Mexico Company Search Guide 2026: How to Verify a Mexican Business

TL;DR. Mexico’s commercial registry is the Registro Público de Comercio (RPC), accessible through the federal SIGER 2.0 portal at siger.gob.mx. The RPC is implemented across 32 state delegations, making it genuinely fragmented. Free basic folio searches are available; certified extracts and certified copies cost MXN 100-500 (approximately USD 5-25). The RFC (Registro Federal de Contribuyentes) from the SAT tax authority is the cross-system company identifier. No Mexican identity document is required for basic online searches.

What is the official Mexican business registry?

Mexico’s commercial registry is the Registro Público de Comercio (RPC), established under the Commerce Code (Código de Comercio) and the RPC Regulations (Reglamento del Registro Público de Comercio). The RPC is coordinated at the federal level by the Secretaría de Economía (Ministry of Economy) and implemented through 32 state-level delegations and offices across Mexico’s 31 states and Mexico City (Ciudad de México).

The federal government launched the SIGER 2.0 (Sistema Integral de Gestión Registral) portal as the national harmonisation platform at siger.gob.mx. SIGER 2.0 is the most material attempt to consolidate Mexico’s commercially fragmented registry system into a single national interface. It aggregates RPC folio data from participating state offices, though state-level implementation and completeness vary.

The RPC covers: sociedades mercantiles (commercial companies), branches of foreign companies (establecimientos), individual commercial traders (comerciantes), contracts subject to registration, and court orders affecting commercial entities. Non-commercial entities (civil associations, non-profits) register with different authorities.

Mexico’s tax authority, the SAT (Servicio de Administración Tributaria) at sat.gob.mx, maintains the RFC (Registro Federal de Contribuyentes) database, which assigns a unique tax code to all legal entities and individuals engaged in taxable activity. The RFC is the dominant cross-system identifier used in conjunction with RPC data.

What can you search?

SIGER 2.0 (federal portal, free basic):

• Company name search across participating state delegations
• RPC folio number search (the registration number assigned by each state RPC)
• Returns: company name, RPC folio, state of registration, legal form, registration date, and current inscription status

State RPC offices (direct, more complete):

• Full company folio (folio mercantil electrónico)
• Incorporation documents (acta constitutiva) and amendments
• Director and administrator changes
• Pledge registrations and encumbrances

SAT RFC lookup (free, via e.sat.sat.gob.mx):

• RFC number verification and status
• Basic taxpayer status (active, suspended)
• Does not return full corporate documents

Data freshness on SIGER 2.0 depends on the state delegation’s upload cadence. Some states update daily; others have lags of several days. The underlying state RPC office record is more current than what appears on the federal portal.

How much does it cost?

MXN/USD conversion: approximately MXN 20 per USD as of May 2026 (verify at point of transaction; MXN/USD fluctuates). State-level fee schedules vary; the figures above are indicative of the Mexico City (CDMX) and major state RPC offices. Payment methods include government payment portal (e5cinco), credit card where available, and bank transfer.

Do you need a local account or ID?

For free basic folio searches on SIGER 2.0, no account and no Mexican identity document are required. The portal is publicly accessible.

Ordering certified extracts online through state RPC portals varies by state. Mexico City (CDMX) and several other states have online ordering workflows that accept foreign email registration without a CURP (Clave Única de Registro de Población, the individual identifier) or RFC. In some states, online ordering requires a Mexican RFC or e.firma (electronic signature), which foreign nationals cannot obtain without a Mexican CURP.

Where online ordering is not accessible to foreign buyers without a Mexican e.firma, certified documents must be requested in person at the relevant state RPC office or through a local representative (gestoria or notary).

Is the website in English?

Partially. The SIGER 2.0 portal at siger.gob.mx has no official English interface. The main navigation and company search function are in Spanish. However, field labels and result pages use consistent terminology that browser auto-translate tools handle adequately for navigation purposes.

SAT’s RFC portal (sat.gob.mx) is in Spanish only. Document content, including certified extracts and actas constitutivas, is in Spanish. No official translation service is provided. Professional translation is required for legal use of certified documents outside Mexico.

What’s the turnaround time?

SIGER 2.0 basic folio searches return results instantly. SAT RFC status checks are also instant.

Certified extracts from state RPC offices: where online ordering is available, digital delivery typically takes 1-3 business days. In-person requests at RPC offices are often completed the same day or within 24 hours. States with paper-heavy processes may take 3-5 business days.

Actas constitutivas (founding documents) retrieved from notarial archives may require longer processing, particularly for older entities.

Is there an API?

No. The Secretaría de Economía does not publish a public API for the RPC or SIGER 2.0. Programmatic bulk access to RPC data is not available through official channels.

The SAT provides limited API access through authorised digital service providers (proveedores de servicios digitales) for RFC validation, but this is not a public open API. It is available to registered Mexican tax agents and service providers.

Third-party Mexican data services aggregate RPC and SAT data and offer API access, but these are commercial products and not official government interfaces.

What you legally cannot do

The Commerce Code and the RPC Regulations set the following restrictions:

• Automated bulk downloading of RPC folio data or certified documents without authorisation from the Secretaría de Economía is prohibited.
• Redistribution of certified RPC documents for commercial purposes without authorisation is not permitted.
• Using RPC data to build a competing commercial registry database for resale violates the terms of access.

Mexico’s personal data protection framework, the LFPDPPP (Ley Federal de Protección de Datos Personales en Posesión de los Particulares), governs commercial use of personal data extracted from registry records (director names, addresses). Processing such data for KYC or AML purposes requires a documented legal basis consistent with LFPDPPP and Mexico’s AML law (Ley Federal para la Prevención e Identificación de Operaciones con Recursos de Procedencia Ilícita, the anti-money laundering law).

Mexico’s financial intelligence unit, the UIF (Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera) at shcp.gob.mx, is the designated AML authority and a member of the Egmont Group. For international context, Mexico participates in GAFILAT (the FATF regional body for Latin America) and the OECD, and has adopted OECD BEPS anti-avoidance standards. For the broader due diligence framework, see the Global Business Due Diligence Guide.

Practical tips for foreign compliance buyers

• RFC is the cross-system anchor. The RFC (Registro Federal de Contribuyentes) is Mexico’s tax identification code, assigned by the SAT. For companies, it follows the format: three or four letters derived from the company name, followed by six digits (date of incorporation), followed by three verification characters. The RFC is the most reliable identifier for cross-referencing across the RPC, SAT filings, court records, and banking data. Always obtain it from the first search.
• Know which state holds the registration. Mexico’s 32 RPC implementations mean the authoritative record sits at the state where the company is registered. A company incorporated in Nuevo León is registered at the Nuevo León RPC (Monterrey), not at the federal SIGER portal. SIGER 2.0 provides the folio for navigation; the complete record is at the state level.
• S.A. de C.V. and S. de R.L. de C.V. are the dominant commercial forms. The Sociedad Anónima de Capital Variable (S.A. de C.V.) is equivalent to a variable-capital joint-stock company and is the most common form for mid-to-large enterprises, including subsidiaries of foreign multinationals. The Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada de Capital Variable (S. de R.L. de C.V.) is the private limited equivalent for smaller operations and often used by foreign joint ventures and LBO vehicles.
• Mexico is not on the FATF grey list. Mexico is a FATF member country and a GAFILAT member. As of May 2026, it is not on the Increased Monitoring list. Standard due diligence applies. Monitor fatf-gafi.org for status updates.
• SIGER 2.0 coverage is uneven. Not all 32 state delegations fully populate SIGER 2.0 with current data. If a company does not appear on SIGER, check directly with the relevant state RPC office before concluding the entity is unregistered.
• The Notario Público is central to corporate documents. Most incorporation acts and amendments are processed through Mexican notaries (Notarios Públicos), who hold original protocols. Certified copies of founding documents require either notarial certification or RPC certification, both of which carry legal weight.

Alternatives if you cannot access the RPC directly

• Aggregator search (free, indicative only): OpenCorporates has limited coverage of Mexican RPC data. The SIGER 2.0 portal is the better free starting point for folio-level identification.
• SAT RFC validator: The SAT’s public RFC validation tool confirms whether an RFC number is registered and active. This is a free and instant cross-check but does not return corporate documents.
• Local gestoria or notary: For certified documents when online ordering is restricted to Mexican e.firma holders, engaging a local legal representative (gestoria) or notary who can access the state RPC in person is the practical solution for foreign buyers.

Local data suppliers

• Buró de Crédito (buro.com.mx). Mexico’s primary credit bureau for individuals and companies. Provides credit reports and risk scores for Mexican entities based on payment history data from lenders. Widely used by banks and commercial creditors. Corporate reports (Buró de Crédito Empresarial) aggregate credit behaviour across Mexico’s financial system.
• Círculo de Crédito (circulodecredito.com.mx). Second major Mexican credit bureau. Provides individual and company credit reports, risk intelligence, and identity verification services. Regulated by the CNBV (Comisión Nacional Bancaria y de Valores).

Use the RPC for legal standing, corporate structure, and incorporation documents. Use Buró de Crédito or Círculo de Crédito when you need payment behaviour, credit default history, or financial risk scoring layered on top of registry data.

FAQ

Can a foreign company access Mexico’s Registro Público de Comercio without a Mexican identity document?

Yes, for basic folio searches on the SIGER 2.0 portal. Ordering certified extracts online from state RPC offices may require a Mexican RFC or e.firma in some states, restricting online access for foreign buyers without those credentials. In such cases, certified documents are obtainable in person or through a local representative.

What is the RFC in Mexico?

The RFC (Registro Federal de Contribuyentes) is Mexico’s tax identification code assigned by the SAT to all taxpayers, including companies. For legal entities, it consists of letters derived from the company name, a six-digit date of incorporation, and a three-character homoclave assigned by the SAT. The RFC is the primary cross-system identifier used across the RPC, tax filings, banking, and court records. It is displayed on the RPC folio and on most official Mexican company documents.

What entity types are registered with Mexico’s RPC?

The RPC registers all commercial entities under the Commerce Code and the General Law of Commercial Companies (Ley General de Sociedades Mercantiles): S.A., S.A. de C.V., S. de R.L., S. de R.L. de C.V., S.N.C. (Sociedad en Nombre Colectivo), S. en C. (Sociedad en Comandita), SAPI (Sociedad Anónima Promotora de Inversión), and branches of foreign companies. Civil associations and non-profits register with different authorities.

Does Mexico have a beneficial ownership register?

Mexico has expanded beneficial ownership disclosure requirements through AML regulations administered by the SAT and the UIF. Under the LFPIORPI (the anti-money laundering law), certain entities must disclose beneficial ownership to the SAT. Mexico does not yet have a single centralised public UBO register comparable to those in EU member states. As a GAFILAT and FATF member, Mexico continues to align its UBO disclosure framework with FATF Recommendation 24 and OECD beneficial ownership transparency standards.

How current is the data in SIGER 2.0?

SIGER 2.0 aggregates data from 32 state RPC offices, and upload cadence varies by state. Some states update daily; others may lag by several days. The underlying state RPC office record is always more current than the federal aggregation. For compliance-grade verification, confirm key data points directly with the relevant state RPC after using SIGER 2.0 for initial identification.

Is Mexico on the FATF grey list?

No. Mexico is not on the FATF grey list as of May 2026. It is a full FATF member country and a member of GAFILAT. Standard AML due diligence applies. Mexico’s UIF (Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera) cooperates with international financial intelligence networks through the Egmont Group. For current country standing, see fatf-gafi.org.

What is the difference between the RPC and SAT registration?

The RPC (administered by Secretaría de Economía) is the commercial registry recording the legal existence, structure, and corporate changes of commercial entities. The SAT RFC is the tax registration administered by the tax authority. Both are required for a Mexican company to operate legally, and both identifiers appear on official company documents. The RPC record confirms legal standing; the SAT RFC confirms tax status. A complete counterparty check uses both.

Last verified: May 2026. Sources: SIGER 2.0 (siger.gob.mx), SAT (sat.gob.mx), FATF (fatf-gafi.org), GAFILAT (gafilat.org). For the full global due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.