Belo Horizonte council lets residents' associations put gates and ID checks on public streets

Belo Horizonte's city council approved bill PL 576/2025, sponsored by council president Juliano Lopes (Podemos), in a second-round vote of 32 to 7 on 6 November 2026. Registered residents' associations would be allowed to install gates, gatehouses and systems to identify or register non-residents in subdivisions and road complexes in a confined layout, provided this does not affect circulation in neighbouring areas. The associations would install, run and maintain the structures, while the city keeps responsibility for paving, drainage, lighting, waste collection and tree management. Pedestrians and non-resident drivers cannot be barred from entering, and the text does not authorise closing residential condominiums in general. The state public prosecutor's office (MPMG) had recommended rejecting the bill, citing risks to free movement, equal access and the integration of different parts of the city. The bill now goes to Mayor Álvaro Damião to sign or veto.

The measure formalises a practice common in Brazilian cities: residents controlling access to public streets in response to fear of crime. Who owns the street, and whether legalising the practice limits it or entrenches it, are the open questions.