Public Notary Offices in Quintana Roo Under Scrutiny: 8 Sanctioned, 1 Suspended

Chetumal, Quintana Roo — The state government is investigating 27 public notary offices across Quintana Roo following citizen complaints and administrative audits, officials said. Officials have fined eight offices and suspended one while its legal situation is determined.

Government Secretary Cristina Torres Gómez said most of the findings involve administrative noncompliance under the State Notary Law rather than potential criminal conduct. Some issues were resolved during the review process, while others resulted in fines ranging from 5,000 to 100,000 pesos, depending on the severity of the violation.

Sanctions under state notary law

State law allows for a range of measures, from written warnings and economic penalties to the temporary suspension or outright revocation of a notary’s license when serious misconduct is proven.

The reviews span all 11 municipalities and stem mainly from complaints filed by notary service users and inspections carried out by the state’s General Directorate of Notaries.

Mortgage release case under investigation

The most serious case involves an alleged real estate transaction in which a notary reportedly recorded the release of a mortgage that, according to investigators, had not actually been paid off. The notary office involved remains suspended while the State Prosecutor’s Office reviews the case to determine whether criminal responsibility exists.

Quintana Roo currently has 124 public notary offices and three vacant licenses. The Government Secretariat said it has no immediate plans to open a new process to assign those openings.

At the start of 2026, 23 notary offices were under investigation; that number later grew to 27. Authorities said administrative proceedings remain open and, where applicable, ministerial investigations continue under current law.