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How to verify CPF Number in Brazil?

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CPF verification on Receita Federal website​

CPF (Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas or Natural Persons Register) search option is available for free on the Brazilian Federal Revenue Service website. You can access the CPF search here. This search requires you to input the date of birth of the individual along with their CPF.

CPF Verification
CPF Verification

Example: 453.178.287-91 DOB: 21/03/1955

A successful verification of the CPF on the Receita Federal lookup tool will return the following details

  • CPF Number: 453.178.287-91
  • Name
  • Date of Birth
  • Registration Status: REGULAR
  • Registration Date
  • Verification Digit
  • Voucher issued date and time
  • Voucher control code: 4834.5203.AB33.0A95
  • QR code
CPF Verification Status
CPF Verification Status

For more details on Brazilian tax identifiers including CNPJ, see our Brazil Tax ID Guide.

Frequently Asked Questions​

What do the CPF status values mean — Regular, Suspended, Cancelled, Pending Regularization — and which are safe for business transactions?​

REGULAR means the CPF is active and in good standing — safe to use for all transactions. SUSPENDED (Suspenso) means the holder failed to submit their annual income tax return; the CPF remains valid for existing contracts but the holder cannot open bank accounts or sign notarized documents until regularized. CANCELLED (Cancelado) means the CPF has been permanently deactivated, often due to death or confirmed fraud — transactions with a cancelled CPF carry serious legal risk. PENDING REGULARIZATION is an intermediate state similar to Suspended. For B2B payments to Brazilian freelancers or individual contractors, only accept CPFs with REGULAR status. [1]

The Receita Federal portal requires the CPF holder's date of birth — can I verify a contractor's CPF without asking for their DOB?​

No — the public CPF consultation requires the holder's date of birth as a privacy gate. This is intentional: Brazil's LGPD (Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados, Law 13.709/2018) classifies CPF as personal data, and requiring DOB prevents bulk unauthorized lookups. Without the DOB, the portal will not return any result. For contractor onboarding, request the CPF and DOB directly from the individual along with their consent for data processing as required by LGPD. [1] [2]

I'm paying a Brazilian freelancer — should I collect their CPF or their CNPJ for the invoice?​

It depends on how they are operating. If working as an individual (pessoa física), they use their CPF. If registered as a MEI (Microempreendedor Individual) or any other legal entity, they have a CNPJ and should invoice using that — not their CPF. A single individual can have both a CPF (always) and a CNPJ (if registered as a business). Brazilian tax withholding (IRRF) rates differ significantly between CPF-based and CNPJ-based payments. Always ask your contractor which document applies to the specific invoicing relationship. [1]

A supplier's CPF shows as Cancelled — can this be due to the holder's death?​

Yes. When a Brazilian citizen dies, their CPF is cancelled after the death registration is processed. A cancelled CPF due to death is a common fraud vector — deceased individuals' CPFs are sometimes used to open accounts or sign contracts. If a CPF shows as Cancelled, stop all pending payments and do not enter new contracts. For ongoing contracts where the individual has died, legal advice is needed — obligations may pass to the estate (espólio), which requires a separate CPF for the estate itself. [1]

Does the CPF checksum algorithm let me validate a number before querying the portal?​

Yes. CPF uses a two-stage modulus-11 verification: the first check digit (position 10) is computed from digits 1–9 using weights [10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2]; the second check digit (position 11) is computed from digits 1–10 using weights [11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2]. If the weighted sum mod 11 is less than 2, the digit is 0; otherwise it is 11 minus the remainder. Important: all-same-digit CPFs (000.000.000-00 through 999.999.999-99) pass the checksum but are invalid — explicitly reject these. The checksum catches most typos but does not confirm the CPF is registered or active. [1]

As a foreign company paying Brazilian individuals, am I subject to LGPD when collecting CPF numbers?​

Yes. If your company processes personal data of Brazilian residents — including collecting CPF numbers for payment purposes — you are subject to Brazil's LGPD (Law 13.709/2018) regardless of where your company is located. CPF collection requires a lawful basis (such as contractual necessity or legal obligation), disclosure in your privacy notice, and compliance with data subject rights. The ANPD (Autoridade Nacional de Proteção de Dados) enforces LGPD with fines of up to 2% of Brazil revenue, capped at R$50 million per violation. [1] [2]

How Lookuptax can help you in CPF validation?

Lookuptax CPF validation revolutionizes CPF number validation with its robust platform, empowering businesses to seamlessly verify CPF numbers across over 100 countries. Our cutting-edge technology ensures accurate and efficient validation, reducing errors and enhancing compliance.