Mexico’s Cellphone Registration Deadline Reaches Numbers Ending in 1

Mexico City — People using Mexican prepaid cellphone numbers ending in 1 have until Monday, August 31, to link their lines to their identity or risk a temporary suspension of service.

The deadline is the second in a staggered national schedule introduced by Mexico’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, or CRT. Numbers ending in 0 reached their deadline on August 15, while the remaining groups have dates extending through December.

The requirement applies primarily to prepaid or pay-as-you-go lines, including many Telcel Amigo, AT&T Prepago, Unefon, Movistar and Bait numbers. Postpaid accounts are generally already linked to the person who signed the contract and normally do not need to be registered again. However, anyone who receives an official message from their carrier saying information is missing should follow the company’s instructions.

The government says the purpose is to eliminate anonymous cellphone lines frequently used for extortion, fraud and virtual kidnapping.

The 72 hours are not an extension

Missing the deadline does not necessarily mean the line will stop working at midnight.

Once the registration period ends, the carrier has up to 72 hours to suspend an unlinked line. That window is the period allowed for suspension, not a three-day extension of the registration deadline.

A suspended user will lose normal calling, text-message and mobile-data service. Adding credit will also not restore the line.

The phone will still be able to call emergency and public-assistance numbers, including 911, 089 and 079, as well as the carrier’s customer-service number. It will also continue receiving Mexico’s highest-level earthquake warnings.

Applications such as WhatsApp and email should continue working when the phone is connected to Wi-Fi, but SMS verification codes will not arrive while the cellular line is suspended. That could interfere with banking, account recovery and other services that use text messages to confirm a user’s identity.

The number is not permanently forfeited after 72 hours. Service can be restored by completing the registration. The CRT says calls, messages and mobile data should be reactivated once the carrier successfully links the line.

How to register safely

Registration is handled by the cellphone company, not by the CRT itself.

The safest starting point is the government’s Registra tu línea portal, which directs users to the official registration and verification pages operated by Telcel, AT&T, Movistar, Bait and other carriers.

Users can also go directly to an official customer-service center. The process is free and can be completed even if the line has no credit, although online registration requires Wi-Fi or another internet connection.

For online registration, the carrier will generally:

1. Send a verification code to the cellphone by SMS.
2. Request photographs of a valid identification document.
3. Ask the user to complete a live facial check with the phone’s camera.
4. Send a confirmation folio by SMS when the process is complete.

Users should save that confirmation number.

The CRT says the facial check is a “proof of life” used to confirm that a real person matches the identification presented. Although a selfie is involved, the regulator says the images are discarded before the process is completed and are not stored in a biometric database.

Foreign residents and visitors can register too

A CURP is not always required for a foreign user, despite some general instructions suggesting otherwise.

Requirements vary slightly by carrier. AT&T and Movistar state that foreign residents and tourists can register with a valid passport from their country of origin.

Telcel accepts a valid passport from foreign users and may also use a temporary CURP for foreigners when applicable. Its general process requests a CURP, so foreigners who encounter problems online may find it easier to visit a Telcel Customer Service Center with their original passport.

Mexican citizens can ordinarily use a current INE voting credential or passport, together with their CURP.

Documents must be current. Blurry photographs, expired identification or information that does not match exactly can cause the online validation to fail. Some carriers allow only three remote attempts before directing the user to a customer-service center.

Families, children and multiple lines

A person may link up to 10 mobile lines to the same identity. This allows parents to register numbers used by minor children and family members to take responsibility for lines used by older relatives.

Minors cannot register a line in their own name. A parent or guardian must complete the process.

Businesses are not subject to the 10-line limit, but company registrations must be completed in person by the legal representative using the company’s RFC and supporting documents.

Users can also check whether unfamiliar numbers have been associated with their CURP. The CRT portal links to each carrier’s consultation service, where an unauthorized line can be reported and unlinked.

Complete registration calendar

The deadline is based on the final digit of the 10-digit Mexican cellphone number:

There is no need to wait for the assigned date. Any unregistered prepaid line can be linked early.

Users who transfer their number to another carrier may need to register it again with the new company, even if it was previously linked.

Watch for fraudulent registration messages

The registration program creates an obvious opportunity for phishing.

The CRT warns that carriers do not call users to confirm registration. Avoid unsolicited links sent by email, messaging apps or unfamiliar cellphone numbers, particularly pages requesting payment, bank details or information beyond what the carrier requires.

Registration is free. The official government portal should direct users to a web address belonging to their carrier.

Anyone needing help can call Mexico’s public-assistance line at 079 or email dudasvinculacion@crt.gob.mx. Users whose service has already been suspended can still contact their carrier and access its registration platform to reactivate the line.