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Ejido and communal land: who can buy parcels, full ownership (dominio pleno), preemptive rights, 30 year leases and contributions to companies

Last verified: 2026-10-26 · Status: Stable

Ejido parcels can only be sold to other ejidatarios or residents of the same ejido, settlement land and communal land are inalienable, and any attempt to sell settlement land is void. An outside investor gets ownership only after the assembly authorizes full ownership, the parcel is removed from the National Agrarian Registry and titled, and family, workers, ejidatarios, residents and the ejido have had 30 calendar days to exercise preemptive rights. Without a sale, investors can lease or associate on ejido land for up to 30 renewable years, or receive common land contributed to a company after an Agrarian Attorney opinion.

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Key facts

Preemptive right period on ejido parcel sales and on the first sale after full ownership	30 calendar daysLey Agraria arts. 80 and 84, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Maximum term of contracts giving third parties use of ejido land, renewable	30 yearsLey Agraria art. 45, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Agrarian Attorney opinion deadline on contributing common land to a company	30 business daysLey Agraria art. 75, as of 2026-10-26 · in force

The rule

1. Settlement and communal land cannot be sold. Ejido land assigned by the assembly to human settlement is inalienable, imprescriptible and cannot be seized, and any act to sell, prescribe or seize it is void, except plots (solares) in the ejido's urbanization zone. Recognized communal land is likewise inalienable, imprescriptible and cannot be seized unless contributed to a company under art. 100.
Cost to do it: No fee; the transaction is simply void.Ley Agraria, DOF 26 February 1992, last reform DOF 14 November 2025, Arts. 64 and 99, section III, 1992-02-26 official text · verified 2026-10-26

2. Selling parcel rights inside the ejido. Ejidatarios may sell parcel rights only to other ejidatarios or residents (avecindados) of the same ejido. Validity requires written consent before two witnesses ratified by a notary, written notice to the spouse or partner and children, who in that order have a 30 calendar day preemptive right, and written notice to the ejido board. The National Agrarian Registry then issues new parcel certificates.
Cost to do it: Notary ratification fee set by the state notarial tariff.Ley Agraria art. 80, reformed DOF 17 April 2008, section b) reformed DOF 19 December 2016, Art. 80, 2008-04-17 official text · verified 2026-10-26

3. Full ownership and the first sale to outsiders. When most parcels have been delimited and assigned, the assembly, with the special quorum and formalities of arts. 24 to 28 and 31, may allow ejidatarios to adopt full ownership. Each ejidatario then asks the National Agrarian Registry to remove the parcel, receives a property title to be registered in the local Public Property Registry, and from cancellation the land is ordinary private land. On the first sale, family members, people who worked the parcel for over a year, ejidatarios, residents and the ejido, in that order, have a 30 calendar day preemptive right. That first sale to outsiders is free of federal taxes and duties for the seller and must be at least at the reference price set by the national appraisal agency or a bank.
Cost to do it: No federal tax or duty for the seller on the first sale after full ownership (art. 86); appraisal and notary costs apply.
Example: A developer agrees to buy a 5 hectare parcel for MXN 3,200,000 after full ownership. It must wait until the art. 84 holders have been notified and 30 calendar days have passed, and the price may not be below the official reference appraisal. / About USD 171,455.Ley Agraria arts. 81, 82, 84 and 86, Arts. 81 to 86, 1992-02-26 official text · verified 2026-10-26

4. Using ejido land without buying it. Ejido land may be the object of any association or exploitation contract made by the ejido (common land) or by the ejidatario (parcels); contracts giving third parties use of ejido land last as the project requires, up to 30 years, renewable. An ejidatario may lease or grant use of a parcel to third parties without assembly or government authorization and may contribute usufruct rights to companies. The ejido may pledge usufruct of common land, and ejidatarios of their parcels, only to banks or to commercial or association partners.
Cost to do it: Rent or consideration is contractual; no federal fee in the Ley Agraria.
Example: A solar developer leases 200 hectares of ejido common land for 30 years with a renewal option, signed by the ejido under an assembly resolution.Ley Agraria arts. 45, 46 and 79, Arts. 45, 46 and 79, 1992-02-26 official text · verified 2026-10-26

5. Contributing common land to a company. Where clearly useful to the ejido, the assembly may transfer ownership of common land to commercial or civil companies in which the ejido or ejidatarios participate. The project and draft bylaws go to the Agrarian Attorney (Procuraduría Agraria), whose opinion is due within 30 business days, and the assembly decides whether the shares go to the ejido or to individual ejidatarios. Such companies are subject to the farm land company rules of Title Six when they hold agricultural, livestock or forest land.
Cost to do it: Company formation costs; no federal fee in the Ley Agraria.Ley Agraria arts. 75, 100 and 125, Arts. 75, 100 and 125, 1992-02-26 official text · verified 2026-10-26

6. Urban growth areas. Incorporating ejido land into urban development must follow urban planning laws, ejido land in protected natural areas may not be urbanized against the declaration, and in sales of ejido land in declared urban growth reserves to outsiders the state and municipality have a preference right. The Agrarian Registry and state registries may not register full ownership titles or subdivisions of agrarian land inside a population center that do not comply with urban plans.
Cost to do it: No fee.Ley Agraria arts. 87 to 89; Ley General de Asentamientos Humanos, Ordenamiento Territorial y Desarrollo Urbano, DOF 28 November 2016, arts. 62 and 84, Ley Agraria arts. 87 to 89; LGAHOTDU arts. 62 and 84, 2016-11-28 official text · verified 2026-10-26

Worked example

A hotel investor wants 10 hectares of ejido coastal land. Option 1, ownership: the assembly approves full ownership, the parcels leave the National Agrarian Registry, titles are registered locally, the art. 84 preemptive notices run 30 calendar days and the deed is signed at or above the reference appraisal; foreign buyers inside the restricted zone then use a bank trust or a Mexican company. Option 2, no ownership: a 30 year renewable lease or association agreement with the ejidatarios (arts. 45 and 79).

Step by step

1. Get the parcel certificate and National Agrarian Registry history; confirm whether the land is parcel, common or settlement land.
2. If buying, confirm the assembly resolution on full ownership was adopted with the arts. 24 to 28 and 31 formalities and that the title is registered in the Public Property Registry.
3. Serve written preemptive notices on all art. 84 holders and wait 30 calendar days.
4. Obtain the reference appraisal and sign at or above it.
5. If leasing, document the assembly or ejidatario consent, keep the term at 30 years or less with renewal, and check urban plans and protected areas.

Common traps

Buying from an ejidatario as an outsider before full ownership: parcel rights can only go to ejidatarios or residents (art. 80).
Buying settlement land: any sale is void (art. 64).
Skipping preemptive notices: the first sale after full ownership may be annulled (art. 84).
Assembly defects: full ownership needs the special assembly formalities; a defective resolution undermines the whole chain of title (art. 81).
Urban plans: registries may refuse to register titles that conflict with urban plans (LGAHOTDU art. 62).

Sources

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