Mexico: Parents may choose maternal surname order on birth certificates

In Mexico, parents may have the option to place the mother's surname before the father's on a child's birth certificate, depending on specific state legislation. While there is no single federal mandate governing all 32 states, several entities allow parents to decide the order of surnames.

This legal flexibility stems from a 2016 ruling by the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN). The Court's First Chamber declared previous civil codes unconstitutional for mandating the paternal surname first, ruling that such restrictions unfairly limited parental rights and were based on gender discrimination. States such as Aguascalientes and Campeche are among those where local laws allow for this parental agreement.