Electronic work-time register

Updated October 7, 2026.

The LFT (Federal Labor Law) requires employers to record electronically the start and the end of each person's workday (art. 132 section XXXIV). The decree was published in the DOF (the official gazette) on May 1, 2026. The rules of the STPS (the Labor Ministry) take effect on January 1, 2027 (transitional article Five). As of October 7, 2026, we did not find them published. The fine is 250 to 5,000 UMA (art. 994 section IV Bis). The register is "full proof if it is shown that it was agreed" between the person and the company.

What the law says

Article 132, section XXXIV, says that the employer must:

"Registrar de manera electrónica la jornada laboral de cada persona trabajadora, incluyendo el horario de inicio y finalización; así como proporcionarlo a la autoridad cuando se le requiera. La Secretaría del Trabajo y Previsión Social expedirá las disposiciones de carácter general que determinen el ámbito de aplicación y excepción a la obligación establecida en el párrafo que antecede. El contenido del registro electrónico hará prueba plena si se acredita que fue acordado entre la persona trabajadora y empleadora."
Translation: "Record electronically the workday of each worker, including the start and end times, and give it to the authority when it is requested. The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare will issue the general rules that set the scope of and the exceptions to the obligation in the paragraph above. The content of the electronic register will be full proof if it is shown that it was agreed between the worker and the employer."

Four ideas come from that text:

The register is electronic.
It is per person and includes the start time and the end time.
It goes to the authority when the authority asks for it.
It is full proof if it is shown that the worker and the employer agreed to it.

The dates

Date	What happens	Source
May 1, 2026	The decree that adds section XXXIV takes effect.	Transitional article One
May 1 to December 31, 2026	Period for workers and employers to adjust their processes to the reform.	Transitional article Three
January 1, 2027	The STPS rules on who must comply and the exceptions take effect.	Transitional article Five

The fine

Article 994, section IV Bis, sets a fine of 250 to 5,000 UMA for "la persona empleadora obligada que incumpla con lo dispuesto por la fracción XXXIV del artículo 132" (unofficial translation: "the obligated employer that does not comply with section XXXIV of article 132").

The word "obligada" (obligated) matters. The STPS rules will define who is obligated.

What is not clear yet

As of October 7, 2026, we did not find the STPS rules published. Without them, these questions stay open:

Who must comply. The law leaves the "ámbito de aplicación y excepción" (scope and exceptions) to the STPS. We do not know if there will be exceptions by company size, industry or type of work.
What data it requires. The law mentions start and end. It does not say if you must record breaks, meals, overtime or the location.
What format. There is no official format and no channel to give the register to the authority.
What counts as electronic. It is not defined if a spreadsheet, a biometric time clock or an app is acceptable, or what controls it must have.
How to prove the agreement. The law does not say what is enough to show that the register "fue acordado" (was agreed). It can be a signature, an acceptance in an app or a periodic confirmation. This is a question for your lawyer.
How long to keep it. Section XXXIV does not set a period. Today the general rule for attendance records applies (art. 804): the last year, and one year after the employment ends.

When the STPS publishes its rules, review this list with your lawyer.

What to do now

Some details are missing, but other LFT rules already apply and point in the same direction:

The burden of proof. In a labor lawsuit, the company proves absences (art. 784 section III). It also proves the regular workday and overtime when overtime is not more than nine hours a week (section VIII).
Record keeping. The company keeps attendance records and shows them in court (art. 804 section III). If it does not show them, the facts in the lawsuit are presumed true, unless there is proof against them (art. 805).

With that in mind:

Record the start and the end for each person, every day. With the exact time, not with ranges.
Do not edit records. If there is an error, add a correction with the reason and keep the original record.
Let each person see their records. Then they can check them and ask for a correction in time. This helps to show that the person knew the register.
Write it in your internal work rules. How the workday is recorded, the grace period and what happens with an error.
Tell people what data you keep. If you keep the position or a photo, include it in your privacy notice (arts. 14 and 15 of the LFPDPPP, Mexico's private-sector data protection law).
Be ready to export. Per person and per period, in a format that the authority can read.

Frequently asked questions

Is my current time clock enough?

We cannot know yet. It depends on the STPS rules. In the meantime, check that it keeps the start and the end per person, that it does not allow edits without a trace and that it exports.

From when can I be fined?

The obligation is in the law since May 1, 2026. The rules that define who must comply take effect on January 1, 2027. How the fine will apply before that date is a question for your lawyer.

Is a paper register enough?

The law says "de manera electrónica" (electronically). A paper register does not comply with that text.

How Presente helps you

Presente keeps the start time and the end time of each person, with the server time and the phone time. Nobody can edit a check-in: corrections are linked clarifications. Each person sees their check-ins in their app and can ask for a clarification. You export the work-time register per person and period. When the STPS publishes its rules, we will review Presente against them.

See the event log and the employee file

This guide explains the law for information only. It is not legal advice. For a specific case, talk to a labor lawyer.