# Law No. 3207 of July 18, 1957

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105649291](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105649291)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3207-of-july-18-1957

## Summary
Law No. 3207 of July 18, 1957 (Lei nº 3207, de 18 de julho de 1957) is a Brazilian federal statute that regulates the professional activities of sales employees, traveling salesmen ("viajantes"), and commercial practitioners ("pracistas"). Promulgated by President Juscelino Kubitschek and published in Rio de Janeiro, it establishes legal norms governing these specific categories of workers within Brazilian jurisdiction.

## Key Facts
- **Full Title:** Lei nº 3207, de 18 de julho de 1957
- **Date Promulgated:** July 18, 1957
- **Approved By:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **Promulgating President:** Juscelino Kubitschek
- **Legal Classification:** Statute (formal written document that creates law)
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro
- **Main Subjects:** Regulamentation (regulation) and activity (professional activities)
- **Law Digest Scope:** "REGULAMENTA AS ATIVIDADES DOS EMPREGADOS VENDEDORES, VIAJANTES OU PRACISTAS" (Regulates the activities of sales employees, traveling salesmen, or practitioners)
- **Lexml Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-07-18;3207
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 3207/1957
- **Official URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l3207.htm
- **Wikimedia Project:** Listed on WikiProject Brazilian Laws

## FAQs
**What is the purpose of Law No. 3207?**
Law No. 3207 establishes regulatory frameworks for the professional activities of three categories of workers in Brazil: sales employees ("empregados vendedores"), traveling salesmen ("viajantes"), and commercial practitioners ("pracistas").

**Who signed Law No. 3207 into effect?**
The law was promulgated by President Juscelino Kubitschek through the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil on July 18, 1957.

**Where was Law No. 3207 published and when?**
The law was published in Rio de Janeiro on July 18, 1957. At the time, Rio de Janeiro served as the federal capital of Brazil (the capital was transferred to Brasília in 1960).

**What type of legal instrument is Law No. 3207?**
Law No. 3207 is classified as a statute, which is a formal written document that creates law. As a statute, it represents a manifestation of statutory law and contains legal norms applicable within Brazilian jurisdiction.

**Where can the official text of Law No. 3207 be accessed?**
The full text of the law is available at the official Brazilian government portal: https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l3207.htm. It is also indexed under the Lexml Brazil system with identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-07-18;3207.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 3207 represents an important piece of Brazilian labor legislation during the developmental era of the Kubitschek presidency. By specifically regulating the activities of sales employees, traveling salesmen, and commercial practitioners, the law provides a distinct legal framework for these professional categories that operate in a unique capacity—often working outside fixed commercial establishments and traversing different regions to conduct business.

The law matters because it establishes clear regulatory parameters and professional rights/obligations for sales-oriented workers who form a critical link between producers and consumers in the Brazilian economy. During the 1950s, Brazil was undergoing rapid industrialization and economic modernization under Kubitschek's "Plano de Metas" (Plan of Goals), making the regulation of commercial activities particularly relevant. Traveling salesmen ("viajantes") played an essential role in expanding commercial networks throughout Brazil's vast territory, connecting urban centers with rural and remote areas.

As a federal statute, Law No. 3207 carries the full weight of Brazilian statutory law and remains part of the legal framework governing commercial labor relations. Its continued availability through official government portals and its inclusion in the Lexml Brazil legal documentation system demonstrate its ongoing relevance as a reference point for Brazilian labor and commercial law.

## Notable For
- **Labor Regulation Specificity:** Specifically targets three distinct but related professional categories—sales employees, traveling salesmen, and commercial practitioners—recognizing their unique role in the Brazilian economy
- **Kubitschek Era Legislation:** Enacted during the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek (1956-1961), a period marked by ambitious development programs and modernization efforts
- **Historical Publication Location:** Published in Rio de Janeiro when it still served as Brazil's federal capital, before the move to Brasília in 1960
- **Digital Accessibility:** Fully accessible through the official Brazilian government portal (Planalto) and indexed in the Lexml Brazil legal documentation system
- **Wikimedia Documentation:** Recognized within WikiProject Brazilian Laws, indicating its significance in Brazilian legal documentation efforts
- **Portuguese Language Legal Heritage:** Represents Brazilian Portuguese legal terminology and legislative tradition

## Body

### Legal Classification and Status
Law No. 3207 of July 18, 1957 is formally classified as a **statute**—a formal written document that creates law within the Brazilian legal system. As a statute, it represents the concrete manifestation of statutory law and contains legal norms that govern the specific subjects it addresses. The law functions as an instance of a "legal term or legal concept" and serves as a formal expression of governmental authority in Brazil.

The statute was created through the formal legislative process and exists as a public domain document, consistent with the general principle that official legal documents such as statutes are not subject to copyright restrictions. This ensures unrestricted public access to the legal rules that govern society.

### Historical Context and Promulgation
The law was promulgated on **July 18, 1957**, during the presidency of **Juscelino Kubitschek**, who served as President of Brazil from 1956 to 1961. Kubitschek's presidency was characterized by rapid industrialization, infrastructure development, and economic modernization through his ambitious "Plano de Metas" (Plan of Goals). The regulation of commercial and sales activities during this period aligned with broader efforts to formalize and professionalize Brazil's expanding economy.

The promulgation occurred through the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**, with the determination method recorded as "promulgation"—the formal act by which the President makes a law official and binding.

### Publication and Dissemination
Law No. 3207 was published in **Rio de Janeiro**, which at the time served as the federal capital of Brazil. Rio de Janeiro remained the capital until April 21, 1960, when the newly constructed city of Brasília became the seat of federal government. The publication in the former capital reflects the administrative organization of Brazil in the late 1950s.

The publication date of July 18, 1957, marks both the promulgation and official dissemination of the law, making it effective within Brazilian jurisdiction from that date forward.

### Subject Matter and Scope
Law No. 3207 addresses two primary subjects as documented in its legal metadata: **Regulamentation** (regulation) and **activity** (professional activities). The law digest provides the specific scope: "REGULAMENTA AS ATIVIDADES DOS EMPREGADOS VENDEDORES, VIAJANTES OU PRACISTAS," which translates to "Regulates the activities of sales employees, traveling salesmen, or practitioners."

The three professional categories regulated by this law are:

- **Empregados Vendedores (Sales Employees):** Workers employed primarily in selling merchandise or services
- **Viajantes (Traveling Salesmen):** Commercial representatives who travel to different locations to conduct sales activities outside fixed establishments
- **Pracistas (Commercial Practitioners):** A term historically used in Brazilian commercial contexts to refer to individuals engaged in commercial representation and sales activities

### Jurisdiction and Applicability
The law applies to the jurisdiction of **Brazil** as a federal statute. As Brazilian law, it was written in **Brazilian Portuguese** and applies throughout the national territory. The statute operates within the framework of Brazilian federal law and interacts with other elements of the Brazilian legal system, including labor laws (CLT - Consolidação das Leis do Trabalho) and commercial regulations.

### Identification and Citations
Law No. 3207 is identified through multiple official systems:

- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 3207/1957
- **Lexml Brazil ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-07-18;3207
- **Full Official Title:** Lei nº 3207, de 18 de julho de 1957

The Lexml Brazil identifier follows the standardized URN (Uniform Resource Name) format used for Brazilian legal documents, encoding the jurisdiction (br:federal), document type (lei), date (1957-07-18), and number (3207).

### Digital Availability and Access
The complete text of Law No. 3207 is available through the official Brazilian government portal at: **https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l3207.htm**

This digital publication is hosted by the Civil Cabinet (Casa Civil) of the Presidency of the Republic, which maintains the official repository of Brazilian federal legislation. The availability through the Planalto portal ensures that citizens, legal professionals, researchers, and businesses can access the current legal text without restriction.

The law is also indexed in the **Lexml Brazil** system, a semantic web initiative that provides structured access to Brazilian legal documents using standardized identifiers and metadata.

### Relation to Brazilian Legal Framework
As a federal statute (Lei), Law No. 3207 occupies a specific position within the hierarchy of Brazilian law. Brazilian law recognizes statutes as formal written documents enacted to create law, distinct from but related to other legal instruments such as executive orders (medidas provisórias), decrees, and resolutions.

The statute represents a manifestation of **statutory law** (direito legislado) and contains legal norms (normas jurídicas) applicable to its specific subject matter. Its creation followed the legislative process involving "draft laws" (projetos de lei) and was formalized through the act of legislation.

### Documentation and Scholarly Recognition
Law No. 3207 is included in **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, a Wikimedia initiative dedicated to documenting and organizing information about Brazilian legislation. This inclusion indicates recognition of the law's relevance within the corpus of Brazilian legal documents and its importance for comprehensive legal documentation efforts.

The law's metadata and references cite the official legislative portal (legislacao.presidencia.gov.br) and the Lexml system (lexml.gov.br), providing authoritative sources for verification and further research.

### Physical and Temporal Context
The law was promulgated in 1957, placing it in the historical context of mid-20th century Brazil—a period of significant economic transformation, urbanization, and industrial development. The regulation of sales employees and traveling salesmen reflected the growing importance of commercial activities and the need to formalize labor relations in this sector.

The specification of Rio de Janeiro as the place of publication situates the law geographically within the administrative center of Brazil at that time, nearly three years before the capital's relocation to Brasília in April 1960.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1957-07-18;3207)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3207&ano=1957&data=18/07/1957&ato=30coXQE9UMNRVT5ed)
3. LexML Brasil