Anatel Homologation Code Generator (BR)

The Anatel homologation code explained

Anatel — Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações, the Brazilian telecom regulator created by Law 9.472/1997 — is the agency that must homologate every product sold in Brazil that emits or receives radio-frequency energy. The list includes mobile phones, Wi-Fi routers, Bluetooth headsets, smart-home gadgets, IoT trackers, drones with telemetry, two-way radios and even some toys. The visible proof of approval is the Anatel seal, mandatory on the device, on the retail box and inside the firmware "About" screen. No seal, no legal sale.

How the code is structured

The classic homologation number has the shape NNNNN-YY-NNNNN: five digits identifying the certification process, two digits for the year of issuance, and a five-digit serial allocated by the manufacturer. A real-world example is 12345-23-12345, where 23 means the product was approved in 2023. The code appears in three places: the physical seal moulded or printed on the device, the box, and the firmware (Settings → About → Regulatory on most Android handsets).

How a product gets homologated

The manufacturer ships a sample to an OCD (Organismo de Certificação Designado) — an accredited test lab. The lab runs emission, immunity, SAR and conformity tests, issues a certificate, and Anatel publishes the homologation. Three certification categories exist:

• Category I — full mandatory testing, applied to end-user equipment (smartphones, routers, smart-home devices).
• Category II — manufacturer's declaration of conformity for lower-risk products.
• Category III — non-restrictive, light-touch path for accessories with negligible RF impact.

Brazil has partial reciprocity with FCC (USA) and CE (EU) test results, but the homologation number itself is always Brazilian and is not transferable: an OEM/whitelabel rebranding the same hardware still needs a fresh homologation.

Buying or importing without the seal

Importing a non-homologated device for personal use is technically illegal — Receita Federal and Anatel can seize the goods at customs, and reselling such products carries fines up to R$ 50 million per infraction plus product forfeiture. The official lookup is the SCH (Sistema de Certificação e Homologação) at sistemas.anatel.gov.br/SCH, searchable by code, manufacturer or product name. Famous enforcement cases involved unhomologated Xiaomi imports, temporarily blocked DJI drones, and GoPro homologating each individual camera model.

FAQ

Is the generated code useful for testing? Yes. It mocks the Anatel field on IoT onboarding screens, retail-platform listings (Mercado Livre, Magalu, Amazon BR) and ERP product registers without exposing a real homologation. The format passes regex validators that expect \d{5}-\d{2}-\d{5}.

Can I buy a product without an Anatel seal? You can find them on grey-market sites, but you forfeit any warranty, you take all the regulatory risk yourself, and Brazilian marketplaces are required to delist non-homologated SKUs once notified.

Does a 3D-printed gadget need homologation? Only if it actively transmits or receives radio waves. A pure mechanical enclosure does not; embed an ESP32 inside and it does.

Why two digits for the year? Historical: the format was set decades ago and stuck. After 2099 a new format will be needed; for now codes from 1999 (99) and 2025 (25) coexist without ambiguity in practice.