Brazil National Council of Justice approves gov.br electronic signatures

The National Council of Justice (CNJ) has unanimously approved the use of electronic signatures from the gov.br platform for judicial powers of attorney. This decision, made during the council's 17th Ordinary Session of 2026, aims to ensure security in party identification and maintain access to justice without imposing unnecessary technological barriers.

Under the new ruling, silver and gold level signatures from the gov.br platform will be accepted, provided they are accompanied by a compliance report from the National Institute of Information Technology (ITI). While these are not considered equivalent to qualified signatures linked to the Brazilian Public Key Infrastructure (ICP-Brasil), the council determined that the absence of a specific certificate should not be a basis for the generic refusal of legal documents if reliable identification methods exist.

Additionally, the CNJ has regulated the use of electronic extracts for presenting legal transactions with real estate implications through Provision No. 228/2026. This measure, based on Law No. 14,382/2022, standardizes the transmission of legally relevant information to simplify procedures for notaries, financial institutions, and housing entities. The implementation is expected to be particularly beneficial for rural credit operations, reducing delays between contract signing and the establishment of guarantees.