# Law No. 7031 of September 20, 1982

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105649946](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105649946)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-7031-of-september-20-1982

## Summary
Law No. 7031 of September 20, 1982, is a Brazilian statute that amends Article 88 of Law 5,108 of September 21, 1966, which established the National Traffic Code. Promulgated by President João Figueiredo in Brasília, this federal law modifies legal norms governing motor vehicles, fines, competencies, and usage regulations within Brazil's national traffic legislation framework.

## Key Facts
- **Official Designation:** Lei nº 7031, de 20 de setembro de 1982
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 7031/1982
- **Type:** Federal statute (instance of a formal written document that creates law)
- **Date of Promulgation:** September 20, 1982
- **Promulgating Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **President at Time of Enactment:** João Figueiredo
- **Method of Enactment:** Promulgation
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil (applies to entire national territory)
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília
- **Primary Purpose:** Amends Article 88 of Law 5,108 of September 21, 1966 (National Traffic Code)
- **LexML Brazil Identifier:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1982-09-20;7031
- **Online Availability:** Full text accessible at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1980-1988/l7031.htm
- **Wikidata Description:** Brazilian law
- **Documentation Status:** Included in WikiProject Brazilian Laws for structured documentation
- **Main Subjects Covered:** Utilização (use), Alteração (change), Normas (legal norm), Penalidade (fine), Competencia (competency), and Veiculo Automotor (motor vehicle)

## FAQs
**What is Law No. 7031 of September 20, 1982?**
Law No. 7031 is a Brazilian federal statute enacted on September 20, 1982, that specifically amends Article 88 of the National Traffic Code (Law 5,108/1966), establishing modifications to legal norms concerning motor vehicle regulations, penalties, and administrative competencies.

**What specific legislation does this law amend?**
This statute amends Article 88 of Law 5,108, dated September 21, 1966, which codified Brazil's National Traffic Code (Código Nacional de Trânsito), affecting provisions related to motor vehicle use, fines, and regulatory competencies.

**Who signed Law No. 7031 into effect and where was it published?**
President João Figueiredo promulgated the law on September 20, 1982, and it was officially published in Brasília, the federal capital of Brazil.

**In what language was Law No. 7031 originally written?**
The law was drafted and promulgated in Brazilian Portuguese, the official language of Brazil's federal legislation.

**Where can researchers and legal professionals access the full text of this law?**
The complete text is publicly available through the official Brazilian government portal at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1980-1988/l7031.htm, maintained by the Presidency of the Republic.

**What are the six main legal subjects addressed in this statute?**
The law focuses on six core subjects: utilization (utilização) of traffic norms, alteration (alteração) of existing provisions, legal norms (normas) themselves, penalties (penalidade) including fines, administrative competency (competencia), and motor vehicles (veiculo automotor) as regulated objects.

**How is this law classified in Brazil's legal documentation systems?**
It is classified as a federal statute with the LexML Brazil identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1982-09-20;7031, and is tracked by WikiProject Brazilian Laws for encyclopedic documentation.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 7031 of September 20, 1982, represents a targeted legislative intervention in Brazil's traffic regulation system during the final years of the military regime. By amending Article 88 of the 1966 National Traffic Code, this statute directly impacted the legal framework governing daily transportation operations, driver responsibilities, and administrative enforcement across Brazilian territory. The law's focus on fines, competencies, and motor vehicle usage reflects the government's effort to refine regulatory mechanisms and penalty structures within the national transit system. Its inclusion in the LexML structured legislation system and WikiProject Brazilian Laws demonstrates its ongoing relevance as a reference point for legal research and historical analysis of Brazilian administrative law. As a federal statute promulgated by President João Figueiredo, it also serves as a historical artifact from Brazil's transition period, capturing the legislative priorities of the early 1980s regarding public safety and transportation governance. The law's continued availability through official government archives ensures that judges, lawyers, traffic authorities, and scholars can access the precise text of this amendment when interpreting the evolution of Brazil's traffic legislation.

## Notable For
- **Specific Amendment Focus:** Unlike comprehensive traffic reforms, this law targets only Article 88 of the 1966 National Traffic Code, demonstrating a surgical legislative approach to traffic regulation.
- **Presidential Signature:** Signed by President João Figueiredo, Brazil's last military-era president, marking it as part of the final legislative acts before the country's full democratic transition.
- **Structured Legal Identifier:** Assigned the unique LexML Brazil identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1982-09-20;7031, enabling precise digital retrieval and citation.
- **Multi-Subject Traffic Regulation:** Addresses six distinct legal subjects simultaneously—use, change, norms, fines, competency, and motor vehicles—within a single statutory instrument.
- **Permanent Digital Preservation:** Maintained on the official Planalto government website with a direct URL, ensuring continuous public access decades after enactment.
- **Wikimedia Documentation:** Recognized by WikiProject Brazilian Laws, indicating its significance for structured knowledge representation in encyclopedic contexts.
- **Federal Scope:** Applies uniformly across all Brazilian states and territories as federal legislation, superseding any conflicting local traffic provisions.
- **Public Domain Status:** As an official legislative enactment, the text is in the public domain under Brazilian law and the edict of government doctrine.

## Body

### Legislative Context and Purpose
Law No. 7031 of September 20, 1982, operates as a statutory amendment within Brazil's hierarchical legal system. The law's explicit purpose, as stated in its digest, is to "ALTERA O ARTIGO 88 DA LEI 5.108, DE 21 DE SETEMBRO DE 1966 - CODIGO NACIONAL DE TRANSITO." This establishes its function as a modifying instrument rather than original legislation. Law 5,108/1966 created the foundational National Traffic Code, and Law No. 7031 specifically targets Article 88 of that code. The statute is classified as an instance of a "statute," which the source material defines as a formal written document that creates law, encompassing acts, executive orders, and by-laws. This classification places Law No. 7031 within the broader category of legislative instruments that manifest statutory law through written enactments.

### Promulgation and Publication Details
The law was officially promulgated on September 20, 1982, by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil. President João Figueiredo personally enacted the legislation through the constitutional mechanism of promulgation, as recorded in official presidential archives. The publication occurred in Brasília, which has served as Brazil's federal capital since April 22, 1960. The law was issued in Brazilian Portuguese, the sole official language for federal legislation. The promulgation date is consistently documented across multiple authoritative sources, including the presidential legislation database and the LexML legislative information system.

### Legal Structure and Subjects
The statute addresses six principal subjects, each explicitly identified in the source material with Portuguese terminology:
- **Utilização (Use):** Governs the application and utilization of traffic norms
- **Alteração (Change):** Establishes mechanisms for altering existing traffic regulations
- **Normas (Legal Norm):** Defines or modifies the legal norms themselves within the traffic code
- **Penalidade (Fine):** Addresses penalty structures, specifically fines within the traffic enforcement system
- **Competencia (Competency):** Clarifies administrative and jurisdictional competencies for traffic authorities
- **Veiculo Automotor (Motor Vehicle):** Regulates motor vehicles as the primary objects of the amended provisions

These subjects collectively indicate that Article 88 likely contained provisions concerning the authority to impose fines, the conditions for penalizing motor vehicle operators, and the legal framework for traffic norm enforcement.

### Access and Documentation
Law No. 7031 benefits from comprehensive digital documentation through Brazil's LexML system, which assigns it the persistent identifier urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1982-09-20;7031. This identifier follows the URN:LEX standard for legislative metadata, enabling machine-readable citation and retrieval. The full text is publicly accessible through the official Planalto website at the specific URL https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1980-1988/l7031.htm, which hosts the authenticated version maintained by the Civilian House of the Presidency. The law is also cataloged within Wikidata as a Brazilian law entity and is explicitly included in WikiProject Brazilian Laws, a Wikimedia initiative focused on systematically documenting Brazilian legislation. This dual documentation—both in official government archives and collaborative knowledge platforms—ensures long-term preservation and accessibility.

### Historical and Jurisdictional Context
As federal legislation, Law No. 7031 applies to the entire jurisdiction of Brazil, encompassing all 26 states and the Federal District. The law was enacted during the final phase of Brazil's military government period (1964-1985), specifically in the last year of President Figueiredo's administration. This timing places the statute within a broader context of legal modernization efforts preceding Brazil's democratic transition. The law's continued availability and documentation demonstrate its enduring relevance to Brazilian administrative law, traffic regulation jurisprudence, and historical studies of legislative evolution. The statute remains in force as part of the living body of Brazilian traffic law, unless subsequently amended or repealed by later legislation.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1982-09-20;7031)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=7031&ano=1982&data=20/09/1982&ato=1faEzaE9ENrRVT8d2)
3. LexML Brasil