The Norma Oficial Mexicana (NOM) certification is a set of regulations and standards that are required by the Mexican government for a number of diverse activities. Every product that enters Mexico must meet the requirements outlined in NOM. Electrical products must meet additional mandatory requirements regarding energy efficiency. Prior exports being allowed to enter the country, they must be compliant with these regulations and must have a NOM mark.

Products Requiring NOM Certification

The products that require a NOM certification are diverse and span many different industries. Some sectors, such as electronics and electrical equipment, have more stringent requirements than others. Below is a partial list of the types of products that require a NOM certification:

• Tools operated by a motor
• Telecommunication items designed to connect to the Public Switched Telephone Network such as E1, ISDN and POTS
• Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs)
• Wiring devices
• Telecommunication products like WAN, LAN, digital, etc
• Household appliances such as freezers, clothes dryers and refrigerators

NOM Certification Requirements

The correct form for obtaining a NOM certification must be used. A NOM certification is only granted by the Mexican government to manufacturers, importers and sellers from countries that the government has a free trade treaty or an agreement regarding trade. First-time applicants must provide two original service agreement copies that have been signed on each page and section.

Agents, handling companies and/or intermediaries must have copies of both the power of attorney documentation and service agreements. These must be signed — and initialed where applicable — by the certificate owner, manufacturer or importer. A legal representative of this person can also be the signer of these documents. Only those persons included in the power of attorney documentation will receive communications regarding the NOM certification. It is this person who became responsible for the product’s maintenance, liability and warranty. Although a NOM certification can’t be transferred, a holder can provide the usage rights to distributors in Mexico. These entities can then receive a NOM certification of their own but without any additional testing.

It’s important to note that any application receipts obtained by the applicant don’t guarantee that a NOM certification will be forthcoming. A notification outlining any non-compliancy issues or deficiencies that are found will be sent. These issues must be appropriately addressed before the certification process can restart once again.

NOM Certification Testing

NOM certification testing is an important element of this process. There are requirements regarding testing that must be followed or it could result in the application for certification being denied. Any laboratory that is being used to issue test reports much be either validated or subcontracted by UL de Mexico, S.A. de C.V.

When generating test results under a mutual recognition agreement (MRA), one of the following two pieces of documentation must also be submitted. If the test results were generated and validated by a subcontracted laboratory and were based on original test results. These can be added to the subcontracted laboratory’s validation form. Another option is to include the original validation letter and test results that were issued by the laboratory as long as it has a signed agreement with UL de Mexico, S.A. de C.V.