New Regulations for Vehicle Registration Plates in Morocco
The Moroccan Ministry of Transport and Logistics has recently announced significant amendments to the regulations governing vehicle registration plates. This announcement, made public in the official bulletin of the Kingdom, details the inclusion of Latin letters in the registration numbers and plates of motor vehicles and trailers. Importantly, the existing plates can continue to be used until the first ownership transfer of the vehicle occurs.
The new regulations, specified in Ministerial Decision No. 640.26 issued on March 26, 2026, modify the previous decision (No. 2711.10) from September 29, 2010, concerning the registration of motor vehicles and trailers. One of the key changes made is to Article 21 of the old regulation, which dictates the format of registration numbers in the standard series. Under the new rules, the second part of the number, which represents the registration series, must now consist of one or two Arabic letters in a standardized Moroccan script alongside their corresponding Latin letters, replacing the previous requirement for solely Arabic letters.
Additionally, the revisions to the first article of the old decision permit the minister responsible for the transport sector to accept applications for registration certificates (formerly known as grey cards) or ownership documents from sellers under certain conditions, such as when the vehicle is purchased through a murabaha contract.
Moreover, the amendments also affect Article 26 of the previous decision. Initially, this article only addressed the registration numbers of motorcycles, three-wheeled motor vehicles, and heavy four-wheeled vehicles. The new regulations expand this to include light motor motorcycles, light three-wheeled vehicles, and light four-wheeled vehicles.
According to the new legislation, the provisions concerning motor bicycles and light three-wheeled and four-wheeled vehicles will come into effect on January 1, 2027. From this date, ownership documents and registration plates for these vehicles will remain valid until the ownership is transferred or a request for a duplicate ownership document is made.
Furthermore, when registering new motorcycles and light three-wheeled and four-wheeled vehicles purchased in Morocco, applicants will be exempt from providing a copy of the 18 document stating "sale of new vehicles" for the current year in the name of the selling dealer until December 31, 2027.
As for existing vehicles, the decision allows for the continued use of previously issued registration plates until the first ownership transfer occurs, with a deadline of December 31, 2026, set for using these plates for motor vehicles registered in Morocco that are utilized in international circulation.
As reported by hespress.com.
