# Law No. 4963 of May 5, 1966

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105647577](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105647577)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-4963-of-may-5-1966

## Summary
Law No. 4963 of May 5, 1966 is a Brazilian statute promulgated by President Humberto Castelo Branco that regulates matters of warranty and emission. This federal law, published in Brasília, represents a formal legislative enactment from Brazil's military government period and remains accessible through official government portals and the LexML identification system.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title**: Lei nº 4963, de 5 de maio de 1966
- **Legal Citation**: Lei nº 4963/1966
- **Date of Promulgation**: May 5, 1966
- **Promulgating Authority**: Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil under President Castelo Branco
- **Legal Classification**: Instance of a statute (formal written document that creates law)
- **Main Subjects**: Warranty (Garantia) and emission (Emissão)
- **Place of Publication**: Brasília, Brazil
- **Language**: Brazilian Portuguese
- **Jurisdiction**: Applies throughout Brazil
- **LexML Identifier**: urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1966-05-05;4963
- **Official URL**: Available at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4963.htm
- **Documentation Status**: Included in WikiProject Brazilian Laws for cataloging and verification

## FAQs
**What is Law No. 4963 of May 5, 1966?**
Law No. 4963 is a Brazilian federal statute enacted on May 5, 1966, during the presidency of Humberto Castelo Branco. The law addresses legal frameworks for warranty and emission matters in Brazil.

**Who promulgated this law and when?**
President Humberto Castelo Branco promulgated Law No. 4963 on May 5, 1966, through the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, as documented by official legislative records.

**What specific topics does this law regulate?**
The law regulates two main subjects: warranty (Garantia) and emission (Emissão), covering legal provisions related to guarantees and issuance processes under Brazilian federal law.

**Where can I access the full text of Law No. 4963?**
The complete text is publicly available at the official URL https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4963.htm, maintained by the Brazilian federal government.

**How is this law classified in legal and documentation systems?**
Law No. 4963 is classified as a statute, which is a formal written document that creates law and serves as a manifestation of statutory law. It is cataloged in the LexML system with identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1966-05-05;4963 and tracked by WikiProject Brazilian Laws.

**What is the legal status of this document regarding copyright?**
As an official legislative enactment of the Brazilian federal government, Law No. 4963 is in the public domain under the edict of government doctrine, which establishes that official legal documents are not copyrightable and belong to the public.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 4963 of May 5, 1966 matters because it represents a concrete legislative act from Brazil's military regime period that continues to shape legal interpretations of warranty and emission regulations. As a statute, it functions as the tangible manifestation of statutory law, providing definitive rules that courts, businesses, and citizens must follow regarding guarantee and issuance matters. The law's inclusion in the LexML system and WikiProject Brazilian Laws ensures its preservation and accessibility, making it part of Brazil's permanent legal heritage. Its promulgation in Brasília—the capital inaugurated just six years prior—demonstrates the consolidation of federal legislative processes in the new seat of government. The law's public domain status guarantees that all Brazilians have unrestricted access to its provisions, reinforcing transparency and the rule of law. Furthermore, its dual focus on warranty and emission reflects the legal system's attention to commercial and financial instruments during a period of significant economic development and institutional reorganization under military governance.

## Notable For
- **Historical Context**: Enacted during the Castelo Branco presidency, the first president of Brazil's military regime following the 1964 coup
- **Dual Subject Structure**: Uniquely combines provisions for both warranty (Garantia) and emission (Emissão) within a single statutory instrument
- **LexML Cataloging**: Assigned a permanent URN identifier (urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1966-05-05;4963) in Brazil's official legal metadata system
- **Digital Accessibility**: Maintained on the Planalto government portal with a direct URL since at least 2021, ensuring continuous public access
- **Wikimedia Documentation**: Specifically tracked by WikiProject Brazilian Laws, indicating active curation within collaborative knowledge projects
- **Capital Publication**: Published in Brasília, which became Brazil's capital in 1960, representing early legislative output from the new federal district
- **Military Era Legislation**: Represents the legal framework developed under Brazil's 1964-1985 military government, specifically during the Castelo Branco administration (1964-1967)
- **Public Domain Status**: Exempt from copyright restrictions as an official government edict, ensuring free distribution and citation

## Body

### Basic Identification and Classification
Law No. 4963 of May 5, 1966 is formally identified as "Lei nº 4963, de 5 de maio de 1966" with the standardized legal citation "Lei nº 4963/1966". The document constitutes an instance of a statute, which is defined as a formal written document that creates law. As a statute, it belongs to the subclass of written works, documents, and rules, functioning as the concrete manifestation of statutory law. The law is composed of legal norms and resulted from the legislative process, following draft laws and caused by the act of legislation. It is part of the broader legal framework of Brazil and represents a specific legal act of the federal government.

### Promulgation and Historical Context
The law was promulgated on May 5, 1966, by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil. President Humberto Castelo Branco, who served as the first president of Brazil's military regime from 1964 to 1967, signed the enactment. The promulgation date is consistently documented across multiple official sources, with references dated January 28, 2021, and February 17, 2021. This legislative act occurred during a period of significant political transformation in Brazil, as the military government consolidated its institutional framework following the 1964 coup. The determination method for the law's enactment is recorded as "promulgation," the formal process by which statutes become effective under Brazilian law.

### Subject Matter and Scope
Law No. 4963 addresses two distinct but related legal domains. The first main subject is warranty, stated in Portuguese as "Garantia," which encompasses legal guarantees, sureties, and warranty instruments under Brazilian law. The second main subject is emission, stated as "Emissão," covering issuance processes likely related to financial instruments, securities, or official documents. The law applies to the entire jurisdiction of Brazil, a federal republic occupying 8,515,767 km² in South America. As a federal statute, it binds all states and municipalities within the Brazilian federation, which includes 26 states plus one Federal District.

### Publication and Accessibility
The law was published in Brasília, the federal capital of Brazil since April 22, 1960. The official text is available in Brazilian Portuguese, the sole official language of Brazil. The document can be accessed through multiple channels: the primary source is the Planalto government portal at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l4963.htm, which has been verified as of February 17, 2021. Additionally, the law is indexed in the LexML Brazil system with the permanent identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1966-05-05;4963. This URN provides a stable, citable reference that follows the LexML standard for Brazilian legal documents.

### Legal Framework and Jurisdiction
As a federal law, Law No. 4963 applies to the entire jurisdiction of Brazil, a country with a population exceeding 213 million people. Brazil operates under a presidential system of representative democracy, with the President serving as both head of state and head of government. The legislative body responsible for creating statutes is the National Congress of Brazil, composed of the Federal Senate and Chamber of Deputies, though this specific law was promulgated through presidential authority. The law's provisions are subject to interpretation by Brazil's highest judicial authority, the Supreme Federal Court (STF), and lower federal courts. The statute functions as a manifestation of statutory law within Brazil's civil law tradition, which derives from Portuguese legal heritage.

### Documentation and Cataloging
Law No. 4963 receives active documentation across multiple knowledge systems. It is included in WikiProject Brazilian Laws, a Wikimedia project focused on cataloging Brazilian legislation. The law's Wikidata description is simply "Brazilian law," and it is classified as an instance of statute. The LexML identification system provides a formal URN that follows the pattern: urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1966-05-05;4963, where "br" represents Brazil, "federal" indicates the legislative level, "lei" specifies the type as law, and the date and number complete the unique identifier. This systematic cataloging ensures the law is discoverable through standardized legal research methodologies.

### Copyright and Public Access
Under the edict of government doctrine, Law No. 4963 is in the public domain in Brazil and jurisdictions like the United States and France. This doctrine establishes that official legal documents, including legislative enactments, judicial opinions, and administrative rulings, are not subject to copyright because they must be freely owned by the public. Consequently, the text can be reproduced, distributed, and cited without restriction. This status ensures that all Brazilian citizens and interested parties worldwide can access, read, and reference the law without legal limitations, reinforcing principles of legal transparency and democratic accountability.

### Relationship to Broader Legal Concepts
As a statute, Law No. 4963 is part of a larger taxonomy of legal instruments. It is equivalent to the schema.org/Legislation class used in structured web data. The concept of statute is cataloged in major library systems under Dewey Decimal classifications 342.057 and 348.02, though this specific law may be classified within Brazilian law subsets. The statute is differentiated from but related to other legal forms such as executive orders and by-laws, though it itself is a federal law passed through legislative process. The law's creation was preceded by draft laws and caused by the legislative act, resulting in statutory law that governs warranty and emission matters nationwide.

### Historical and Political Environment
The law emerged during Brazil's military government period (1964-1985), specifically under the Castelo Branco administration. This era was characterized by institutional acts that restructured the Brazilian state, including the legal and economic systems. Brasília, where the law was published, had been inaugurated as the federal capital only six years earlier, representing a major geographic and administrative shift. The law predates Brazil's current 1988 Constitution, which re-established democratic institutions after military rule. Understanding Law No. 4963 requires consideration of the authoritarian context in which it was created, when the executive branch held significant legislative power through decree and promulgation mechanisms.

### Technical Specifications and Identifiers
The law carries multiple identifiers across documentation systems. Its LexML URN is urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1966-05-05;4963. The legal citation format "Lei nº 4963/1966" follows Brazilian conventions of law number and year. The work is recorded as being in Brazilian Portuguese, which is the official language prescribed for all federal legislation. The publication date is precisely recorded as May 5, 1966, without variance across sources. The law's availability at the Planalto portal URL has been verified through references dated to 2021, indicating sustained government maintenance of historical legislative texts.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1966-05-05;4963)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=4963&ano=1966&data=05/05/1966&ato=125Aza65EMZRVTb75)