Law makes the CPF the general-purpose identification number

Other ID numbers can no longer be required by government agencies for registering citizens

On January 11, Federal Law No. 14,534/2023 was published in an extra edition of the Official Gazette, establishing that the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (“Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas” - CPF) will be considered unique and sufficient to identify individuals across all government databases.

Government agencies will no longer be allowed to require other identification numbers to perform the registration of citizens. Pursuant to the new statute, the CPF number should now be included on databases and records of government authorities, the civil registry of natural persons, and regulatory councils, especially in the following documents:

• Birth, marriage and death certificates;
• National Identity Document (“Documento Nacional de Identificação” - DNI);
• Worker’s Identificaton Number (“Número de Identificação do Trabalhador” - NIT);
• Registration with the Social Integration Program (“Programa de Integração Social” - PIS) or the Public Servant Fund (“Programa de Formação do
• Patrimônio do Servidor Público” - Pasep);
• National Health Card (“Cartão Nacional de Saúde”);
• Voter Registration;
• Work and Social Security Card (“Carteira de Trabalho e Previdência Social” - CTPS);
• Driver’s license number;
• Military certificates;
• Professional Identity cards and other registration certificates.

In addition, all new documents issued or re-issued by government authorities or regulatory councils should now use the CPF as their own identification number.

As an example, whenever an individual applies for an ID card the entity in charge of issuing the document should use that citizen’s CPF number as his or her general ID number. If the applicant has not been registered with the Individual Taxpayer Registry, the entity will be required to carry out the procedure to perform said registration.

Implementation schedule

Government agencies and entities have been given 12 months to adjust their citizen service systems and procedures to comply with the statute’s provisions, and 24 months to integrate their records and databases to accommodate the inclusion of the CPF number.