Doing Mexico wireless exports, the single most-asked question is how many years the certificate lasts and how to renew it. Plenty of people answer it wrong, because safety and RF are two separate certificates with different validity rules — and the regulator was swapped in 2025. Here is the version based on tuition we have already paid, so you do not try to apply one certificate's rules to all of them.
1.1 From IFETEL to CRT
On 16 July 2025 Mexico enacted a new Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law, under which it created the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, abbreviated CRT. The old Federal Telecommunications Institute, IFETEL, was formally dissolved on 17 October 2025, and CRT took over one week later on 21 October. New applications all go to CRT; the industry-habitual "IFT certification" now sits under the CRT name.
1.2 Old certificates stay valid
The transition arrangement is explicit: certificates IFETEL issued before continue to be valid; you do not redo an old certificate, and the certification process did not break during the transition. The agency change does not affect certificates already issued — take that as settled.
1.3 Labels stay the same
Label requirements did not move. That IFT number on the product is still mandatory; do not change the silkscreen just because the agency renamed itself. The CRT's new approval-number format continues the old convention, and customs checks stay the same.
2. Validity comes in two tracks
2.1 NOM safety certificates
Most are one year; with a system audit they can reach three. Certificates under safety standards like NOM-001 and NOM-019 are routinely one year, renewed by re-test plus supplementary documents. But the certification mode that includes a factory quality-system audit (such as M2-class) can stretch validity to three years. So do not blurt "one year" — it depends on the mode.
2.2 Telecom Homologación certificates
The category decides the term. RF type approval (CoH) splits by class: Type A is inherently indefinite but carries random supervision; Type B and Type C get two years first, then convert to indefinite only after a mandatory verification at month 21 with an updated technical opinion filed. If you loosely say "the face value is indefinite," you miss the B/C gate.
2.3 Temporary and transitional certificates
Any non-Type-A certificate (Type B, Type C, and the old-framework temporary certificates) carries a two-year verification obligation. The holder must file materials within about two years of issuance to keep it valid; let it lapse and it dies outright. This is a settled rule, not something still hanging.
3. Indefinite does not mean hands-off
3.1 Maintenance duties apply
Type A eats random spot checks; refuse to cooperate when picked and you have a problem. Type B/C is blunter: that month-21 node forces an active updated technical opinion — not "certificate in hand, done." Both types must treat maintenance as routine; indefinite is not "never mind."
3.2 Technical information cannot change
Issued under something like NOM-024, it stays valid as long as the technical information and model do not change. Swap the RF chip, modify the antenna, or add a model and you break the "indefinite" premise — re-assessment required.
3.3 Holder's responsibility
An overseas factory cannot hold the certificate directly; it must appoint a Mexican legal entity with an RFC tax number (usually the importer or distributor) as the holder, responsible for keeping files and answering audits. Changing the importer equals changing the holder — not a small matter.
4. How renewal and change go
4.1 Safety certificate renewal window
NOM safety certificates expire at one (or three) years, and the trade habit is to start early. Some bodies open the annual-renewal window six to nine months after the first certificate, so do not wait until the last few weeks or your shipment rhythm breaks.
4.2 RF certificate change filing
(1) Changing the RF chip, modifying the antenna, or moving frequency parameters requires re-assessment, and the heavier cases need re-testing. (2) Touching only appearance or packaging while leaving RF untouched mostly goes through a change filing, not a full redo. ① The dividing line is whether you moved RF-related parameters. ② When unsure, ask the accepting body first; do not decide on your own.
4.3 Changing the holder
The certificate sits under a Mexican importer; switching to another is a holder change and requires re-doing the authorisation documents and filing. For long-term programmes, factor the holder choice into the plan.
5. Local testing and compliance points
5.1 Two bands already moved to local testing
IFT-016-2024 (30 MHz to 3 GHz) and IFT-017-2023 (5150 to 5850 and 5925 to 6425 MHz) took effect in November 2025, specifically 3 November and 7 November. The route of using an FCC report for document review has tightened into mandatory Mexican local testing. This is not a new 2026 rule — it is already a hard requirement in force.
5.2 Customs checks keep tightening
Missing the NOM mark or approval number leads to detention, return or penalty. The consumer-protection agency also does offline spot checks; non-compliant products get pulled from shelves.
5.3 Cybersecurity rules still in consultation
The communications-equipment cybersecurity regulation is still at the consultation stage, with no mandatory rule issued. Makers of connected products should watch it early rather than wait for compulsion to force a rework.
BlueAsia helps clients map IFETEL/CRT, NOM and the new local-testing rules into one plan so the safety-versus-RF validity mismatch never surprises a shipment.
Contact: King Email: king.guo@cblueasia.com Address: Building C, Hongjingda Industrial Park, No. 107 Beihuan Road, Shiyan Street, Bao'an District, Shenzhen, China BlueAsia delivers more than service!
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