After years in LatAm certification, nothing annoys me more than a client saying "just get us NOM."

You ask if the product has wireless. They say Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. You say it needs IFT. Blank stare.

What's IFT?

Isn't it all NOM?

No. It really isn't. These two systems – from the regulatory authority to the certificate to the bodies that can issue it – have nothing in common.

一、DGN and IFT – Two Separate Systems

Electrical safety falls under DGN (Dirección General de Normas) – the standards directorate under the Ministry of Economy. Only certificates issued under the DGN system are called NOM certificates. NYCE and ANCE are the main certification bodies on this side.

Wireless falls under IFT – the Federal Telecommunications Institute. What IFT approves is officially called Homologación – radio equipment type approval. It is not called a NOM certificate.

Terminology mixing – honestly, the entire industry does it, even many agency salespeople can't tell the difference. If you say "get us NOM" in conversation, people understand. But when you write emails, create proposals, or check agency qualifications – mixing the terms causes real problems. DGN and IFT don't recognise each other's decisions – ask NYCE for an IFT approval and they won't even respond.

In-vehicle infotainment, dashcams, T‑Boxes – if they don't have wireless, DGN safety NOM is sufficient. Add Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or cellular modules – you must also get IFT homologación. Two independent tracks, separate applications, separate certificates.

  二、Customs – No Longer Playing Games

Some manufacturers used to take risks – shipping to Mexico with just CE and FCC reports. Customs used to be lax – they got away with it.

Not anymore. Both DGN and IFT have tightened enforcement. Electronic product certificate verification has shifted from random sampling to shipment-by-shipment verification. Last year, one of my client's competitors had an entire container detained at port without NOM – held for over a month. Demurrage and late fees were three times the certification cost. No one in that circle takes that risk anymore. CE and FCC reports are not considered access documents by Mexican customs – if you got through before, you were lucky. The reason enforcement is strict now is simple: the Mexican government needs to collect taxes and control imports – electronic product certificates have become the first line of defence.

  三、The Rumours Circulating in the Industry

NOM-208-SCFI-2023 – issued by IFT in late 2023 – Mexico's first mandatory technical regulation specifically governing radio spectrum use for telecommunications terminal equipment.

Alongside it came DT017 – full name Disposición Técnica IFT-017-2023 – which translates the abstract requirements of NOM-208 into specific test items, limits, sample quantities, and lab qualification requirements. This document has legal force – it's not a recommendation.

Then the rumours started circulating.

"After DT017, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth must be tested in Mexican labs – overseas reports are no longer accepted."

Who started this?

I checked the IFT original text. Not a single clause in DT017 mandates that all Wi-Fi and Bluetooth RF testing must be performed in Mexico. Some IFT‑recognised certification bodies do have internal policies favouring local reports – stricter review, and some bands may require supplementary testing. But it is not a blanket rule.

Several agencies still accept overseas lab data with ILAC/MRA accreditation. LTE and 5G NR cellular reports have even higher acceptance – often with just a small amount of local supplementary testing.

Why am I telling you all this?

I've seen clients – after hearing "must be local" – budget an extra two months just for sample logistics and scheduling, spending over RMB 100,000 more. Several projects that could have been done in three months dragged on for over six months because people believed this.

Actual approach: ask your certification body first – do they accept overseas reports? Which bands need supplementary testing? Don't assume they don't.

IFT is progressing revisions to the NOM-208 implementation rules – the DT017 update is still in industry draft discussion – may expand Wi‑Fi 6E and 6 GHz regulatory requirements – not yet officially published. What 2026 will bring – honestly, no one can guarantee.

  四、Safety – Plenty of Traps Here Too

1. NOM-001 standard

For automotive electronics safety NOM, the core standard is NOM-001-SCFI-2018 – equivalent to IEC 62368-1:2014.

Important: the old standard referenced IEC 60065 – which has been replaced by 62368-1. The 2018 version no longer includes 60065 content. Some agencies still quote old versions – watch out.

The test framework has shifted from the old hazard‑type classification to the HBSE methodology – the evaluation logic is completely different from old safety standards.

2. CB report = NOM in hand?

Not even close.

Mexico is an IECEE CB member – yes, they recognise CB reports. But DGN will not directly swap a CB certificate for a NOM.

You must submit the CB report to a DGN‑authorised body for review – supplement Mexican national differences – pass – then NOM is issued.

What to supplement: mains voltage 127V/60Hz – not the common 220V – current increases accordingly – transformer, fuse, PCB copper trace current‑carrying capacity must be recalculated. Tropical climate testing. Mexican plug standard NMX-J-521. Without these, your CE report – no matter how thorough – is useless.

3. Factory inspection – when is it required?

Whether expansion certification requires factory inspection depends on your certification mode.

·M1 type‑test mode – CB report transfer – no initial factory inspection required.

·M3 or M5 – with quality‑system audit – inspection required.

Many M1‑path projects have no factory inspection at any stage.

However: your factory's ISO 9001 documentation must be ready. OCDs can audit at any time – if they show up, you need to show them.

4. How much, how long

Costs are approximate ranges – don't use these to haggle; actual quotes vary significantly.

·DGN electrical safety NOM alone: RMB 30,000–60,000.

·IFT homologación: RMB 40,000–80,000 – depending on product complexity.

Legal representative annual fee: RMB 10,000–20,000 – fixed recurring cost. Pay it every year – miss one year and the certificate is dead.

Timeline:

·Safety NOM only: 2–3 months.

·IFT homologación only: 2–3 months.

·Parallel: total 3–5 months.

The worst cases: year‑end holidays – mid‑December to early January – basically shut down. Add sample remediation and local testing queues – 6+ months is common.

  五、The Two Biggest Traps

1. Document rejection – incomplete files

Mexican agencies are more demanding than CE and FCC on technical documentation. Spec sheets, schematics, PCB layout, BOM, critical component list, Spanish label drafts – missing any one and it's returned. Each round of supplementation costs 1–2 weeks.

Spanish labels are the most common failure. Domestic manufacturers default to English labels – then customs detention. Design phase: include Spanish labels in the BOM – retrofitting label tooling costs more than the certification itself.

2. Agent goes AWOL – certificate dead

I've been badly burned on this.

The agent isn't just someone who signs at submission. Certificate maintenance, annual renewal, customs liaison – all go through the agent. If the agent disappears or their qualification expires – the certificate is dead. Finding a new agent and restarting the process is more painful than the first certification. Why? Your old certificate is already invalid – you can't do a "change agent" on an invalid certificate – you have to apply from scratch.

When selecting an agent – don't look at price. Ask: how many active NOM certificates are you currently maintaining? How many years have you maintained the longest one? If they can't answer directly – walk away. There are too many shell agents in this space.

Label language – another common misunderstanding. Safety warnings and user instructions must be in Spanish. Product model, technical parameters, and brand name can be bilingual – Spanish and English. Not every word on the label has to be Spanish.

For Mexico NOM certification, contact BlueAsia at 13534225140 (King) or email king.guo@cblueasia.com.