Current Brazilian law states that any individual over the age of 25 who passes a background check may purchase a firearm.

One person every fifteen minutes is killed by gun violence in Brazil giving the nation the highest gun-related death rate in the world.

In 2003, the government of Brazil passed laws restricting gun access and creating a national firearm registry. Serious penalties were enacted for those caught with an unregistered firearm.

In 2005, Brazilians voted on a referendum to ban guns; however the bill was soundly defeated.