Firearms 🇲🇽 Mexico
Illegal to bring firearms without SEDENA permit
Can I bring Firearms into Mexico?
Illegal to bring firearms without SEDENA permit
Required at the destination customs authority
Full details
Mexico strictly controls firearms under the Federal Law on Firearms and Explosives. Import without a SEDENA (Secretariat of National Defense) permit is a serious federal crime. Even a single round of ammunition can result in imprisonment. US travelers have been jailed for inadvertently bringing firearms across the border.
PENALTIES
- Fine: 10000–10000000 MXN
- Imprisonment up to 180 months
- Criminal penalty
Active — Customs actively enforces this rule.
Leaving Mexico with firearms
Export of firearms from Mexico requires advance authorisation issued before departure under Ley Federal de Armas de Fuego y Explosivos Art. 24-30; SEDENA regulations. Unlicensed firearms export is a serious criminal offence carrying substantial fines and imprisonment. Even properly licensed domestic owners require the separate export authorisation for cross-border movement, and ammunition and firearm parts (barrels, receivers) fall under the same framework. Airlines additionally require advance notice and locked-case carriage in checked baggage.
Never bring firearms or ammunition into Mexico. US-Mexico border seizures are common and penalties include years of imprisonment.
This page covers destination customs rules in Mexico. Whether you can carry firearms through security, in carry-on, or in checked baggage depends on airline and screening rules — see air travel rules.
Firearms rules in other countries
Firearms
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Strict prohibition on most firearms
Firearms
🇦🇺 Australia
Prohibited without import permit
Firearms
🇯🇵 Japan
Complete civilian ban
Firearms
🇺🇸 United States
Second Amendment; state laws vary widely
Firearms
🇨🇦 Canada
PAL required; restricted and prohibited classifications
Firearms
🇸🇬 Singapore
Complete civilian ban; severe penalties