Provision No. 194/2025 of the National Justice Council (CNJ) is now in effect and brings significant innovation to the effectiveness of collections and enforcement proceedings in Brazil.
See below the main practical impacts for those involved in debt recovery.
1. Inquiry into Deeds and Powers of Attorney No Longer Requires a Court Order: Interested parties can now check, through the Central de Escrituras e Procurações (CEP), for the existence of public deeds and powers of attorney in the debtor’s name without needing a court order. Previously, this information was restricted and only available with judicial authorization — often denied — making it difficult to locate assets and rights.
2. Fast, Electronic, and Accessible Searches: Queries are conducted online via the Colégio Notarial do Brasil (CNB/CF), using an ICP-Brasil Digital Certificate or a Notarized Digital Certificate. It is sufficient to provide the full name, CPF (individual ID), or CNPJ (company ID) of the person being searched. Any interested party can access the tool upon payment of notarial fees.
3. Basic Yet Useful Information: Search results include: type of act (deed or power of attorney), date, responsible notary office, as well as book and page numbers. The complete content of the document remains confidential, protecting the privacy of those involved, but simply identifying these acts already offers valuable leads for tracking asset movements.
4. Progress Against Asset Concealment and More Efficient Enforcement: The measure aids in combating asset concealment by making it easier to spot acts such as sales, donations, or mandates, all commonly used to hinder enforcement. The ability to quickly identify such acts brings greater efficiency, transparency, and security for creditors in the debt recovery process.
The new rule expands the tools available for finding assets and rights of debtors, making enforcement more effective and promoting greater security and transparency in debt recovery proceedings in Brazil.
