What the Carta Porte is
The Carta Porte is an add-on to the CFDI (Mexico's electronic invoice) that covers the movement of goods inside the country and proves that whoever is moving them holds them legally. It is not a separate document: it attaches to an electronic invoice and travels with the shipment. If your truck is stopped on a highway without it, the problem is not the truck's — it is the cargo's.
The version in force is 3.1, mandatory since July 17, 2024, when it replaced version 3.0. Requirements and filing instructions are published by Mexico's tax authority, the SAT, and have been adjusted repeatedly since the first version in 2021.
For a brand selling online, this shows up in three concrete moments: when you send inventory to your logistics operator, when you move product between warehouses, and when you return goods to a supplier.
Who has to issue it
This is where most people get it wrong. The obligation does not sit only with the carrier:
| Party | What they issue |
|---|---|
| The owner of the goods, moving them with their own vehicles | A traslado (transfer) CFDI with the Carta Porte add-on |
| The carrier charging for the service | An ingreso (income) CFDI with the Carta Porte add-on |
| The logistics intermediary coordinating the movement | A CFDI with the add-on, depending on their role |
In short: if your brand hires a third party, that third party issues it. But if you move your own product in your own van — from the workshop to the warehouse, from the warehouse to a trade show — the obligation is yours.
Local movements that never touch federally regulated roads are excluded. The line between "local" and "federal" is not always obvious: a short trip that uses a federal highway already counts.
What happens when it is missing or wrong
Mexico's Federal Tax Code penalizes omissions and errors in the add-on under article 84, section IV. The amounts are updated annually; for 2026, specialized publications place the range between 19,700 and 112,650 pesos per shipment (Facture, IDNube). Before making decisions based on those figures, confirm them against the current tax code — the exact number moves with the annual update.
The operational risk is worse than the fine: the cargo can be held. A shipment stopped at an inspection point does not just arrive late; it ties up a truck, triggers rescheduling, and — if those were customer orders — turns into cancellations.
The three mistakes we see most
- Data that does not match reality. Weight, piece count, commodity type and addresses have to describe the actual shipment. An "approximate" filing is a wrong filing.
- Assuming the carrier always handles it. They do only when they provide the service. On your own transfers, and under some intermediary arrangements, the responsibility stays with you.
- Discovering it on shipping day. Issuing the add-on requires data that is not always ready: product codes, units of measure, tax IDs. Solved the same day, it gets solved badly.
What changes when you run through a 3PL
When your inventory lives with a logistics operator, the tax paperwork for each movement stops being something you sort out between orders and becomes part of the flow. In practice that means three things.
First, product data is loaded at intake: codes, units, weights and dimensions are captured when goods are received, not when they are rushing out the door. Second, the transfer is performed by the party that carries the filing obligation. Third, there is a documentary trail: what left, when, on whose behalf, and under what coverage.
It is not a glamorous topic. But it is the difference between an operation that can prove where every box has been and one that hopes nobody asks.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Carta Porte replace the invoice? No. It is an add-on attached to a CFDI. The invoice still exists; it now carries the shipment information as well.
Does it apply if I send a parcel through a courier? For parcel shipments, the carrier is responsible for the transport documentation. Where it lands on you is inventory movement: taking product to the warehouse, moving it between facilities, or sending it back to a supplier.
What if the move is within the same city? Local movements that do not use federally regulated roads are out of scope. The nuance is that many "local" routes touch a federal highway at some point; check the actual route, not the distance.
How often do the rules change? The add-on has gone through several versions since 2021 and the SAT has revised the filing instructions along the way. It is worth reviewing at least once a year.
Moving goods in Mexico stopped being only about trucks: it is about correct data at the right moment. If you would rather have transport, documentation and inventory living in one place, take a look at our 3PL in Mexico or how our nationwide last mile works.