# Law No. 4150 of November 21, 1962

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105648375](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648375)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-4150-of-november-21-1962

## Summary

Law No. 4150 of November 21, 1962 is a statute.[1]It is associated with Brazil.[1].

## Summary
Law No. 4150 of November 21, 1962 is a Brazilian federal statute that regulates government procurement, public works, and contracting procedures at all levels of government—federal, state, and municipal. Promulgated by President João Goulart, the law mandates the use of Brazilian Technical Standards Association (ABNT) norms in project elaboration and establishes uniform requirements for government purchasing of goods and services.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 4150, de 21 de novembro de 1962
- **Type of Instrument:** Statute (formal written document creating law)
- **Publication Date:** November 21, 1962
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília, Brazil
- **Promulgating Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **President at Enactment:** João Goulart
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil (federal law)
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 4150/1962
- **Lexml Brazil Identifier:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-11-21;4150
- **Official Text URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4150.htm
- **WikiProject Classification:** WikiProject Brazilian Laws

## FAQs

**What does Law No. 4150/1962 regulate?**
The law establishes rules for government purchasing (aquisição), public works (obra pública), and contracts (contrato) across all levels of Brazilian government—the Federal Government (União Federal), states (federative units), and municipalities (municípios).

**What role does the Brazilian Technical Standards Association play in this law?**
The law mandates the use of Brazilian Technical Standards Association (Associação Brasileira De Normas Tecnicas - ABNT) norms in the elaboration (preparation and development) of government projects, making these technical standards legally binding for public works and procurement.

**Who approved and promulgated this law?**
The law was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil and promulgated by President João Goulart on November 21, 1962.

**Where can the official text of this law be accessed?**
The complete text is available through the official Brazilian government portal at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4150.htm and is indexed in the Brazilian legal database under the Lexml ID: urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-11-21;4150.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 4150/1962 matters because it created a unified legal framework for government procurement, public works, and contracting that spans all three levels of Brazilian government—federal, state, and municipal. By mandating the use of Brazilian Technical Standards Association (ABNT) norms in project elaboration, the law bridged technical standardization with legal compliance, ensuring that government projects meet nationally recognized quality and safety specifications rather than fragmented or arbitrary local requirements. This standardization promotes transparency, quality control, and technical uniformity across Brazil's vast governmental apparatus. The law's comprehensive scope affects virtually all public purchasing and construction activities in the country, making it a foundational element of Brazilian administrative law and technical governance.

## Notable For
- **National Standards Integration:** Establishes a binding legal connection between statutory law and ABNT technical standards, making voluntary industry standards mandatory for government projects
- **Tri-Level Government Application:** Applies uniformly to the Federal Government (União Federal), all 26 states and one federal district (federative units), and over 5,500 municipalities across Brazil
- **Comprehensive Procurement Framework:** Addresses purchasing, goods, public works, contracts, and project elaboration in a single legislative instrument
- **Presidential Enactment During Goulart Era:** Promulgated by President João Goulart during his presidency (1961-1964), a significant and turbulent period in Brazilian political history preceding the 1964 military coup
- **Early Brasília Legislation:** Published in Brasília just two years after the city became Brazil's capital in 1960, representing part of the foundational legal framework established in the new federal capital

## Body

### Legal Classification and Status
Law No. 4150 of November 21, 1962 is classified as a **statute**—a formal written document that creates law within the Brazilian legal system. Statutes serve as the concrete manifestation of statutory law and act as the official record of legal rules enacted by governmental authority. As a statutory instrument, the law is composed of legal norms and operates within Brazil's broader framework of law and legal acts.

The law is officially cataloged in Brazilian legal databases with the **Lexml Brazil ID** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-11-21;4150` and carries the standardized **legal citation** `Lei nº 4150/1962`. It is recognized within **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, indicating its inclusion in systematic efforts to document and structure Brazilian legislation.

### Enactment and Promulgation
The law was officially **published on November 21, 1962**, in **Brasília**, which had been established as Brazil's federal capital just two years earlier in 1960. The promulgating authority was the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**, with **João Goulart** serving as President at the time of enactment.

Goulart's presidency (1961-1964) occurred during a politically charged period in Brazilian history marked by debates over economic development, land reform, labor rights, and Brazil's position in Cold War geopolitics. The enactment of technical standardization laws like 4150/1962 reflected ongoing efforts to modernize Brazilian governmental administration and regulatory frameworks during this era of political transformation.

The law is written in **Brazilian Portuguese**, the sole official language of Brazil, and applies throughout the entire **jurisdiction of Brazil** at the federal level, with cascading effects to state and municipal administrations.

### Subject Matter and Regulatory Scope
The law addresses multiple interconnected subjects spanning government operations, public administration, and technical standards:

**Governmental Entities Covered:**
- **Government (Governo):** General governmental operations and administration
- **Federal Government of Brazil (União Federal):** The national/federal level of government authority
- **Federative Unit of Brazil (Estados):** Brazil's 26 states and one federal district
- **Municipality of Brazil (Municípios):** Local government entities (over 5,500 municipalities)

**Regulated Activities and Subjects:**
- **Purchasing (Aquisição):** Government procurement and acquisition processes for goods and services
- **Goods (Material):** Physical materials, supplies, and equipment purchased by government entities
- **Public Works (Obra Pública):** Government construction projects, infrastructure development, and public building initiatives
- **Contract (Contrato):** Legal agreements governing government projects, purchases, and service arrangements
- **Elaboration (Elaboração):** The preparation, development, and design phase of government projects and specifications

**Public Interest Classification:**
The law is associated with **public utility (Utilidade Pública)**, indicating its role in serving the public interest through standardized government operations.

### Technical Standards Mandate and ABNT Integration
A defining feature of Law No. 4150/1962 is its explicit incorporation of **Brazilian Technical Standards Association (Associação Brasileira De Normas Tecnicas - ABNT)** standards into legal requirements. The law mandates that ABNT norms be used in the elaboration of government projects, transforming what might otherwise be voluntary industry standards into legally binding specifications.

The ABNT serves as Brazil's national standards body, responsible for developing, publishing, and maintaining technical standards across diverse sectors including construction, manufacturing, safety, quality management, and environmental practices. By embedding ABNT standards into law, the legislation ensures that:

- Government projects meet nationally recognized technical specifications
- Quality and safety requirements are standardized across jurisdictions
- Procurement specifications are based on objective, technically validated criteria
- Interoperability and consistency are maintained across government infrastructure

This technical-legal integration represents a significant mechanism for ensuring quality control in public expenditure and infrastructure development.

### Jurisdictional Application and Government Coverage
The law establishes a comprehensive framework that applies across **all three administrative levels** of Brazilian government:

1. **Federal Level (União Federal):** All federal ministries, agencies, autarchies, foundations, and other federal entities must comply with the law's requirements for procurement, public works, and contracts.

2. **State Level (Federative Units - Estados):** Each of Brazil's 26 states (Acre, Alagoas, Amapá, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceará, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Pará, Paraíba, Paraná, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondônia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, São Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins) and the Federal District must adhere to the law's standards.

3. **Municipal Level (Municipalities - Municípios):** Brazil's more than 5,500 municipalities, ranging from major cities like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro to small rural communities, are subject to the law's requirements.

This tri-level application creates a unified national standard for government procurement and public works, reducing fragmentation and ensuring consistency in how public resources are managed and expended across Brazil's vast and diverse governmental landscape.

### Official Sources and Legal Accessibility
The complete authoritative text of Law No. 4150/1962 is accessible through multiple official Brazilian government channels:

- **Planalto Portal (Civil House of the Presidency):** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4150.htm
- **Presidential Legislation Portal:** https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=4150&ano=1962&data=21/11/1962&ato=7ffITQE5kMVRVT14b
- **Lexml Brazil Network:** The law is indexed under the persistent identifier `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-11-21;4150` in Brazil's official legal XML repository

These official sources provide authoritative access to the complete legislative text, enabling citizens, government officials, legal professionals, and researchers to consult the law's full provisions.

### Historical and Political Context
Law No. 4150/1962 was enacted during **João Goulart's presidency** (September 8, 1961 – April 1, 1964), a period characterized by significant political polarization and policy debates in Brazil. Goulart, who had served as Vice President under Jânio Quadros, assumed the presidency after Quadros' resignation and faced opposition from conservative military and civilian sectors.

The early 1960s marked a period of intense debate over Brazil's development path, including discussions of land reform, nationalization of key industries, labor rights expansion, and relations with both Western and Eastern bloc nations during the Cold War. The passage of technical standardization legislation like Law 4150/1962 reflected the broader modernization and professionalization efforts within Brazilian public administration during this transformative era.

Just two years after the law's enactment, the 1964 military coup removed Goulart from power, initiating a military dictatorship that would last until 1985. Despite this dramatic political change, many technical and administrative laws from the pre-1964 period, including standardization measures, remained in force due to their practical utility for governance.

### Geographic and Administrative Significance
The law's publication in **Brasília** situates it within the early legislative output of Brazil's planned federal capital. President Juscelino Kubitschek had moved the capital from Rio de Janeiro to Brasília on April 21, 1960, as part of his ambitious development program. By 1962, Brasília was still a nascent city, and laws published there represented the federal government's efforts to establish administrative continuity in the new capital.

Brasília's status as the seat of federal power meant that Law 4150/1962, though published in this new interior location, carried the full weight of federal authority across Brazil's vast territory spanning approximately 8.5 million square kilometers—the fifth-largest country by area in the world.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1962-11-21;4150)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=4150&ano=1962&data=21/11/1962&ato=7ffITQE5kMVRVT14b)