Playas de Rosarito became the first municipality in Baja California to launch a new oral civil and family court, accepting its first case filings under Mexico’s National Code of Civil and Family Procedures. The court began operations on March 20, 2026, from a purpose-built courthouse on Boulevard Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez at the corner of Vicente Guerrero in Colonia Independencia.
All civil and family cases filed in Rosarito from that date forward fall under the new national code. Existing cases will continue through traditional courts until they are resolved, under a transitional regime established by law.
How the New Court Works
The court operates Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., under what officials call a “zero backlog” model. Instead of the written proceedings that have long defined Mexican civil courts, the new system relies on oral hearings held in courtrooms designed for that purpose.
The courthouse was built specifically to host oral proceedings and to provide spaces for mediation, conciliation, and public services. Case filings and tracking are managed digitally through the Electronic Court 2.0 platform. A Virtual Consultation Module is available on-site for users to check case status.
Part of a Statewide Rollout
Rosarito’s launch is the first phase of a gradual, municipality-by-municipality rollout across Baja California. Preparation for the transition began months earlier. In June 2025, state judicial authorities reported construction progress on the Rosarito courthouse and noted related steps already taken in other cities, including opening centralized process server offices (Centrales de Actuarios) in Tijuana and Ensenada and forming a Corporate Civil Tribunal in Tijuana.
The state judiciary has also been moving toward a paperless model and expanding its electronic court system in anticipation of the national code’s requirements.
What This Means for Rosarito Residents
For anyone involved in a family law or civil dispute in the Rosarito area, the practical change is significant. Divorces, custody disputes, property disagreements, and other civil matters filed after March 20 now go through oral proceedings with digital case management. The goal is faster resolution and greater transparency compared to the old written system.
Traditional civil and family courts in Rosarito remain open to finish pending cases. Anyone with a matter already in progress will not be forced into the new system. Those filing new cases should work with a local attorney who is familiar with the national code and the Electronic Court 2.0 platform.
This story was first reported by California Medios and El Portavoz.