Can Bodyguards Carry Guns in Mexico? The Legal Framework Explained

Mexico’s firearms law is one of the apparent paradoxes of Latin American private security: a country with very strict civilian firearms restrictions that simultaneously operates one of the largest private security industries in the region, with armed guards a common sight in commercial and residential settings. Understanding how this works is essential for any client commissioning close protection in Mexico.

Mexico’s civilian firearms law

Mexico’s Ley Federal de Armas de Fuego y Explosivos is among the most restrictive civilian firearms legislation in the world. There is technically one gun shop in the entire country, operated by SEDENA on a military base in Mexico City. Civilians face severe restrictions on the calibres they can legally own, the quantities they can possess, and the circumstances in which they can carry. Mexico City and most Mexican states effectively have no legal civilian carry outside the home.

This creates an obvious question: how does Mexico’s large and visible private security industry operate, with armed guards at banks, supermarkets, hospitals, and corporate premises across the country?

The SEDENA Licencia Colectiva system

The answer is the Licencia Colectiva, the collective firearms licence system administered by SEDENA. Commercial security companies can apply to SEDENA for a company-level authorisation that covers specific registered firearms and the specific personnel authorised to carry them in the course of their security work. The licence is granted to the company, not to individual personnel, and it covers only those individuals specifically named and only the registered firearms covered by the licence.

This is a significant distinction from the UK’s SIA model (individually licensed), India’s PSARA model (agency-licensed personnel with training standards), or South Africa’s PSIRA system (grade-based individual registration). In Mexico, the licence is at the company level and the company is responsible for ensuring its personnel are authorised under its Licencia Colectiva.

The DGSP commercial security licence

Armed capability sits on top of the base commercial security licence. All private security companies in Mexico must hold DGSP (Direccion General de Seguridad Privada) federal authorisation under the Ley Federal de Seguridad Privada. Armed close protection requires both the DGSP commercial licence and the SEDENA Licencia Colectiva for armed services. A company with a DGSP licence but no SEDENA armed-services authorisation cannot legally provide armed close protection.

What this means for clients

The verification step for any Mexican armed security provider is two-part: ask for the DGSP federal authorisation number and the SEDENA Licencia Colectiva number for armed services. Then ask for confirmation that the specific operators proposed for your detail are named on the SEDENA authorisation and that the specific firearms to be carried are registered under it.

Foreign nationals cannot be part of this chain; armed cover in Mexico is exclusively provided by Mexican nationals with current authorisation. For international clients whose existing security team travels with them, the team operates in an advisory and coordination capacity in Mexico; the armed function, where it applies, is provided by locally authorised Mexican operators.

For close protection services in Mexico City see our bodyguard hire Mexico City page and our Mexico City cartels executive guide.