From digital licenses to toll disputes: what Brazil's rebranded CNH do Brasil app can do

Brazil's official traffic app has been rebranded. What used to be called the Carteira Digital de Trânsito now goes by CNH do Brasil and, under the National Traffic Secretariat, has grown into a one-stop platform covering everything from licensing paperwork to fines and car sales.

Its core job remains document storage: the driver's license (CNH) and the vehicle registration certificate (CRLV) can both be kept on a phone and consulted without internet once downloaded. Presented on screen during a traffic stop, they carry the same legal weight as printed originals anywhere in the country, and the vehicle document can be shared with up to five other people who use the car.

Newer functions target everyday annoyances. The app logs passes through barrier-free "Free Flow" toll gantries, alerting drivers to tariff amounts and payment deadlines; disputed charges can be contested in-app, although actual payment still goes through the highway concessionaire's own channels. Selling a car is streamlined too: the intention of sale can be registered and signed digitally, skipping the notary, provided both parties hold Silver or Gold Gov.br accounts and the vehicle has a digital document (ATPV-e) issued from 2021 onward.

Fines get dedicated treatment as well. Users can view every infraction tied to their license or vehicle, nominate another driver if they weren't behind the wheel — that person also needs an active Gov.br registration — and opt into the Electronic Notification System, which trims 40% off the fine as long as it's paid by the due date and no appeal is filed. First-time license applicants can track each stage of the process and pull up the LADV learner's permit, though this depends on their state's Detran being connected to the national database.