CNPJ
Cadastro Nacional da Pessoa Jurídica. Brazilian business taxpayer identification number.
Use this page for field meaning, local checksum math, examples, and integration notes. Official identity, registry, account, or tax status still belongs to the owning system.
Entity Summary
- Jurisdiction
- Brazil (BR)
- Category
- Brazilian National Registry of Legal Entities
- Format
- 14 numeric digits
- Local signal
- Company root, branch, two check digits
What is CNPJ?
CNPJ (Cadastro Nacional da Pessoa Jurídica)
The CNPJ (Portuguese: Cadastro Nacional da Pessoa Jurídica, National Registry of Legal Entities) is the tax registration number used to identify businesses, partnerships, and non-profits in Brazil.
It is issued and administered by the Secretariat of the Federal Revenue of Brazil (Receita Federal).
Issuing Authority
Managed by the Secretariat of the Federal Revenue of Brazil (Secretaria da Receita Federal do Brasil).
Visual Structure Breakdown
Standard CNPJ numbers consist of exactly 14 digits structured as:
[ R R R R R R R R ] [ B B B B ] [ C C ]| Field | Positions | Description |
|---|---|---|
| RRRRRRRR | 1–8 | Business registration number. |
| BBBB | 9–12 | Branch identifier (headquarters is usually 0001). |
| CC | 13–14 | Double control checksum digits. |
Modulo Checksum Details
The CNPJ checksum utilizes a sequential double modulo 11 calculation.
First Checksum Digit (Digit 13)
Weights are applied to digits 1-12: 5, 4, 3, 2, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
\[S_1 = \sum_{i=1}^{12} (d_i \times w_i)\]
\[R_1 = S_1 \pmod{11}\]
The control digit is computed as:
- If \(R_1 < 2\), then \(d_{13} = 0\)
- If \(R_1 \ge 2\), then \(d_{13} = 11 - R_1\)
Second Checksum Digit (Digit 14)
Weights are applied to digits 1-13: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
\[S_2 = \sum_{i=1}^{13} (d_i \times w'_i)\]
\[R_2 = S_2 \pmod{11}\]
The control digit is computed as:
- If \(R_2 < 2\), then \(d_{14} = 0\)
- If \(R_2 \ge 2\), then \(d_{14} = 11 - R_2\)
Validation Examples
| Sample Input | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 11222333000181 | Valid CNPJ — Standard valid Brazilian Cadastro Nacional da Pessoa Jurídica (CNPJ) number. | ✓ Valid |
| 11111111111111 | Trivial Sequential Code — Fails the Receita Federal rule blocking identical repeating digits. | ✗ Invalid |
| 12345 | Too Short — Must be exactly 14 numeric digits. | ✗ Invalid |
Implementation Guidance
Developer Guidelines
When implementing CNPJ validation:
- CNPJ is formatted as:
00.000.000/0001-00. Separators must be filtered before calculation. - Digits length must be exactly 14.
- Regex:
/^\d{14}$/. - Like CPF, reject trivial sequential values (e.g.
00.000.000/0000-00,11.111.111/1111-11), which are invalid.
function validateCNPJ(cnpj) {
if (!/^\d{14}$/.test(cnpj)) return false;
if (/^(\d)\1{13}$/.test(cnpj)) return false;
let size = cnpj.length - 2;
let numbers = cnpj.substring(0, size);
const digits = cnpj.substring(size);
let sum = 0;
let pos = size - 7;
for (let i = size; i >= 1; i--) {
sum += parseInt(numbers.charAt(size - i)) * pos--;
if (pos < 2) pos = 9;
}
let result = sum % 11 < 2 ? 0 : 11 - (sum % 11);
if (result !== parseInt(digits.charAt(0))) return false;
size = size + 1;
numbers = cnpj.substring(0, size);
sum = 0;
pos = size - 7;
for (let i = size; i >= 1; i--) {
sum += parseInt(numbers.charAt(size - i)) * pos--;
if (pos < 2) pos = 9;
}
result = sum % 11 < 2 ? 0 : 11 - (sum % 11);
return result === parseInt(digits.charAt(1));
}Frequently Asked Questions
Can a company have multiple CNPJ numbers?
A business receives one base 8-digit registration number, but each branch or subsidiary receives its own 14-digit CNPJ code (e.g. branch 2 will end in /0002-XX).
Is CNPJ registration public?
Yes. Registration details, active statuses, and company locations are public domain databases provided by the Receita Federal.
Official Registry Sources
References
1. Receita Federal (Brazil): Central business registry lookup portal. Official portal.
2. RFB Normative Instruction No. 1863/2018: Administrative base of CNPJ registration rules.