How to open a gas station in Mexico: 2026 permits
Opening a gas station is no longer a leap of faith. This guide puts the three key filings in order — the energy permit from the CNE (formerly CRE), the ASEA documentation and the municipal permits — with costs, timelines and the schedule that protects your investment.
By the Regenera team · hands-on experience with multi-authority permits in the energy sector
From the CRE to the CNE
Under the 2024-2025 energy reform, the functions of the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) moved to the new National Energy Commission (CNE). If you searched for a "CRE permit", the filing still exists, but today it is the CNE that decides it, through SENER's Ventanilla Única de Energía (the single-window energy portal). What changed is the authority and the process (more of it online), not the obligation to obtain the permit. Read the details of the CRE → CNE transition.
To sell a single liter of gasoline or diesel you have to put together three sets of documentation before three separate authorities. Taking them out of order is the most expensive mistake in the project.
The three authorities you have to answer to
CNE · Energy
The Marketing or Retail Permit for Refined Petroleum Products is the "key" to the business: without it, no purchase or sale of fuel is legal. Filed online, valid for 30 years, decided in up to 90 business days.
We handle your CNE permit →ASEA · Environment
An agency under SEMARNAT. Requires an MIA, an Operating License, the LAU (up to 70 business days), SASISOPA, RENAGAS registration and risk studies (ARSH/PRESH).
See our ASEA compliance service →Municipality
Grants compatible land use, the building permit and the civil protection sign-off. It is the first filter: if the site is not viable, everything else stops.
How much does it cost to open a gas station?
| Line item | Estimated range (MXN) |
|---|---|
| CNE permit filing fee | ~ $32,081 |
| Technical studies and local licenses (MIA, LAU, SASISOPA, ARSH, municipal licenses) | $350,000 – $500,000 |
| Civil works, tanks and dispensers | $3,000,000 – $4,200,000 |
| Fees for end-to-end regulatory management | Depends on scope |
With a net margin close to $1.50 per liter and a conservative volume of 250,000 liters/month, payback is usually reached between the fourth and fifth year; a convenience store speeds up the return. Break down your investment by scenario.
Paperwork before concrete
Validate the site and assemble the documentation
Weeks 1-2: confirm compatible land use and assemble the digital and tax documentation (positive SAT compliance opinion, no partners on the 69-B list).
Arrange storage and insurance
Weeks 3-4: sign storage contracts and take out insurance policies; start the MIA and the risk studies.
File the application with the CNE
Week 5: file the marketing/retail permit application through the Ventanilla Única de Energía.
Compile the ASEA documentation
Weeks 6-12: move ahead with light site work (clearing, grading) while the CNE reviews; compile the Operating License, the LAU and SASISOPA.
Handle the inspection
Weeks 13-14: handle the inspection with tanks and dispensers ready to operate.
Why the order matters: following this sequence keeps you from carrying financing costs on infrastructure that cannot operate yet. Idle construction is the invisible cost that sinks the profitability of poorly planned projects.
Common mistakes that trigger deficiency notices
- RFC without its homoclave suffix, or details that do not match the articles of incorporation.
- Site shapefile in a projection other than WGS-84 (the CNE accepts WGS-84 only).
- Liability insurance policy with no effective start date.
- Starting major construction before holding the permit, which leaves you with idle construction.
Franchise vs permit
Brand agreement
Pemex, G500, Mobil, BP, Oxxo Gas. It defines branding, supply and commercial terms. It does not legally authorize you to sell fuel.
Legal requirement
It is the government's authorization to market refined petroleum products. Essential, with or without a franchise. You can operate under your own brand if you hold it.
The permit is the start, not the finish
You will have to file volumetric reports, the Annual Operating Report (COA) and emissions monitoring (form FF-ASEA-06), and keep licenses and SASISOPA current. NOM-005-ASEA-2016 governs the operation and maintenance of stations, and PROY-NOM-023-ASEA-2025 (out for public comment) will replace it with new requirements. Set up your ongoing compliance plan.
Watch out for a closure order: close to 60% of stations operate with an expired license or outside RENAGAS. Joint ASEA-PROFECO inspections can lead to fines of up to 50,000 days' wages and suspension of operations. Bring your station into compliance.
Frequently asked questions
Official sources
- ASEA — General guide for gas stations selling gasoline and diesel
- National Energy Commission (CNE)
- DOF — Federal Official Gazette (NOM-005-ASEA-2016, NOM-016-CRE-2016)
General information, current as of October 2026. It does not replace formal regulatory advice; timelines and amounts depend on the authority and can change.
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