auto de notícia
Published 30 October 2026, 20:39
auto de notícia (a record of an offence the official witnessed in person)
A document drawn up by an inspecting official (a police officer, a tax inspector, a labour inspector) who has seen an offence with their own eyes. It states what happened, when and where, who was present and what evidence supports it. If it concerns a crime, under article 243 of the Code of Criminal Procedure the record is sent to the public prosecutor within ten days at most and counts as a report of a crime. If the offence is administrative, the document opens a case for a fine: the person or company concerned is given the chance to respond, and only then is a decision made.
Where you come across it. An inspection of a workshop, a shop or a building site; road accidents and traffic offences; inspections by the tax authority AT and the labour inspectorate ACT.
The record is the start of a case, not a fine or a verdict: you can object, and the deadline runs from the day the document was handed to you or sent. Not to be confused with a queixa or a denúncia: those are made by the victim or a third party, whereas an auto de notícia is drawn up by the official who witnessed the offence.