Why a gallery sometimes asks for your ID

Sometimes, when someone buys a work from us, we ask for an identification. It can feel odd the first time. It is not curiosity: it is the law, in Mexico and in most countries where art is sold, and it protects collectors as much as galleries.

When it happens

Above certain amounts, sellers of art are required to know who is buying. The amount depends on the country, so the request appears only on some purchases. If it applies to yours, the site tells you before you pay.

What is asked

An official identification.

Your address.

Occasionally, for larger purchases, where the funds come from.

What happens to it

It is kept private, used only for this purpose and kept for the time the law requires. It is never shown on your certificate or on any public page.

What a gallery should never ask

Your passwords, your card's security code by email, or a payment to a personal account. If anyone asks for those in a gallery's name, stop and call the gallery.

Why it is good news

A market where sellers know their buyers is a market where the history of a work can be trusted. It is one of the quiet reasons a work bought from a gallery keeps its papers in order.

If you would like company

This is what we do every day from Mexico City: help people find, buy and live with original contemporary art. Book a free 30-minute call, or simply look at the works available now.

Image: our exhibition Art+Tech Collection ’25 in Mexico City.