Código de Endereçamento Postal

Código de Endereçamento Postal (Postal Addressing Code) is the Brazilian postal code system commonly known as CEP. Introduced in 1972 as a sequence of five digits, it was expanded to eight digits in 1992 to allow for more precise localization. The standard format is "nnnnn-nnn" (the original five digits, a hyphen, and the new three digits).

A street sign indicating a Brazilian Postal Code (13010-111) at its bottom, in Campinas.

Most cities with population around 100,000 and above have a CEP assigned to every public place and to some high-occupancy private spaces, like major commercial buildings and large residential condos. Small towns are assigned a general 5-digit code followed by the suffix -000.

The complete postal code database, known as DNE, contains more than 900,000 codes (including streets, neighborhoods, cities and Federated state names). Initially it was freely available at the Brazilian post office website, but after receiving various enhancements it is now a paid service called e-DNE. It comprises:

• Official names of all streets in all the capital cities and in 320 cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants;
• General 5-digit CEPs of all smaller cities in the 5,565 districts of the country;
• Promotional CEPs;
• CEPs of all communitarian PO boxes;
• CEPs of specific units in a street;
• CEPs of the Postal Units;
• All district codes according to IBGE;
• CEPs of Large Users;