Brazil proposes ban on sale of autism identification cards

A new legislative proposal introduced in the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies aims to prohibit the commercial sale and purchase of the Identification Card for Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder (CIPTEA) and similar documents.

Authored by Deputy Sóstenes Cavalcante (PL-RJ), the bill proposes administrative fines ranging from R$ 1,000 to R$ 10,000 for violators, with the amount doubling for repeat offenders. The proposal seeks to address the growing availability of these documents on social media, e-commerce platforms, and in commercial establishments by unauthorized individuals and entities.

The CIPTEA is an official document issued free of charge by the government to facilitate the identification of individuals with autism and ensure priority access to public and private services. The deputy argues that the irregular sale of these cards exploits a right that should be guaranteed by the state and risks the use of invalid documents to obtain benefits improperly. In addition to administrative fines, the bill maintains existing civil and criminal penalties for document forgery under the Penal Code.