What the DOF is and why it is PUI’s legal source
The DOF is Mexico’s Federal Official Gazette, the medium in which the Mexican state publishes rules so they become valid and binding. All of PUI —the law reform, the Guidelines and the Technical Manual— lives in the DOF. This page explains what the DOF is, why it is the legal source to turn to and where the PUI Law instruments are published.
What the DOF is and why it defines what is law
The DOF, the Federal Official Gazette, is the Mexican state body in charge of officially publishing laws, regulations, agreements and other general provisions. Its function is to make rules known so they take effect and bind. Put directly: a general provision gains force when it is published in the DOF, not before.
That is why, for any serious compliance analysis, the DOF is the source to turn to. A news article, a summary or a press release is not enough: the valid reference is the DOF publication, with its date. This distinction is what separates the verifiable fact from interpretation, and it is exactly what a lawyer, a consultant or a responsible manager needs to support a decision.
In PUI’s case, all the relevant instruments have been —or will be— published in the DOF. Knowing the DOF, then, is not a technicality: it is knowing where the legal truth of this obligation lies.
The DOF in a few ideas
What it is, what it does and why it is the reference for PUI.
It is the official means of publication
The DOF publishes the Mexican state’s laws, regulations and general provisions so they take effect.
It gives the rule force
A general provision binds when it is published in the DOF. Publication is a condition of its validity and of its being known.
It is the verifiable source
Against articles or summaries, the valid reference is the DOF publication, identifiable by its date.
PUI lives there
The LGMDFP reform, the Guidelines and PUI’s Technical Manual are published in the DOF.
It is cited by date
To cite a PUI instrument correctly, state the document and its DOF publication date.
It marks what is pending
What has not yet appeared in the DOF —such as the SNIP Operations Manual— is not yet in force as a publication.
Where each PUI instrument lives in the DOF
The PUI Law publications, in order, with their DOF date as of June 2026.
- LGMDFP reform — July 2025The reform that creates the lodging obligation (Art. 12 Bis) and its penalty (Art. 43 Bis) is published in the DOF.
- Guidelines — 27 November 2025Published in the DOF, they develop registration compliance and preparation for interconnection.
- Technical Manual v1.0 — 23 January 2026Published in the DOF, it defines the connection’s technical specifications (REST/JSON, JWT, AES-256-GCM, SHA3-256, TLS).
- SNIP Operations Manual — pendingNot yet published in the DOF as of June 2026. Its appearance will mark the start of the 45-business-day window to request access.
How to use the DOF and avoid mistakes
The practical recommendation for anyone studying PUI is to always work against the DOF. Before claiming that something “is already required” or that “a date changed,” confirm the instrument and its DOF publication date. This discipline avoids carrying over errors from second-hand articles and lets you cite with authority.
A good habit is to tie each claim to its document-date pair: for example, “Guidelines published in the DOF on 27 November 2025” or “Technical Manual v1.0 of 23 January 2026.” And, when something has not yet been published, say so clearly —as is the case with the SNIP Operations Manual—, because honesty about what is pending is part of the rigor.
In short, the DOF is the anchor. Everything this and the other reference pages claim about PUI can and should be traced to a DOF publication with its date. That is the proof that you are before the source of truth and not before a version.
Official sources
DOF = Federal Official Gazette, the Mexican state’s official means of publication. PUI framework: General Law on the Forced Disappearance of Persons (LGMDFP), Art. 12 Bis (obligation) and Art. 43 Bis (penalty). Bodies: SEGOB, RENAPO, National Search Commission (CNB) and, in technical support, the ATDT.
PUI publications in the DOF (by date, as of June 2026): LGMDFP reform in July 2025; Guidelines on 27 November 2025; Technical Manual v1.0 on 23 January 2026; SNIP Operations Manual, pending publication.