It is the new CNPJ format, in effect since July 2026. The first 12 characters can be letters (A to Z) or digits; the last 2 are still numeric check digits. The Federal Revenue adopted it because the digit-only numbering was running out.
The first alphanumeric CNPJs were issued in July 2026. A real example: 00.000.000/E08G-12, a Banco do Brasil branch in Brasília opened on 2026-07-31. Both formats coexist: numeric CNPJs remain valid and no existing company had its number changed.
Already registered companies keep their current CNPJ. Only new registrations, of companies and of branches, receive the alphanumeric format. Systems that validate CNPJs need to accept letters in the first 12 positions.
Digit-only validations now reject real companies. The check digit calculation is still mod 11, with letters valued from A=17 to Z=42. cnpj-api.com already accepts the new format on every endpoint. The blog article "CNPJ alfanumérico: o que muda e como testar na API" walks through a full lookup with a real CNPJ.
No. Existing CNPJs remain unchanged.
It keeps 14 characters, but may contain letters from A to Z in addition to digits in the first 12 positions.
Yes. Every endpoint accepts the new format, with or without punctuation, and the response returns the CNPJ in upper case.