Drivers in Morocco will start seeing new vehicle licence plates from 2027. The new plates will include Latin letters and the international code “MA” alongside the existing Arabic registration system. Transport and Logistics Minister Abdessamad Kayouh signed the new rules. They were published in Official Bulletin No. 7531 on 3 August 2026.
The rules update the system used to register cars, trailers, motorcycles and other vehicles.
The biggest change is the addition of a Latin version of the Arabic letter already used on vehicle plates. The plates will also carry “MA”, the international code for Morocco.
Existing vehicles will not need to change their plates immediately.
What will change?
The new plates will keep the vehicle’s registration number, Arabic series letter and prefecture or province code.
They will now also show the Latin equivalent of the Arabic letter and the letters “MA”.
The new letter system is:
- أ = A
- ب = B
- د = D
- هـ = H
- و = E
- ط = T
- ي = Y
- ك = K
- ل = L
- م = M
- ن = N
- ص = C
- ف = F
- ر = R
- س = S
A standard single-line plate will measure 520mm by 110mm.
A two-line rear plate will measure 300mm by 210mm.
Both will use a reflective background with black characters.
The new design puts the Arabic and Latin versions on the same plate. This should make Moroccan vehicles easier to identify when they travel abroad.
It should also make it easier for cameras and automated systems to read vehicle registration numbers.
Existing plates will remain valid
Drivers will not have to replace their plates simply because the new system has been introduced.
An existing plate will remain valid until the vehicle changes ownership or another registration procedure requires a new plate.
Current plates used by Moroccan vehicles travelling abroad will remain valid until 31 December 2026.
The new system will then be introduced gradually.
New plates for mopeds and light vehicles
The rules also introduce a new registration system for mopeds, light motor tricycles and light motor quadricycles.
Their registration numbers will have three parts:
- A prefecture or province code.
- A number from 1 to 99.
- A sequence number from 1 to 99,999.
Once the sequence reaches 99,999, a new series will start.
The plates will have two lines and measure 180mm by 200mm. They will have a white reflective background with black numbers.
These rules will take effect on 1 January 2027.
Existing plates and ownership documents for these vehicles will remain valid until events such as a change of ownership, a request for a duplicate document or replacement of a plate.
People buying new light vehicles will also temporarily be able to register them without providing a copy of the W18 dealer sales card.
This exemption will remain in place until 31 December 2027.
New rules for proof of residence
The registration process will also change for proof of residence.
The Electronic National Identity Card, or CNIE, will be the main document used for individuals.
People who jointly own a vehicle will each need to provide their CNIE. At least one owner’s address must fall within the area covered by the service handling the registration.
Separate rules apply to companies, associations, cooperatives, military personnel, foreign residents and diplomatic staff.
Moroccans living abroad will need to provide a valid CNIE showing their foreign address, a document confirming temporary residence in Morocco and a valid foreign residence permit.
Rules for imported used cars
The new rules also set out what is needed to register a used vehicle imported from abroad.
The owner must provide the original foreign registration document and proof of ownership.
The sales contract must be signed by the person named as the seller on the foreign registration document.
The customs clearance document must be issued in the name of the person who will receive the Moroccan registration document.
The new rules also cover vehicle ownership transfers, registrations involving minors, collector cars, auction vehicles, powers of attorney and requests for duplicate registration documents.
Some registration and duplicate-document procedures will also be available electronically.
More than 6.3 million vehicles
More than 6.3 million vehicles are registered across Morocco.
Passenger cars make up about 45% of the fleet. Motorcycles and other two-wheelers account for 36%. Goods transport vehicles represent 17%, with buses making up the rest.
The new system will therefore affect millions of vehicles over time.
The number of replacement plates is expected to increase as vehicles are sold, transferred to new owners or undergo other registration procedures.
The rules also allow car dealerships to handle registration and vehicle-document applications for customers buying vehicles through Islamic financing contracts such as Murabaha.
Road safety and digital services
The new system also brings mopeds, tricycles and quadricycles into a more standardised registration system.
Two-wheelers account for about 40% of road deaths in Morocco. Giving these vehicles standard registration numbers and plates will make them easier to identify and track.
The National Road Safety Agency, known as NARSA, will oversee the system.
NARSA was created under Law 103-14 as an autonomous public agency under the Ministry of Transport and Logistics.
The new rules also support the wider move towards digital vehicle services. Owners will gradually be able to start some registration, renewal and duplicate-document procedures online.
The main change starts on 1 January 2027, but the transition will take place over several years. Existing plates and documents will remain valid until a specific registration event requires them to be replaced.
