Senate Sends Nationwide Pepper-Spray Law for Women to the President

Overview

• The Senate approved Project of Law 727/2026 on June 30 and the text was sent to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for sanction to allow women to buy, carry and use pepper-spray–type aerosols for self‑defense.
• The law grants automatic authorization to women over 18 and allows 16–17-year-olds to purchase with a guardian’s written consent, subject to ID, proof of residence and a criminal-record check that bars those convicted of intentional violent crimes.
• Products are limited to 50 milliliters for civilian use and must not contain lethal or permanently toxic substances, but concentration limits and detailed safety rules will be defined later by Anvisa and the Army.
• Retailers must keep buyer records for five years, provide basic usage guidance, and the law creates a National Training Program to teach legal limits and safe handling; misuse carries warnings, fines, seizure and up to a five-year purchase ban.
• Supporters say the measure standardizes state patchwork rules and expands a self‑defense tool, while critics and security experts warn it may shift responsibility onto women, risk self‑contamination or escalation without rigorous training, and that real impact will hinge on presidential sanction and how regulators implement the rules.