Environmental licensing
CETESB adapts environmental licensing to the new General Licensing Law
Resolution No. 017/2026/P standardizes the validity of environmental licenses in the State of São Paulo, in line with Federal Law No. 15.190/2025.
- The validity periods of CETESB licenses have been standardized in line with the new federal law.
- A renewal requested 120 days in advance extends the license until a decision is made.
- The municipal Land Use Certificate is no longer required for CETESB licensing.
By MTC Serviços editorial team2 min read
On April 2, 2026, CETESB, the São Paulo state environmental agency, published Resolution No. 017/2026/P, dated March 20, which adapts the State's procedures to articles 6, 7, 17 and 42 to 46 of Federal Law No. 15.190/2025, the General Environmental Licensing Law, in force since February 4, 2026. The resolution also covers the application of Federal Law No. 15.300/2025.
License validity
The resolution standardizes the validity of licenses issued by CETESB. For activities under the state regulation (Decree No. 8.468/1976), the Preliminary License is valid for three years, and the Operation License for projects with a complexity factor W of 4.5 and 5 is valid for five years.
License validity
| License | Validity |
|---|---|
| Preliminary License (LP) | 3 to 6 years |
| Installation License (LI) or LP and LI together | 3 to 6 years |
| Operation License (LO) or LI and LO together | 5 to 10 years |
| Adhesion and Commitment License (LAC) | 5 to 10 years |
Licenses issued after February 4, 2026 with a term different from the one set by the rules will have their validity corrected, either on the agency's own initiative or at the applicant's request. Licenses issued before that date keep their original terms.
Cases in progress and renewal
New duties or conditions from the federal law can be required of cases already in progress only after the current stage is completed: the issuance of the license or the final denial, for applications under review; or the fulfillment of the obligations of the current license or the end of its validity, whichever comes first.
Renewing a license depends on paying a new review fee. Under the federal law, when renewal is requested at least 120 days before expiration, the license is automatically extended until the agency's final decision.
The License by Adhesion and Commitment (LAC) will only be applied after specific regulation. Until then, these activities follow the standard categories of state licensing.
Land use certificate
The resolution also stops requiring the municipal Land Use and Occupancy Certificate in CETESB licensing. In exchange, licenses now carry a condition that municipal zoning legislation remains in force.
What this changes for you
- Licenses issued after February 4, 2026 may have their validity corrected, on the agency's own initiative or on request.
- To avoid being without a license during the review, request renewal at least 120 days in advance.
- Municipal zoning still applies, even without the certificate in the CETESB case.
Want to know how this applies to your property or business? MTC reviews it before any proposal.
Chat on WhatsAppSources
- CETESB, Resolution No. 017/2026/P (State Official Gazette, April 2, 2026)(opens in a new tab)
- Federal Law No. 15.190/2025, art. 7 (renewal 120 days in advance)(opens in a new tab)
- Trench Rossi Watanabe, legal alert of April 7, 2026(opens in a new tab)
Informational text, based on official acts and publications. The ads on this page are for MTC's own services. To find out how this applies to your property or business, talk to the MTC technical team.
