CNH Suspension by Points BR

CNH suspension: 12-month point thresholds (Lei 14.071/2020)

Lei 14.071/2020 changed how the Brazilian driver's licence (CNH) gets suspended. What matters now is the category of infraction you pile up over the last 12 rolling months, not just your raw point total. The cutoffs work like this: 40 points if none of your infractions is very serious, 30 points if one of them is, and 20 points once you have two or more very serious ones. Professional drivers (EAR — Exerce Atividade Remunerada) get a fixed limit of 40 points no matter how severe the infractions are.

The clock runs over 12 corridos (rolling) months counted from the date of each infraction. When you hit the threshold, DETRAN opens an administrative process (PAS — Processo Administrativo de Suspensão), and you can appeal first to JARI and then to CETRAN. The suspension itself runs 6 to 12 months, and can stretch to 24 if you reoffend within 12 months.

Applications

Drivers who want to know how close they are to losing the licence. Fleet and logistics managers keeping an eye on driver compliance. Lawyers working out whether a defence at JARI is worth filing. And driving schools walking students through the new EAR-versus-common-driver rules.

FAQ

How is the 12-month window counted? It rolls backwards from the date of your most recent infraction, so it has nothing to do with the calendar year.

Are professional drivers (EAR) treated differently? Their limit stays at 40 points, but once they reach 30 they have to take a mandatory refresher course (curso de reciclagem).

Can I drive while appealing? Yes. You keep the right to drive until the administrative process (PAS) reaches a final decision, which covers the JARI and CETRAN appeals.