Discovering the .MX Domain Top Level Domain

Mexico, one of the fastest growing economies in the Americas, uses the .mx top-level domain. It’s an essential part of the country's online presence, with over 126 million people. The Network Information Center (NIC) Mexico maintains the registry for .mx domains.

This article provides all the details you need to know about the .mx TLD and associated second-level domains (SLDs). You’ll find the answers to all your questions.

What Does .MX TLD Represent?

The .mx is Mexico's country code top-level domain (ccTLD) and represents entities from the North American country. It’s frequently used by public and private organizations in Mexico, including foreign companies.

For Mexicans and people abroad, a web address ending in .mx helps identify the website’s connection with Mexico. Since 1989, NIC has been managing the official TLD for the country, setting the rules and requirements for registration.

Timeline of Key Developments of the .MX TLD

Here’s a timeline of the key events and milestones for the .mx TLD:

Year	Development
1989	NIC Mexico was founded.
1992	There were only 45 domains directly under .mx (40 being academic and 5 commercial).
1993	The creation of subdomains .com.mx and .gob.mx is agreed upon.
1995	At the beginning of the year, there were just over 100 registered domains, and the idea of creating the subdomain .edu.mx is discussed. For the first time since its creation, there were more commercial domains than educational ones, making up 55% of the total. By the end of the year, there were 326 domain names registered under .mx (.com.mx, .gob.mx, .mx).
1996	The subdomain .edu.mx is created. By the end of the year, there were 2,838 domain names under various .mx extensions, and 80% of them were commercial domains.
1997	The WHOIS Database for the .mx domain starts functioning. The number of government entity domains surpassed 100, and the total registered domains by 1997 reached 7,251. Academic domain registration is limited to .edu.mx in mid-1997.
1998	There were 10,000 registered domain names. NIC Mexico co-founded and acted as interim representative for Latin American and Caribbean TLD (LACTLD) non-profit organization.
1999	The relationship between NIC Mexico and the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) began with the domain name nestle.com.mx. Over 20,000 domains were registered under .mx extensions. New general policies were enacted, including a dispute resolution procedure.
2000	Over 30,000 domains were registered. New policies and a revised dispute resolution procedure were introduced, now administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
2001	Over 60,000 domains were registered. A new database was established to comply with WIPO recommendations regarding domain registration.
2002	There were 75,000 registered domains in .mx extensions, with .com.mx making up nearly 93% of registrations. New policies were introduced, allowing immediate domain registration without human intervention and promoting registrants' freedom to choose domain names without NIC Mexico's review.
2004	The number of .mx domain crossed 100,000, and NIC Mexico launched the NIC Mexico Distributors program the same year.
2007	200,000 .mx domain names were registered, and eCOMLAC selected NIC Mexico to seek the .lat domain.
2008	The number of registered .mx domains reached 250,000.
2009	In February, the 20th anniversary of .mx domains were celebrated. On May 1st, the .mx reopening process began, registering just over 62,000 domain names directly under .mx.
2010	400,000 .mx domain registrations were reached.
2012	NIC Mexico released Jool, an open-source development implementing mechanisms to support the transition from IPv4 to IPv6 protocols.
2013	NIC Mexico participated in the creation of the Internet Governance Initiative Group in Mexico, organizing the first Internet Governance Dialogues.
2015	NIC Mexico, in collaboration with eCOMLAC, launched the gTLD .lat, aimed at the Latin Community.
2017	NIC Mexico released Red Dog.
2018	NIC Mexico assumed the Presidency of LACTLD. The .mx domains reached one million registrations.
2019	NIC Mexico celebrated the 30th anniversary of the .mx TLD.

What SLDs Can Be Registered in Mexico, and What Are the Requirements?

NIC Mexico has designated some SLDs for specific entities. Here are the reserved SLDs and their respective requirements:

.net.mx: This is reserved for Internet service providers and telecommunication/data transmission companies. To register the domain under the SLD, an application on the official letterhead of the company with a copy of the applicant’s ID and a copy of the company’s registration (with the Federal Institute of Communications) is required.
.org.mx: This is reserved for non-profit, non-governmental, charity, trusts, and political organizations, as well as foreign embassies and consulates. The applicant must provide documentation to prove eligibility, such as registration as a non-profit.
.edu.mx: This is reserved for educational institutions in Mexico, including schools, vocational schools, and universities. The Center of Work Code (CCT) and the applicant’s ID are required to register.
.gob.mx: This is reserved for government agencies, organizations, and enterprises (federal, state, and municipal). Mexican embassies abroad and public trusts can also acquire it. The official appointment and ID of the applicant is required.

There are no restrictions or specific requirements for general-purpose SLD .com.mx.

What Can Be Registered Under the .MX TLD?

Here’s what can be registered as the domain name under the .mx TLD and SLDs:

Alphabets (a-z), digits (0-9), and hyphen (-)
Minimum length: 3 characters
Maximum length: 63 characters

Hyphen can’t be used in the beginning or end of the domain name. Similarly, it can’t be used twice consecutively.

Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) are not yet supported under .mx TLD, so internationalized characters can’t be used.

Who Can Register a .MX Domain?

Any individual or legal entity, regardless of citizenship or residency, can register a .mx domain, except for the restricted SLDs, which have their special requirements.

This means that foreign individuals and businesses can also register a .mx domain.

Why Register a .MX Domain?

Registering a .mx domain can be a way to establish a connection with Mexico online. Whether you’re a business, a non-profit organization, or an individual (blogger, influencer, leader, etc.), using a web address ending in .mx will make it recognizable.

More importantly, it can be beneficial for ranking higher on Google and other search engines.

International organizations should consider using a .mx domain for their website in Mexico.

How Many .MX Domains are Active?

As of July 2023, there is a diverse distribution of domain names, with a total of 1,366,969 domains registered. The .com.mx domain is the most prevalent, encompassing a significant 66.6% (911,208) of the total domains. Following this, the .mx domain holds a 30.3% share, equivalent to 413,858 domains, marking it as the second most common domain in the region. The .org.mx and .edu.mx domains are less common, consisting of 14,199 (1.04%) and 16,209 (1.19%) domains respectively. The governmental domain, .gob.mx, comprises 11,214 domains, making up about 0.82% of the total. Lastly, the .net.mx domain is the least prevalent, with only 281 registered domains, accounting for a mere 0.02% of the total domain distribution in Mexico.

Here’s a chart showing registrations for .mx and its SLDs for the last 12 months:

Conclusion

As .mx is the official TLD of Mexico, it’s mostly used by Mexican citizens and organizations. However, there’s no residency requirement for registering a .mx or .com.mx domain. The process for registering a .mx domain is seamless and you may even find a domain name of your liking.

By Ana Karely Perez