Lipases are enzymes of great interest and have industrial application. In this work, the production of lipase (Lip, U/g) was investigated from Penicillium roqueforti using cocoa shell as a substrate for semi-solid fermentation. The optimization of cultivation conditions were aw = 0.888 / T = 26.7°C / t = 60 h), which showed a productivity of 0.299 ± 0.031 Ug-1 h-1. The enzymatic extract presented an optimal pH and a T of 6.8 and 35.5°C respectively; a thermal stability (50°C) showed a half-life estimated at 50 min. and the addition of the solvents dichloromethane or methyl ether or the addition of the salts CoCl2, Pb(C2H3O2)2 or MgCl2 to the incubation buffer favored the Lip activity. The results showed that cocoa shell can be used as a viable substrate for Penicillium roqueforti to produce enzyme extracts, which is a promising alternative for the production. It also contained, for example, lipases with characteristics like those described in the literature.