Which laws govern urban planning and construction in Morocco?
The list of laws, decrees and orders that apply when you build in Morocco, checked against the Official Bulletin (Bulletin officiel), with the repealed texts you should no longer cite and what each one changes in practice.
In short: in Morocco, building is mainly governed by Law No. 12-90 on urban planning (loi relative à l'urbanisme, 1992) and Law No. 25-90 on subdivisions, both amended by Law No. 66-12 (2016) on planning violations. The authorisation procedure is set by the 2019 general building regulations (règlement général de construction, Decree No. 2-18-577), which repealed the 2013 regulations (Decree No. 2-13-424). In 2026, two laws published in Official Bulletin No. 7533 of 10 August change the landscape: Law No. 34-21 (subdivisions) and Law No. 64-23 (regional urban planning and housing agencies).
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The texts in force, and what they change for you
| Text | Reference | What it changes for someone who builds |
|---|---|---|
| Law No. 12-90 on urban planning | Dahir No. 1-92-31 of 17 June 1992; amended by Law 66-12 | Building permit mandatory (art. 40), including for changing a façade; permit deemed granted after two months of silence (art. 48); lapses after one year without foundations (art. 49); architect mandatory in urban areas (art. 50); occupancy permit (permis d'habiter) required before occupying (art. 55) |
| Decree No. 2-92-832 | 14 October 1993 (Official Bulletin No. 4225) | Outside areas covered by a planning document: plot of at least 1 hectare, footprint limited to 1/50 and 800 m², height of 8.50 m at most (art. 34) |
| Law No. 25-90 (subdivisions, housing groups, land divisions) | Dahir No. 1-92-7 of 17 June 1992; amended by Laws 66-12 and 34-21 | Authorisation mandatory to subdivide (lotir), create a housing group or divide land (art. 2, 57, 58); notaries and adouls may not draw up deeds without it (art. 61) |
| Law No. 34-21 | Dahir No. 1-26-61 of 28 July 2026, Official Bulletin No. 7533 of 10 August 2026 | Time allowed to complete a subdivision depending on area: 3 years up to 20 ha, then 5, 7, 10 and 15 years above 400 ha (art. 11); land division (morcellement) deemed authorised without a response within 30 days (art. 59); large-scale development operations. In force since publication; some points await implementing texts |
| Law No. 66-12 (control and punishment of violations) | Dahir No. 1-16-124 of 25 August 2016; Official Bulletin No. 6501 (Arabic), Official Bulletin No. 6770 of 18 April 2019 (French) | Repair, regularisation and demolition permits; site opening declaration and site logbook; inspectors with judicial police officer status; fines of 2,000 to 200,000 DH for buildings, demolition; 100,000 to 5,000,000 DH for a subdivision, housing group or land division without authorisation (art. 65 of Law 25-90, as worded by Law 66-12, Official Bulletin No. 6770); architect, contractor and engineers treated as co-perpetrators if they do not report the violation within 48 hours (see planning violations and penalties) |
| General building regulations (Decree No. 2-18-577) | 12 June 2019; Official Bulletin No. 6874 of 16 April 2020 (French) | One-stop shop, committees, small and major projects, binding opinion of the Urban Agency (agence urbaine) (art. 39), zoning information certificate within 2 working days (art. 7), occupancy permit on the architect's certificate (art. 49). Replaced Decree 2-13-424 |
| Decree No. 2-18-475 | 12 June 2019; amended by Decree No. 2-23-103 of 8 May 2023 | Repair permit (permis de réfection) within 10 working days, valid for 6 months (art. 3 and 4; same time limits in the RGC, art. 46 and 47); demolition permit within 1 month (art. 14); regularisation permit within 60 days after approval by the Urban Agency (art. 8) |
| Joint Orders No. 337-20 and 338-20 | 21 January 2020; 337-20 amended by Order No. 1032-21 (Official Bulletin No. 6992 of 3 June 2021) | List of documents in the file, provided in a single copy; online filing and tracking (see Rokhas) |
| Law No. 55-19, Decree No. 2-22-141 and Joint Order No. 1839-23 | Law of 2020; decree of 8 May 2023; order of 10 July 2023 (Official Bulletin No. 7212) | Capped time limits: 15 days (small projects) and 30 days (major projects) for the building permit; silence means consent for several planning acts, including the building permit according to the press (text of Decree No. 2-22-141 not reviewed: never start works without a written document) |
| Dahir No. 1-60-063 (rural settlements) | 25 June 1960; amended by Law 66-12 | Building permit and subdivision authorisation in rural settlements covered by a development plan (art. 7 and 10) |
| Law No. 016-89 (architectural profession) | Dahir No. 1-92-122; amended in 2016 | Organises the Order of Architects (Ordre des architectes); the permit requires the use of a self-employed architect registered with the Order (art. 50 of Law 12-90) |
| Law No. 47-06 (local taxation) | Dahir No. 1-07-195 of 30 November 2007; amended by Laws 07-20 and 14-25 | Taxes on construction operations, subdivision operations and occupation of the public domain: see building permit fees and taxes |
| Law No. 64-23 (regional urban planning and housing agencies) | Official Bulletin No. 7533 of 10 August 2026 | Urban agencies will be replaced by one agency per region (except Casablanca). Each agency starts operating when its director is appointed and its board of directors meets; until then, the Urban Agency remains competent |
Repealed or outdated texts you should no longer cite
- Decree No. 2-13-424 of 24 May 2013 (former general building regulations): repealed by Article 2 of Decree No. 2-18-577. A guide or form that cites it as the applicable text is out of date.
- Former Title IV of Law 12-90 (1992 violations chapter): repealed and replaced by Law 66-12. The former rule under which prosecution required a complaint from the president of the municipality has gone.
- Joint Order No. 3214-13 (file documents, 2013): repealed by Order No. 337-20.
- Single three-year time limit to complete a subdivision: replaced since 10 August 2026 by the 3-to-15-year scale of Law 34-21.
- Dahir of 30 July 1952 on urban planning: repealed by Law 12-90 (art. 87).
Your permit, prepared by an architect
A registered architect studies your plot, draws the plans and files your application. First call with no commitment.
What is still in draft or pending
A single urban planning code (code de l'urbanisme) was prepared as early as 2009, but it has not been adopted; reform is proceeding through separate laws, including Laws 34-21 and 64-23 of 2026. Law 34-21 requires the government to adopt its implementing texts within one year, i.e. before 10 August 2027: until then, some of its provisions do not yet apply. Finally, the window for regularisation applications opened for two years by Decree No. 2-23-103 of May 2023 appears to have expired in May 2025, and to our knowledge no new text has reopened it.
How these texts fit together for a private owner
- Before buying or designing: the zoning information certificate (note de renseignements urbanistiques) (RGC, art. 6 to 9) states what the zoning plan allows on the plot, for example the Kénitra zoning plan.
- To build: building permit (Law 12-90, art. 40) reviewed under the RGC; the detailed procedure is in our guide to the building permit procedure and in the building permit guide.
- For minor works that do not touch the structure or the façade: repair permit (permis de réfection) (Decree 2-18-475).
- During the works: site opening declaration, sign, site logbook (Law 12-90, art. 54-1 and 54-2).
- At the end: occupancy permit or certificate of conformity (Law 12-90, art. 55).
- To divide or subdivide land: land subdivision (Law 25-90 as amended).
- Outside towns: building permit in rural areas (1960 dahir, Decree 2-92-832).
What varies by municipality
National texts set the framework, but three things are decided locally: height, setback and density rules, set by each city's zoning plan (plan d'aménagement); tax rates, set by municipal tax order within the ranges of Law 47-06; and the organisation of the one-stop shop. Always check with your municipality and your Urban Agency.
Why an architect knows these texts for you
Law 12-90 makes an architect registered with the Order mandatory to obtain a permit in urban areas (art. 50). The architect also signs the site opening declaration, keeps the site logbook and issues the certificate that replaces the inspection visit for the occupancy permit. Our architect's practice in Kénitra follows these texts for you. For a first idea of your project's cost, try the cost simulator.
Summary up to date as at 12 October 2026, prepared from the texts published in the Official Bulletin. It does not replace reading the texts or the opinion of the competent administration.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main urban planning law in Morocco?
Law No. 12-90 on urban planning, enacted by Dahir No. 1-92-31 of 17 June 1992 and amended by Law No. 66-12 of 2016. It requires the building permit, the use of an architect and the occupancy permit.
Does Decree 2-13-424 still apply?
No. The 2013 general building regulations were repealed by Decree No. 2-18-577 of 12 June 2019, which now sets the procedure for planning authorisations.
What did Law 66-12 change?
It created the repair, regularisation and demolition permits, introduced the site opening declaration and the site logbook, entrusted enforcement to inspectors with judicial police officer status and increased fines, up to 200,000 DH for a building and 5,000,000 DH for an illegal subdivision (art. 65 of Law 25-90, as worded by Law 66-12).
What is Law 34-21 of 2026?
It amends Law 25-90 on subdivisions. Published in Official Bulletin No. 7533 of 10 August 2026, it sets the time allowed to complete a subdivision at 3 to 15 years depending on its area and deems a land division granted if there is no response within 30 days.
Do urban agencies still exist?
Yes, for now. Law No. 64-23, published on 10 August 2026, creates regional urban planning and housing agencies that will replace them, each one from the appointment of its director and the meeting of its board of directors.
Is there an urban planning code in Morocco?
No. A draft code was prepared, but reform is proceeding through separate laws. The reference texts remain Laws 12-90 and 25-90, as amended.
Reference texts (8)
- Loi n° 12-90 relative à l'urbanisme, dahir n° 1-92-31 du 17 juin 1992
- Loi n° 25-90 relative aux lotissements, groupes d'habitations et morcellements, dahir n° 1-92-7 du 17 juin 1992
- Loi n° 66-12, dahir n° 1-16-124 du 25 août 2016 — traduction française BO n° 6770 du 18 avril 2019
- Décret n° 2-18-577 du 12 juin 2019 approuvant le règlement général de construction — BO n° 6874 du 16 avril 2020
- Décret n° 2-18-475 (permis de réfection, régularisation, démolition), version consolidée avec le décret n° 2-23-103 du 8 mai 2023
- Arrêté conjoint n° 1839-23 du 10 juillet 2023 (délais des décisions d'urbanisme) — BO n° 7212
- Agence urbaine de Kénitra-Sidi Kacem — recueil des textes, dont la loi n° 34-21 (BO n° 7533 du 10 août 2026)
- Le Matin, 16 août 2026 — publication des lois 64-23 et 34-21 au Bulletin officiel n° 7533