MX · Código de Comercio, Título Segundo (arts. 89-114)

Electronic Signatures in Mexico — Legal Framework

Mexico regulates electronic signatures through Title Two of the Commercial Code, “Del Comercio Electrónico” (articles 89 to 114), introduced to align Mexican law with the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce. Article 89 establishes the principles the title runs on — technological neutrality, autonomy of the will, international compatibility, and functional equivalence between a data message and a paper document.

Código de Comercio, Título Segundo (arts. 89-114)

Mexico · Enacted 2000 (electronic commerce title), consolidated 2018

Key Provisions

Title Two of the Commercial Code governs data messages and electronic signatures in commercial acts

Article 89 sets out functional equivalence — a data message is not denied effect for being electronic

Articles 96-99 distinguish an ordinary electronic signature from a firma electrónica avanzada o fiable

Articles 100-113 govern certification service providers and the certificates they issue

Article 114 recognises foreign certificates and signatures of equivalent reliability

Acts before federal government bodies follow separate rules and commonly require the SAT-issued e.firma

Mexico regulates electronic signatures through Title Two of the Commercial Code, “Del Comercio Electrónico” (articles 89 to 114), introduced to align Mexican law with the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce. Article 89 establishes the principles the title runs on — technological neutrality, autonomy of the will, international compatibility, and functional equivalence between a data message and a paper document. Articles 96 to 99 distinguish an ordinary electronic signature from a firma electrónica avanzada o fiable, and articles 100 to 113 govern the certification service providers who issue certificates. Article 114 provides for recognition of foreign certificates and signatures that offer an equivalent degree of reliability. Separately, acts before federal government bodies are governed by their own rules and commonly require the e.firma issued by the tax authority, which is a different instrument from a commercial electronic signature.

What we record

What SignForge records

These are the facts we capture and store for every signature. Código de Comercio, Título Segundo sets the requirements above — whether what we record satisfies them for a given transaction is a legal question that depends on the circumstances.

Explicit consent captured before signing, recording intent to sign electronically

Signer identified by email address, IP address and user-agent, with timestamps

SHA-256 hash of the document before and after signing, so any later change is detectable

ECDSA P-256 signature on every verification record

Complete audit trail of every action on the envelope

Portable proof embedded in the signed PDF, verifiable offline without SignForge

What SignForge does not provide here

  • SignForge is not a registered certification service provider (prestador de servicios de certificación) under the Commercial Code
  • SignForge does not issue the SAT e.firma, and cannot sign acts that require it
  • No notarization — acts requiring a notary or fe pública cannot be executed on any e-signature platform

256-bit Encryption

TLS 1.3 + SHA-256

ECDSA P-256

Cryptographic proof

Audit Trail

Append-only, immutable

ISO 27001

Certified infrastructure

Frequently asked questions

Are electronic signatures legally valid in Mexico?

Title Two of the Commercial Code gives data messages functional equivalence with paper and recognises electronic signatures in commercial acts. SignForge records consent, signer email, IP and user-agent, SHA-256 hashes before and after signing, and a full audit trail. Whether a given signature is sufficient for a particular transaction is a legal question that depends on the act, the parties and the forum.

What is the difference between a firma electrónica and a firma electrónica avanzada?

The Commercial Code distinguishes an ordinary electronic signature from a firma electrónica avanzada o fiable, which is associated with certificates issued by registered certification service providers. SignForge is not a registered provider and does not issue those certificates. An ordinary electronic signature remains usable in commercial acts under the same title.

Can SignForge be used for filings with Mexican government bodies?

Acts before federal government bodies follow their own rules and commonly require the e.firma issued by the tax authority. SignForge does not issue the e.firma. For private commercial agreements between parties, the Commercial Code title applies instead — take local advice on which regime governs your document.

General information — not legal advice

This page summarizes electronic signature legislation drawn from primary legal sources and international bodies including UNCITRAL and UNCTAD. It is not legal advice and creates no solicitor–client or attorney–client relationship. Laws change, and how they apply depends on the transaction, the parties, and the document type. Before relying on electronic signatures for a regulated, high-value, or cross-border transaction — or for any document type listed as excluded — take advice from qualified counsel in the jurisdiction whose law governs that transaction. That is a separate question from the governing law of your agreement with SignForge, which is set out in our Terms of Service.

Last reviewed: 10 August 2026

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