STPS Training Compliance and DC-3 Certificates: What Your Company Must Meet

In Mexico, the Federal Labor Law (articles 153-A through 153-X) requires employers to train their workers — a rule every company with Mexican operations, including US firms nearshoring there, must meet. The DC-3 certificate is the official document proving each completed course, and the STPS (Mexico's labor authority) can request plans, programs, and evidence. A well-configured LMS generates and safeguards that evidence automatically: who trained, when, how many hours, and with what result.

Published July 19, 2026 · Geedle Team

The documents you will be asked for

DC-1 (joint commission agreements), DC-2 (training plans and programs), DC-3 (individual certificate per course), and DC-4 (list of certificates). The DC-3 is the one issued for each worker and course: name, position, course, duration in hours, period, and instructor or registered training agent.

How an LMS turns compliance into a byproduct

With the right platform, every course your people finish leaves an auditable trail: a certificate with a folio number, hours, grade, and date, exportable whenever the authority requests it. Our self-paced courses issue certificates automatically, and our LMS implementation includes configuring this documentation flow from day one.

Note: always verify the current STPS forms and requirements; this guide is for orientation only, not legal advice.

Related: training for manufacturing and our ISO 9001 audit checklist.