What is ejido land in Nayarit, and what should you ask for?

Legal texts quoted here are the versions published by Mexico's Chamber of Deputies, read on October 17, 2026. The English wording is ours; the Spanish text is the one that counts.

What is an ejido, and what is ejido land?

An ejido is a community land body recognized by Mexican law. The Constitution (art. 27, sec. VII) recognizes the legal personality of ejido communities and protects their ownership of land. Under the Agrarian Law (art. 43), ejido land is land granted to the community or brought into the ejido system, and the ejido's highest body is its assembly (art. 22).

By use, that land falls into three groups (Agrarian Law, art. 44): human settlement, common use and individual plots. Each is treated differently.

Why can't you buy it like any other lot?

Selling plot rights requires written consent before two witnesses ratified before a notary or similar official, notice to the spouse and children, who have a right of first refusal for 30 calendar days, and notice to the ejido commissioner (Agrarian Law, art. 80).

How does a plot stop being ejido land? Dominio pleno

When most plots in an ejido have been delimited and assigned, the assembly may resolve that members can adopt full ownership, or dominio pleno (Agrarian Law, art. 81). The assembly that handles this needs a Procuraduría Agraria representative and a notary or similar public official, and it is void if it meets without them (arts. 23, sec. IX, and 28). The resolution needs two thirds of those attending (art. 27).

Next, the member asks the National Agrarian Registry (RAN) to cancel the land's registration. The RAN issues the property title, which is recorded in the Public Registry of Property. From the moment the RAN cancels, the land is no longer ejido land and falls under ordinary law (art. 82).

On the first sale after dominio pleno, these people have a right of first refusal, in this order and for 30 calendar days: relatives, people who worked the plot for over a year, ejido members, residents of the community and the ejido itself. If they are not notified, the sale can be annulled (art. 84). If the land is in an area declared for a town's growth, art. 89 also recognizes a right of first refusal for states and municipalities.

What does it look like on paper?

• Plot certificate or certificate of agrarian rights: proves ejido rights over a plot, not full ownership (Agrarian Law, art. 78).
• Property title issued by the RAN and recorded in the Public Registry: the dominio pleno document (art. 82).
• A letter, certificate or private contract: neither of the two the law names. Entries in the RAN and the certificates it issues are full proof, and anything that had to be recorded but was not only binds the people who signed it (art. 150).

What should you ask for before paying?

1. The plot certificate or the RAN property title, in the original.
2. The assembly minutes that approved dominio pleno and proof they were recorded in the RAN. The RAN is public: anyone may consult its entries (art. 151).
3. Proof that the RAN cancelled the ejido registration, and the title's registration in Nayarit's Public Registry of Property.
4. A certificate on the existence or absence of liens and, if needed, the property's registry history. Nayarit issues them with the folio real or registry reference.
5. If it is the first sale, proof that the right of first refusal was notified (art. 84).
6. The survey plan and measurements. The RAN records the plans and boundaries of ejido land (art. 152, sec. IV).
7. Have the notary review everything. Notaries must notify the RAN when they authorize converting ejido property to dominio pleno (art. 156).

To find out whether a property sits within an agrarian community, the RAN publishes the Padrón e Historial de Núcleos Agrarios (PHINA). Its own page says it is an informational and statistical system, with data as of the time you consult it.

What if you're buying from outside Mexico?

After dominio pleno, the land is under ordinary law (art. 82). Within 50 km of the beach, a purchase by a foreigner follows the bank trust rule, which another guide explains.

What this guide does not cover

It does not say whether a specific property in Bucerias or elsewhere is ejido land. The RAN and the Public Registry show that. It does not cover taxes, appraisals, RAN procedures that carry a fee, or specific cases.

This guide is informational. It is not legal, tax or financial advice. Talk to a notary or agrarian lawyer you trust before you pay.