# Brazil public defenders continue fifth paternity drive > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/brazil-public-defender-registration-drives > Updated: 2026-08-03T18:46:18.000Z. Sources: 50. Developments: 8. The public defender offices across Brazil have moved into the fifth edition of the "Meu Pai tem Nome" campaign in 2026, expanding both its geographic reach and its service offerings. After the nationwide launch on 1 August, which included DNA‑testing booths in Rio de Janeiro and mutirões in Natal, Fortaleza, Sobral, Crato and seven municipalities of Goiás, additional phases were rolled out. In Acre, a technical failure forced a re‑opening of registrations for the "Viver com Meu Nome" name‑and‑gender correction program (open until 26 June) and the "Meu Pai tem Nome" paternity drive (open until 1 July). Rondônia extended its registration deadline to 7 August and scheduled free assistance sessions for 15 August in Porto Velho and surrounding towns. The Amazonas office added a second‑stage event on 1 August in Manaus, offering 350 free family‑law appointments, DNA testing and child‑support counseling. Similar service days were held in Atibaia (São Paulo) on 1 August and throughout Pernambuco, where 50 free DNA tests and mediation sessions were provided. A new digital platform from the National Civil Registry now allows parents to recognize paternity online, while a legislative proposal imposes a five‑day notice rule for civil registries that omit a father's name. The initiative is complemented by a record surge in legal‑aid demand (390 000 cases in the first half of 2026) and the launch of the "Meu Registro" online portal, which processed over 470 000 document requests in its first month. Mutirões continued in Rondônia (15 August) and Mato Grosso (3‑7 August), aiming to amend birth certificates and secure identity rights for thousands of children. The campaign targets the 173 112 children (6.9 % of births) registered without a father’s name in 2025, seeking to secure child‑support, inheritance, social‑security benefits and full civil identity. ## Claims - The 'Meu Pai Tem Nome' campaign is coordinated by the Conselho Nacional das Defensoras e Defensores Públicos‑Gerais (Condege). (corroborated by 20 sources) - The campaign offers free DNA tests and legal assistance for voluntary and investigative recognition of paternity or maternity. (corroborated by 20 sources) - In 2025, 173,112 Brazilian children – 6.9 % of all births – were registered without a father’s name. (corroborated by 6 sources) - The campaign seeks to secure rights such as child support, inheritance, and access to social‑security benefits for recognized children. (corroborated by 6 sources) - Events are being held on 1 August in multiple locations, including Rio de Janeiro’s MetroRio station, Natal (Rio Grande do Norte), several municipalities in Goiás, and cities in Ceará. (corroborated by 4 sources) - In the state of Rio de Janeiro, 12,883 children were registered without a father’s name in 2025, representing 7.77 % of births in the state. (corroborated by 4 sources) - Participants must bring a photo ID, CPF and proof of residence; no prior registration is required. (corroborated by 4 sources) - The results of the Rio de Janeiro edition will be presented on 15 August at São Januário stadium. (corroborated by 2 sources) - A mutirão for the campaign was held on 1 August 2024 at the Defensoria Pública office in Taubaté, São Paulo. (single source) - On 31 July 2024 the campaign set up a kiosk at the Carioca/Centro Metro station in Rio de Janeiro offering free DNA tests. (single source) - On 1 August 2024 the campaign operated at the Núcleo de Atendimento Integrado in the Distrito Federal. (single source) ## Timeline ### 2026-08-03: Brazil's Public Defender Offices Launch Free Paternity Recognition Mutirões Brazil's public defender offices in Rondônia and Mato Grosso are running free mutirões to recognize paternity, offering online registration, legal aid and DNA testing to amend birth certificates. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/brazils-public-defender-offices-launch-free-paternity-recognition-mutires ### 2026-07-29: Brazilian Public Defenders Launch Free Paternity Recognition Campaign Brazil's public defenders are running a free nationwide campaign, “Meu Pai Tem Nome,” offering DNA tests and legal aid to recognize paternity/maternity, with events on Aug 1 in Rio, Natal, Goiás, Ceará and more 31 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/free-dna-testing-campaign-launches-in-natal-brazil ### 2026-07-27: Brazil Public Defenders Roll Out Nationwide Paternity Recognition Campaign Brazil's public defender offices launched the nationwide “Meu Pai tem Nome” campaign, offering free DNA tests and legal aid to regularise paternity records for over 170,000 children lacking a father's name. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/brazil-public-defenders-roll-out-nationwide-paternity-recognition-campaign ### 2026-07-20: Brazil expands online paternity registration and imposes five‑day notice rule for cartórios Brazil’s civil registry now offers online paternity recognition and a new rule forces cartórios to report births without a father’s name to courts within five days, pending Senate approval. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/brazil-expands-online-paternity-registration-and-imposes-fiveday-notice-rule-for-cartrios ### 2026-07-13: Brazil's 'Meu Pai Tem Nome' Campaign Offers Free DNA Tests and Paternity Recognition in Atibaia and Pernambuco Brazil's public defender offices run the 'Meu Pai Tem Nome' campaign, providing free DNA tests and legal help for paternity recognition in Atibaia (São Paulo) on Aug 1 and across Pernambuco in July, with online 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/brazils-meu-pai-tem-nome-campaign-offers-free-dna-tests-and-paternity-recognition-in-atibaia-and-per ### 2026-07-12: Brazil's public legal aid and digital registry platform see record demand Brazil's Defensoria Pública logged 390,000+ assistance cases in early 2026, urging budget reforms, while the CNJ’s new Meu Registro portal handled 472,000 requests in its first month, streamlining nationwide on 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/brazils-public-legal-aid-and-digital-registry-platform-see-record-demand ### 2026-07-09: Amazonas Public Defender opens second phase of 'Meu Pai Tem Nome' campaign Amazonas Public Defender will hold the second phase of the 'Meu Pai Tem Nome' campaign on Aug 1, offering 350 free family‑law appointments—including paternity recognition and DNA testing—in Manaus. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/amazonas-public-defender-opens-second-phase-of-meu-pai-tem-nome-campaign ### 2026-06-18: Brazil's Defensoria Public reopens identity and paternity registration Brazil's Defensoria Public asks new registrations for identity and paternity programs after a portal glitch in Acre and launches a similar paternity campaign in Rondônia, with deadlines in June‑August. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/brazils-defensoria-public-reopens-identity-and-paternity-registration --- Cite as: Brazil public defenders continue fifth paternity drive. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/brazil-public-defender-registration-drives