Mexico

At a glanceRequirements at a glance

Federal Cargo Transport Permit Required

Yes

Yes, where the mover operates its own trucks on federal roads. Any business transporting goods on federal roads and bridges needs a Permiso de Autotransporte Federal de Carga, issued by SICT through its Dirección General de Autotransporte Federal (DGAF), applied for at the SICT center covering the applicant’s location. Where a mover subcontracts the transport, the carrier’s own permit covers the transport it performs, and the mover should use carriers that hold the licences that transport requires.

Permit Duration

Indefinite. Unlike most countries in this project, the SICT permit itself doesn’t expire on a fixed cycle; it remains valid unless suspended or cancelled. This doesn’t remove the need for ongoing compliance at the vehicle level, covered below.

Company-Level Requirements

Yes. For a corporate applicant (persona moral): an acta constitutiva (articles of incorporation) listing autotransporte as a business activity, legal representative’s notarized power of attorney, RFC (federal tax ID), proof of fiscal address, and a company insurance policy. For an individual applicant (persona física): official ID, CURP, active RFC, proof of address, and registration with SAT under the transport activity.

Every Vehicle Must Be Individually Registered

Yes, where the mover operates its own vehicles. Each vehicle operating under the permit must be separately registered (“dado de alta”) with SICT, requiring proof of ownership (invoice or equivalent), a passed physical-mechanical inspection at an authorized center, and a vehicle-specific insurance policy.

Third-Party Civil Liability Insurance Required at Two Levels

Yes, for permit holders. A civil liability insurance policy covering damage to third parties is required both for the company or permit itself and again for each individual registered vehicle. This covers damage to third parties, not the customer’s goods; customers should ask what protection, if any, the mover offers for their belongings.

Federal Plates and Circulation Card

Yes, where the mover operates its own vehicles. Registered vehicles receive federal plates specific to their category (cargo, hauling, specialized); the circulation card (tarjeta de circulación) must be renewed annually, even though the underlying permit doesn’t expire.

Carta Porte Link: A Cross-Agency Dependency

Yes, and this is the detail most worth understanding clearly. Mexico’s tax authority (SAT) requires a Carta Porte Complement to accompany goods in transit, proving their legal possession and movement. A company cannot issue a valid Carta Porte Complement without holding a valid federal transport permit. A lapse in SICT compliance therefore doesn’t just risk a transport-law penalty; it removes the ability to produce valid tax documentation for the shipment.

Consumer Protection

Yes. The Ley Federal de Protección al Consumidor applies to moving services as a consumer transaction, enforced by PROFECO.

Consumer Complaint Resources (For Movers Not Vetted as ITMs)

Yes, a strong free resource. Consumers can file a complaint through Concilianet (concilianet.profeco.gob.mx), PROFECO’s free online conciliation platform, if the company is registered on it, or through their local Oficina de Defensa del Consumidor (ODECO) if not. PROFECO also operates a free national consumer phone line: 800 468 8722 (or 55 5568 8722 in Mexico City).

Industry Association

General cargo transport, not moving-specific. CANACAR (Cámara Nacional del Autotransporte de Carga) is a quasi-official national chamber recognized under Mexican law as a formal government consultation body for the road cargo sector, but it represents freight transport generally rather than household moving specifically. No dedicated Mexican moving-industry association was found.

OverviewOverview & Scope

Mexico licenses federal road cargo transport nationally through SICT, without a state-by-state system to navigate. The federal permit attaches to the company operating the trucks. Where a mover subcontracts the transport, the carrier’s own permit and vehicle documents cover the transport it performs, and the mover should use carriers that hold them. The federal permit itself is unusual for not expiring on a fixed cycle, but this doesn’t reduce ongoing compliance obligations: every vehicle operating under the permit needs its own registration, its own insurance policy, a passed physical-mechanical inspection, and an annually renewed circulation card. The most consequential structural finding here is the link between SICT compliance and Mexico’s tax system: a valid federal transport permit is a precondition for issuing a valid Carta Porte Complement, the document Mexico’s tax authority requires to accompany goods in transit. A carrier without a valid permit isn’t just operating illegally under transport law; it is unable to produce valid tax paperwork for the shipment at all. On the consumer side, PROFECO provides both a free online conciliation platform (Concilianet) and in-person offices (ODECO) as direct recourse for any consumer, regardless of whether they used a vetted mover.

RegistrationRegistration & Compliance Essentials

Company licensing

1. Hold the correct company or individual registration documents: acta constitutiva and RFC for companies; official ID, CURP, active RFC and SAT registration for individuals.
2. Where the mover operates its own trucks on federal roads, apply for the Permiso de Autotransporte Federal de Carga through the SICT center covering the applicant’s location.
3. Maintain a company-level civil liability insurance policy as a condition of the permit.

Subcontracted transport

4. Where transport is subcontracted, use carriers that hold the licences required for the transport they perform.

Vehicles and drivers (where the mover operates its own vehicles)

5. Individually register every vehicle operating under the permit, with proof of ownership, a passed physical-mechanical inspection, and its own insurance policy.
6. Obtain federal plates and renew the circulation card annually for each registered vehicle.
7. Issue a Carta Porte Complement for goods in transit, which requires the permit to be valid and in good standing.

Customer practices

8. Ensure consumer contracts comply with the Ley Federal de Protección al Consumidor.

ChecklistCompliance checklist

Company licensing

• Company or individual registration documents with active RFC (acta constitutiva for companies; official ID, CURP and SAT registration for individuals)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Permiso de Autotransporte Federal de Carga held from SICTWhere applicable (mover operates its own trucks on federal roads)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Company-level civil liability insurance policy in forceWhere applicable (mover holds the SICT permit)Verified by DocumentRequired

Subcontracted transport

• Where transport is subcontracted, the mover uses carriers that hold the licences required for the transport they performWhere applicableVerified by AffirmationRequired

Vehicles and drivers (where the mover operates its own vehicles)

• Every vehicle individually registered with SICTWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Physical-mechanical inspection passed for each vehicleWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Vehicle-specific civil liability insurance policy in force for each vehicleWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Federal plates held and circulation card renewed annually for each vehicleWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Carta Porte Complement issued for goods in transit, under a valid SICT permitWhere applicable (mover transports goods in its own vehicles)Verified by AffirmationRequired

Customer practices

• Consumer contracts comply with the Ley Federal de Protección al ConsumidorVerified by AffirmationRequired