify a document? See the guide to check a Brazil criminal record.
If you need to verify a criminal record certificate, the first step is to identify which authority issued the document. This matters because verifying a federal certificate and checking a state atestado (attestation) should not be confused.
For documents issued by the Federal Police, there is a federal validation service. It lets you verify the criminal record certificate issued by the PF itself. In the state of São Paulo, there is also a service for validating the accuracy of the information in the state criminal record atestado, with no fee charged to the citizen.
To verify a Federal Police certificate, go directly to the PF validation service:
Verify a criminal record certificate with the Federal Police
Before going further, check that the document you want to verify was really issued by the Federal Police. If it is a state atestado, identify the issuing authority and look for the corresponding service.
Which document is being verified
The expression "criminal record certificate" is used in different situations. However, when the goal is to verify a document, you need to distinguish the federal certificate from an atestado issued by a state Civil Police.
This distinction keeps you from trying to verify a document on a service meant for another authority.
Federal Police criminal record certificate
The Federal Police issues criminal record certificates and provides a specific service for verifying them.
According to the service description on the gov.br portal, federal validation verifies the Criminal Record Certificate issued by the Federal Police.
So if the document in your hands was issued by the PF, the matching route is the federal validation service.
For information on obtaining that document, see our page on the Brazil federal police certificate.
It is important to separate two needs:
- Issuing a certificate: obtaining the criminal record document.
- Verifying a certificate: checking a document that has already been issued.
State criminal record atestado
The state Civil Police also issue documents related to criminal records.
In the case of São Paulo, there is a specific service for validating the accuracy of the information in the state criminal record atestado.
The service is on the Serviços SP portal and has no fee for the citizen.
So a person who received a São Paulo state atestado should distinguish it from the federal certificate before choosing where to carry out the check.
To understand state documentation better, see also our page on the atestado de antecedentes criminais.
How to identify the right route
The central question is simple: who issued the document you want to verify?
If the answer is the Federal Police, there is a specific federal service for this purpose.
If the answer is the São Paulo Civil Police, there is a state service meant to verify the accuracy of the information in the atestado.
If the document was issued by another authority, do not assume that the services described on this page are suitable. First identify the issuer and confirm the applicable procedure directly with it.
Verifying a federal certificate
To verify a federal criminal record certificate, use the service meant for checking documents issued by the Federal Police.
The gov.br portal identifies this service as a way to validate the Criminal Record Certificate issued by the PF.
Access to the validation tool is available at:
https://servicos.pf.gov.br/epol-sinic-publico/validar-cac
This is the route indicated for people who already hold a federal certificate and want to check it through the Federal Police service.
How to start the verification
Before opening the service, have the certificate you want to check at hand.
The first check should be on the origin of the document. Make sure it is a certificate issued by the Federal Police, because that is the category covered by the federal validation service.
Then open the address given and follow the instructions shown by the system itself.
The official description consulted confirms the purpose of the service, but, in the content used for this page, it does not set out a complete walkthrough of the fields, data or steps displayed during the check.
For that reason, the operating instructions must be checked directly on the validation page.
What if I do not have the certificate yet?
If you still need to obtain the document, the first step is not verification but issuance.
The Federal Police is one of the authorities responsible for issuing criminal record certificates. The state Civil Police also issue documents of this kind.
To understand the difference between the documents and find information on requesting one, see our page on the criminal record certificate.
After identifying the document you need and obtaining it, you can look for the verification service that corresponds to the issuing authority.
Antecedentes Criminais Brasil also offers assisted issuance from R$ 30. It is a private assistance service, separate from the procedures provided by the public authorities.
Does the federal verification work for any atestado?
The federal service described by gov.br verifies the certificate issued by the Federal Police.
That information should not be read as confirmation that the tool also validates documents issued by every state Civil Police.
If your document is a state one, look for the guidance of the authority that issued it.
Are verification and using the certificate the same thing?
They are not the same question.
One person may need to verify a document they have already received. Another may need to know which certificate to request. There are also situations in which the document will be presented abroad and questions arise about the Hague apostille or sworn translation.
The federal service indicated on this page is meant to verify the Federal Police certificate.
Verifying a São Paulo state atestado
The state of São Paulo provides a validation service related to the state criminal record atestado.
According to the description published on the Serviços SP portal, the purpose is the validation of the accuracy of the information in the criminal record atestado.
The service has no fee for the citizen.
This information is relevant for people who have already received a São Paulo state atestado and want to check the document.
What does the São Paulo service verify?
The description of the state service identifies as its purpose the verification of the accuracy of the information in the criminal record atestado.
How much does it cost to verify the São Paulo atestado?
According to the Serviços SP portal, validating the accuracy of the information in the criminal record atestado has no fee for the citizen.
That free service refers to the state service described.
It should not be confused with the amounts charged by private assistance, apostille or translation services.
Nor is it possible to extend this information, without a corresponding source, to the procedures of all other Brazilian states.
Is there a single verification procedure for federal and state documents?
The information available identifies two distinct services: the federal one, for certificates issued by the Federal Police, and the São Paulo state one, for verifying the accuracy of the corresponding atestado.
There is no basis in these facts to say that a single procedure exists that applies to all criminal record documents in Brazil.
If you hold a state document, start by identifying the state and the issuing authority.
Then look for guidance on that specific document.
What are the legal limits of the PF certificate?
On the general legal limits of the certificate issued by the Federal Police, the information was not found in the official content consulted; confirm directly on the portal of the responsible authority.
What to do if the verification fails
If you tried to verify a criminal record certificate and could not complete the check, start by checking whether you used the service that fits the document.
The federal validation service relates to certificates issued by the Federal Police.
The São Paulo state validation, in turn, is meant to verify the accuracy of the information in the state atestado.
This is the first difference to note before looking for another solution.
1. Check which authority issued the document
Check whether the certificate was issued by the Federal Police or by a state Civil Police.
If the document is federal, use the PF validation tool.
If it is a São Paulo state atestado, look for the instructions of the state service.
If the origin is unclear, seek clarification from the authority responsible for issuing it.
The choice of service should follow the origin of the document, not just the generic name used to describe it.
2. Check that you are performing the right operation
It is possible to confuse issuance, verification and preparing documents for use abroad.
Before repeating the procedure, identify your need:
- Do you still need to obtain a certificate?
- Do you already have the document and want to verify its information?
- Do you need to present a certificate abroad?
- Are you looking for help with issuance, the Hague apostille or sworn translation?
These situations call for different routes.
If your need is to verify an already issued federal certificate, the service provided by the Federal Police is the indicated starting point.
If you still need to request the document, look first for the information on issuance.
3. Consult the issuing authority's instructions
If you cannot complete the verification on the corresponding service, look for the guidance provided by the responsible authority.
The facts used on this page do not detail possible error messages, their causes or a specific recovery procedure.
For that reason, it would not be appropriate to say that a particular error necessarily means the certificate is invalid, that it must be issued again or that there is some problem with the person's criminal records.
4. Do not confuse a verification difficulty with other requirements
A difficulty with the check does not automatically answer questions about the purpose of the document or how it will be used.
If the certificate will be presented abroad, it may also be necessary to clarify whether the receiving institution asks for other procedures.
Antecedentes Criminais Brasil offers private assistance with issuance, the Hague apostille and sworn translation.
These services are different from the verification carried out by the issuing authorities.
To understand better the preparation of documents meant for another country, see Hague apostille for criminal records.
5. When to look for assistance
If the difficulty relates to requesting the document, preparing it for use abroad or needing support in the process, you can ask for a review of your case.
Private service does not replace the federal verification service or the verification provided by the state of São Paulo.
Assistance can help you organize your request and identify which services relate to the documentation you need.
Before hiring, it is important to know the prices and conditions that apply to the case presented.
Need help with your 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.
Antecedentes Criminais Brasil offers private assistance for people who need support with issuing, the Hague apostille or the sworn translation of documents.
Assisted issuance costs from R$ 30, the Hague apostille from R$ 95 and sworn translation from R$ 110 per page. The notary fee is charged separately where applicable.
The review lets us clarify your need before hiring, without confusing our services with the procedures carried out by the public authorities.
Antecedentes Criminais Brasil is a private service, not a government agency. A Brazilian criminal record certificate is issued by the Federal Police and by the state Civil Police, and you can request it yourself. Our work is focused on guidance and assistance with document services.
Sources
- Federal Government — Verify a Criminal Record Certificate. Service for validating the certificate issued by the Federal Police.
https://www.gov.br/pt-br/servicos/validar-certidao-de-antecedentes-criminais
- Serviços SP — Validation of the accuracy of the information in the criminal record atestado. São Paulo state service, no fee for the citizen.
https://servicos.sp.gov.br/fcarta/ff4825b8-c264-40a8-957d-d7aebd861921