Mexico Quality Infrastructure Law Regulation Now in Force
Mexico Issues Quality Infrastructure Law Regulation: New Rules for NOM Certification, Accreditation, Standards and Market Surveillance
On September 4, 2026, Mexico's Federal Executive published in the Diario Oficial de la Federación (DOF) the Decree issuing the Regulation of the Quality Infrastructure Law (Reglamento de la Ley de Infraestructura de la Calidad). The Regulation entered into force on September 7, 2026, the first business day after publication, and was formally announced by the Ministry of Economy (Secretaría de Economía) through Communiqué No. 85.
The instrument closes a regulatory gap of more than five years. The Quality Infrastructure Law (LIC), published on July 1, 2020, replaced the Federal Law on Metrology and Standardization (LFMN), but its implementing regulation was never issued within the original twelve-month deadline. Until now, the 1999 Regulation of the LFMN (RLFMN) continued to apply on a supplementary basis. That era is over: the new Regulation expressly repeals the RLFMN and any provision that contradicts it. For manufacturers, importers, testing laboratories and certification bodies, this is the most significant change to Mexico's conformity assessment framework since 2020.
Background: From the LFMN to the Quality Infrastructure Law
The LIC redesigned Mexico's National Quality Infrastructure System around mandatory Mexican Official Standards (NOMs), voluntary Standards (Estándares, replacing the former NMX), conformity assessment, accreditation, metrology and market surveillance. Without its own regulation, however, many operating details procedures, deadlines, definitions and transition rules still relied on the 1999 RLFMN.
The new Regulation, signed on August 28, 2026, consolidates those operating rules into a single instrument of general application throughout Mexico. It is coordinated through the National Quality Infrastructure Commission (CNIC), with the Ministry of Economy as head of the system and the National Metrology Center (CENAM) coordinating the metrology system.
Key Provisions of the Mexico Quality Infrastructure Law Regulation
Scope and structure
The Regulation is organized into books covering:
General provisions and the National Quality Infrastructure System.
Standardization and conformity assessment, including the transition from NMX to Estándares.
The Metrology System (scientific, legal and industrial metrology), including calibration, traceability, certified reference materials and model/prototype approval.
Market surveillance, verification and oversight procedures, including rules on the use of official marks (contraseñas oficiales), seals and declarations.
Updated definitions aligned with international practice
Definitions for calibration, calibration certificates, certified reference materials and measurement uncertainty are aligned with the International Vocabulary of Metrology (VIM). Laboratories and inspection units are formally defined as conformity assessment bodies (OECs), and market surveillance is defined as permanent, multidisciplinary supervision of products, processes and services for compliance with NOMs and Standards.
Traceability and international recognition
Certified reference materials listed in the BIPM Calibration and Measurement Capabilities (CMC) database are automatically considered recognized by the Ministry of Economy. Materials not listed must follow an authorization procedure. CENAM and designated metrology institutes may also authorize traceability to foreign or international measurement standards.
Digitalization through PLATIICA
The Regulation positions the Comprehensive Quality Infrastructure Technology Platform (PLATIICA) as the digital backbone for procedures and data exchange between authorities. Until PLATIICA is fully adapted, the Ministry of Economy may establish alternative procedures and formats.
Transitory provisions
The Regulation contains eleven transitory articles. The most relevant for industry are:
Article 1: Entry into force on the business day following DOF publication (September 7, 2026).
Article 2: Repeal of the RLFMN of January 14, 1999, and all contrary provisions.
Article 3: Internal rules of the Commission, guidelines and secondary administrative provisions must be issued within 12 months.
Article 4: Draft Mexican Standards (NMX) in process are canceled.
Article 5: Existing NMX remain valid until the Ministry publishes a cancellation notice or a replacement Standard takes effect.
Article 6: Standardization bodies have a non-extendable 36-month period, once Technical Standardization Committees are established, to issue Standards in subject areas currently covered by NMX.
Article 7: Conformity assessment documents issued before entry into force remain valid insofar as they do not contradict the LIC and the Regulation.
Article 8: Authorizations, accreditations and approvals issued before entry into force must be renewed within three years; otherwise they are deemed canceled.
Article 9: Applications filed before entry into force are resolved under the rules in effect at the time of filing.
Article 10: Alternative procedures and formats may apply while PLATIICA is adapted.
Article 11: No additional budget is authorized for the current fiscal year.
Certification Impact Summary
Area | Impact | Status / Deadline |
Existing NOM certificates and conformity assessment documents | Remain valid if consistent with the LIC and the Regulation | Transitory Art. 7 |
Applications filed before Sept 7, 2026 | Processed under the rules in force at the time of filing | Transitory Art. 9 |
Accreditations, approvals and authorizations of labs, certification bodies and inspection units | Must be renewed under the new framework or are deemed canceled | By Sept 7, 2029 (Art. 8) |
NMX referenced in NOMs or technical files | Remain valid until canceled or replaced by a Standard | Transitory Arts. 5–6 |
Draft NMX in progress | Canceled | Effective Sept 7, 2026 (Art. 4) |
Calibration certificates and reference materials | Must show traceability to the national system, CENAM/designated institutes, BIPM CMC or an authorized foreign standard | In force |
Official marks, seals and declarations | Governed by new rules on use and market surveillance | In force |
Digital procedures (PLATIICA) | Alternative procedures may apply during platform adaptation | Transitional |
Secondary guidelines and rules | Operational details still pending | By Sept 7, 2027 (Art. 3) |
What This Means for Manufacturers
No new product list but a new rulebook. The Regulation does not introduce a new list of products subject to mandatory certification. Products remain regulated through the applicable NOMs. What changes is the legal framework governing how conformity is assessed, who may assess it and how compliance is monitored in the market.
Your certification partners must renew. Because accreditations and approvals of testing laboratories, certification bodies and inspection units must be renewed within three years, manufacturers should confirm that their Mexican conformity assessment providers have a renewal plan. A lapsed accreditation or approval could invalidate future test reports or certificates issued by that provider.
Documentation needs updating. Any contract, quality manual, test procedure or technical file that cites the RLFMN now references a repealed instrument. These references should be updated to the LIC and its Regulation.
Expect stronger market surveillance. The Regulation details market surveillance, verification and oversight procedures, as well as the use of official marks and declarations. Importers and brand owners should expect more structured enforcement against non-compliant products at retail and customs.
A 12-month implementation gap. Several operating rules guidelines, the Commission's internal regulation and PLATIICA procedures are still pending. During this period, criteria may vary between authorities and accreditation bodies, so close monitoring is essential.
Relevance for electronics and telecom equipment. Telecommunications-specific homologation remains under the sector regulator's own technical provisions. However, electronic and telecom products sold in Mexico are commonly subject to NOMs covering electrical safety, energy efficiency and commercial labeling, all of which operate under the LIC framework now governed by this Regulation.
Timeline and Required Actions
Regulatory timeline
Date | Milestone |
August 28, 2026 | Decree signed |
September 4, 2026 | Regulation published in the DOF (code 5797937) |
September 7, 2026 | Entry into force; RLFMN repealed; Ministry of Economy Communiqué No. 85 |
By September 7, 2027 | Secondary guidelines, rules and the Commission's internal regulation due |
36 months after Technical Standardization Committees are established | Standards must replace NMX in covered subject areas, or NMX may be canceled |
By September 7, 2029 | Pre-existing accreditations, approvals and authorizations must be renewed or are deemed canceled |
Required actions for manufacturers and importers
Timeframe | Recommended Action |
Immediately | Inform regulatory, quality and legal teams that the RLFMN is repealed as of September 7, 2026 |
Within 30 days | Build an inventory of active NOM certificates, the certification bodies and laboratories that issued them, and their accreditation status |
Within 60 days | Confirm with each Mexican certification body and laboratory that it has a plan to renew its accreditation and approvals under the new Regulation |
Within 90 days | Replace RLFMN references in contracts, technical files, quality procedures and supplier agreements |
Ongoing (12 months) | Monitor new guidelines, PLATIICA procedures and Commission rules published in the DOF |
Ongoing (up to 36 months) | Track the replacement of NMX referenced in your products' NOMs by new Standards and update test methods accordingly |
Before September 2029 | Verify that all conformity assessment providers you depend on have completed their renewals |
Conclusion
The Mexico Quality Infrastructure Law Regulation completes the legal framework introduced by the LIC in 2020 and replaces a regulation that had been in place for 27 years. While it does not immediately change which products require NOM certification, it resets the rules for conformity assessment, accreditation, metrology and market surveillance and starts several compliance clocks that manufacturers cannot afford to ignore.
CERTA Global Consulting monitors Mexico's DOF and regulatory authorities to help manufacturers maintain uninterrupted market access. Contact our team to review your NOM certification portfolio and prepare for the transition.
