If you are asking what a .mx domain is, the short answer is the internet’s address space for Mexico, though in practice it is used far beyond Mexico. IANA’s records show .mx was created on 1 February 1989. All registry pages quoted below were checked on 1 November 2026. The registry writes in Spanish, so each quote is followed by our translation. For how country codes fit into the wider market, see the domain name market overview.
Who runs .mx
Two organisations are involved. IANA lists the manager of .mx as “NIC-Mexico ITESM – Campus Monterrey”, with whois.mx as the WHOIS server. The registry’s general policy explains the split in its opening paragraph: registration under .MX “esta delegado al Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey (“ITESM”) por IANA … y es administrado por Network Information Center, S.A. de C.V. (“Registry .MX”). Dicha relación, entre el ITESM y el Registry .MX, fue establecida en noviembre de 2003″.
Our translation: registration is delegated by IANA to the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Monterrey Campus (“ITESM”), and is administered by Network Information Center, S.A. de C.V. (“Registry .MX”); that relationship was established in November 2003.
Registry .MX describes itself as “una división de NIC México” (our translation: “a division of NIC México”). NIC México has two service units, and Registry .MX is the one “encargada de la administración del registro de nombres de dominio .MX” (our translation: “in charge of administering the registration of .MX domain names”). Its policies and FAQ now live on the consumer site dominios.mx.
The six .mx second levels
You can register directly under .mx, or under one of five second levels. Annex A of the registry’s policy, “Clasificaciones de nombres de dominio”, sets out who may use each (our translation).
| Extension | Who may register (registry wording, our translation) | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| .mx | “Cualquier persona física o moral que lo solicite”: any individual or legal entity that applies | “Ninguno” (none) |
| .com.mx | Any individual or legal entity that applies | “Ninguno” (none) |
| .org.mx | Non-profits and civil associations constituted in Mexico, individuals established in Mexico who show non-profit use, NGOs, foreign embassies and consulates in Mexico, political parties, religious associations, private charities and trusts | The registry may ask for documents, to be sent within 10 days |
| .edu.mx | Schools registered with the SEP or incorporated into a state-recognised university, accredited vocational schools, pre-schools, research institutions registered with CONACYT | Work-centre code (CCT), official ID; name must relate to the organisation |
| .gob.mx | Federal, state and municipal government bodies, programmes, state-owned companies, Mexican embassies, public trusts | Official appointment of the applicant, official ID |
| .net.mx | Internet service providers and other telecoms service providers | Registration with the Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones, signed request, ID; name must relate to the organisation |
Each restricted list ends with the same note: any organisation not on it “no podrá ser registrada bajo esta categoría” (our translation: “cannot be registered in this category”). The FAQ calls .gob.mx, .edu.mx and .net.mx closed categories. Where documents are needed, Registry .MX reviews and approves them, and they must be sent through an accredited registrar.
So a foreign company that wants a .com.mx domain needs nothing more than any other buyer. The Mexico conditions apply only to the four restricted levels. Other country codes set their own rules; see the guides to .de, .nz and .si.
How many .mx domains are registered
Registry .MX publishes a live counter on its statistics page. On 1 November 2026 it showed 1,474,587 names under .MX in total. Two extensions make up almost all of them: .com.mx with 978,785 (66.4%) and .mx with 451,295 (30.6%). The rest are .edu.mx with 17,803 (1.2%), .org.mx with 14,153 (1.0%), .gob.mx with 12,285 (0.8%) and .net.mx with just 266 (0.02%).
The same page carries annual totals. The 2026 row is the October figure.
| Year | .com.mx | .mx | Total .MX |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 473,311 | 266,928 | 778,483 |
| 2018 | 712,811 | 318,383 | 1,069,955 |
| 2020 | 849,703 | 352,274 | 1,242,353 |
| 2022 | 896,490 | 400,761 | 1,338,883 |
| 2024 | 929,692 | 401,487 | 1,373,527 |
| 2025 | 942,034 | 414,985 | 1,400,265 |
| 2026 (October) | 978,794 | 451,288 | 1,474,588 |
Between October 2025 and October 2026 the total rose from 1,406,317 to 1,474,588, a gain of 68,271 or about 4.9%. Direct .mx names grew from 414,104 to 451,288 over that year.
Registering, transferring and letting a .mx name lapse
You cannot buy a .mx domain from the registry. Its FAQ says you must go to an accredited registrar, “ya que ellos son los únicos autorizados para registrar con el Registry .MX los nombres de dominio .MX” (our translation: “as they are the only ones authorised to register .MX domain names with Registry .MX”). The registrar also handles every later operation: renewal, changes, transfer, deletion and restoration. The registry pages publish no retail price, and registrar prices vary; general pricing is covered in how much a domain name costs.
For .mx domain registration, the registrar needs the registrant plus three contacts: administrative, technical and billing. A name may use letters, numbers and hyphens. The FAQ adds a point worth knowing: “El nombre de dominio no es una propiedad, es sólo un registro electrónico” (our translation: “A domain name is not property, only an electronic record”), and the holder is the registrant.
To move a name to another registrar you need its Authorisation Information (AuthInfo). When the transfer completes, the name is renewed automatically for one more year, or for the time left to reach the maximum coverage, and the policy is clear that this automatic renewal can never exceed one year.
Expiry is strict. If coverage ends and the registrar has not paid the renewal, the policy says deletion is automatic and the name becomes available to anyone else. It states no grace period for that case. A name deleted manually is different: it enters a Pending Deletion period of 30 days, during which the registrar can restore it for the current fee; after that, a third party can register it. The registry’s own tip is to use a lock if your registrar offers one and to check the Whois record at least once a year.
Disputes, and checks before you buy a .mx name
.mx does not use the UDRP. It has its own policy, the “Política de Solución de Controversias en materia de Nombres de Dominio para .MX (LDRP)” (our translation: “.MX Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy”), for claims based on registered trademarks and similar rights. The authorised provider is the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center, and while a case is open the holder cannot transfer the name. How domain disputes work in general is in domain name dispute resolution.
If you are buying an existing .mx or .com.mx name rather than registering a fresh one, check its age first. The Domain Age Checker gives the registration date and true age for up to 20 domains, with a flag for names that were dropped and re-registered. Then confirm the seller’s registrar can hand over the AuthInfo, and that no LDRP case is pending. Whether a country code helps or hurts search visibility is a separate question, answered in domain extension SEO.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner register a .mx or .com.mx domain?
Yes. The registry’s policy opens both to any individual or legal entity that applies, with no documents required. Mexico conditions apply only to .org.mx, .edu.mx, .gob.mx and .net.mx.
What is the difference between .mx and .com.mx?
Both are open to anyone with the same rules. .com.mx is the larger of the two, with 978,785 names against 451,295 under .mx on the registry’s counter on 1 November 2026.
Can I buy a .mx domain from NIC México directly?
No. Registry .MX, a division of NIC México, registers names only through its accredited registrars, who handle registration, renewal, transfer and restoration.
What happens when a .mx domain expires?
If the registrar does not pay the renewal, the policy says the name is deleted automatically and becomes available to others. A manually deleted name gets a 30-day Pending Deletion period first.
The takeaway .mx and .com.mx are open to anyone through an accredited registrar; the other four levels are for Mexican institutions. Expiry is unforgiving, so renew in good time and check any name’s age before you buy it. If you are looking for an established name in any extension, browse aged domains on the SERPHeroes marketplace, where each listing shows its registry age.
