What Is a NOM Number on a Tequila Bottle?

What Does NOM Stand For?

NOM is an abbreviation for Norma Oficial Mexicana, which translates to Official Mexican Standard. The Mexican government uses NOM designations to regulate production standards across many industries — everything from food labeling to electronics to spirits. Each NOM designation specifies minimum requirements and quality controls for a regulated product category.

In tequila, the relevant standard is NOM-006-SCFI, which sets the rules for what can legally be called tequila: which agave species can be used, which regions can produce it, how it must be made, how long it must age for each category, what can and cannot be added, and how it must be labeled. The Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT) is the body responsible for enforcing NOM compliance and for issuing the certification numbers that appear on every bottle.

When a distillery applies for and receives a license to produce tequila, the CRT assigns it a unique four-digit number. That number stays with the distillery permanently and appears on every bottle produced there. It is the distillery's permanent identity in the regulated tequila system.

How to Find the NOM on a Bottle

Look for four digits preceded by the letters "NOM" on the label. The location varies by brand, but it is most commonly found in one of three places: on the back label in small type near the government certification statement, near the base of the bottle, or next to the official CRT certification seal (which itself is a holographic or printed graphic that verifies the tequila was certified by the regulator).

Some bottles display the NOM as a standalone number (NOM 1120), while others include additional CRT certification lot information in a format like NOM-1139-CRT-XXX. The first four-digit number in that sequence is always the distillery identifier — the rest is production lot tracking information.

On some bottles, particularly older or premium releases, the NOM may be embossed into the glass rather than printed on a paper label. If you cannot find it immediately, check the bottom of the bottle as well as all four sides of any label panels.

What the NOM Tells You

The NOM tells you the certified distillery where the tequila was produced. Each licensed distillery in Mexico has a unique NOM. Knowing the NOM lets you determine the physical location of production, the equipment and methods used there, and critically, which other brands are produced at the same facility.

This last point is where the NOM becomes genuinely useful for enthusiasts and buyers. Many tequila brands do not own their own distillery — they contract production to licensed facilities. A single distillery might produce tequila for dozens of different labels at different price points. The brand on the front of the bottle can be completely different from the brand that actually made it, and the NOM on the back is often the only way to know they share the same source.

What the NOM cannot tell you is everything that happens once production decisions are made: the specific agave sourcing within a given harvest, the aging duration, the barrel selection, or any post-distillation additions. Two brands produced at the same NOM can taste quite different based on those choices. But the NOM at least establishes the foundation.

Why Multiple Brands Share a NOM

The tequila industry has dramatically more brands than it has distilleries. As of the mid-2020s, the CRT had licensed well over 150 distilleries but there were thousands of registered tequila brands globally. The math makes it obvious that most brands do not have their own production facility.

Contract production is a normal part of many spirits industries, not just tequila. A brand might specify its own recipe, source its own agave, direct the production process closely, and create a genuinely distinct product even while using a shared facility. Or a brand might simply put its label on something that comes off the same production run as a much cheaper product. The NOM alone cannot tell you which scenario you are dealing with — but it gives you a starting point for investigation.

For consumers who care about authenticity and production integrity, finding that a premium-priced brand shares a NOM with a budget label is meaningful information. It suggests the liquid itself may not be as differentiated as the price gap implies, even if the brand story, packaging, and marketing suggest otherwise.

How to Look Up a NOM

The CRT maintains official lists of licensed distilleries and their NOM numbers, which are periodically published and available through their regulatory channels. However, for most enthusiasts, a third-party tool is far more practical.

Tequila Matchmaker (tequilamatchmaker.com) is the most comprehensive and user-friendly database available. Enter any NOM number and it returns a list of every brand associated with that distillery, along with production method details — cooking method, crushing method, fermentation type, still type — sourced from producer visits and CRT records. It is the fastest tool available for verifying what is behind a label.

The CRT's official website also publishes distillery information, though the format is less consumer-friendly than Tequila Matchmaker. For most practical purposes, Tequila Matchmaker is the go-to resource.

Notable NOMs Worth Knowing

Several NOM numbers have become well-known in tequila enthusiast circles because of the quality and reputation of the producers they represent. These are a starting point for understanding which distilleries are widely regarded as benchmarks.

This list is not exhaustive. Many other NOMs represent excellent producers. The point is not to memorize a short list but to develop the habit of checking the NOM whenever you encounter a new bottle, and using tools like Tequila Matchmaker to understand what you are actually buying.