In this work a systematic study of finite-dimensional nonrelativistic conformal groups is carried out under two complementary points of view. First, the conformal Killing equation is solved to obtain a whole family of finite-dimensional conformal algebras corresponding to each of the Galilei and Newton–Hooke kinematical groups. Some of their algebraic and geometrical properties are studied in a second step. Among the groups included in these families one can identify, for example, the contraction of the Minkowski conformal group, the analog for a nonrelativistic de Sitter space, or the nonextended Schrödinger group.

A simultaneous and global scheme of quantum deformation is defined for the set of algebras corresponding to the groups of motions of the two-dimensional Cayley-Klein geometries. Their central extensions are also considered under this unified pattern. In both cases some fundamental properties characterizing the classical CK geometries (as the existence of a set of commuting involutions, contractions and dualities relationships), remain in the quantum version.

The finite-dimensional conformal groups associated with the Galilei and (oscillating or expanding) Newton–Hooke space–time manifolds was characterized by the present authors in a recent work. Three isomorphic group families, one for each nonrelativistic kinematics, were obtained, whose members are labeled by a half-integer number $\mathrm{l.}$ Since the action of these groups on their corresponding space–time manifolds is only local, a linearization is introduced here such that the corresponding action is well defined everywhere. In particular, the $\text{(l=1)}$ -conformal cases that can be obtained by contraction from the well-known Minkowskian conformal group are treated in more detail. As an application of physical interest, the conformal invariance of the Galilean electromagnetism is studied. In order to achieve it, the pertinent local representations of the Galilean conformal algebras are derived.