Cadastral plan, title plan, topographic plan: which plan for which purpose?

The cadastre in Morocco: who keeps the plans?

The cadastre (المسح العقاري) is the set of plans that describe properties: their boundaries, their shape and their area. On its own, it does not say who the owner is: that is the role of the land register (registre foncier), kept by the land registry (conservation foncière, المحافظة العقارية).

Both come under the same institution: the National Agency for Land Registration, Cadastre and Cartography (ANCFCC), created by Law No. 58-00 promulgated in 2002. Its Article 2 entrusts it in particular with land registration, the keeping of land records and documents and making them available to the public, the drawing up of cadastral plans as part of land registration, the drawing up and keeping of the national cadastre, as well as the geodetic networks and the topographic map of the Kingdom.

In practice, each land registry works with a cadastre department (service du cadastre). When a property plan is checked, this department transfers it onto the cadastral map (mappe cadastrale, الخريطة المساحية), the assembly of plans tied to the geodetic network, in order to build up a cadastral register that matches the land register (Decree No. 2-13-18 of 14 July 2014, Article 22).

The property plan, or “title plan”

The property plan (plan foncier, التصميم العقاري) is the official plan of land that is registered or undergoing registration. It is drawn up following the boundary marking and the topographic survey. It shows the boundaries and the area of the property, as well as the particular features noted in the boundary marking report or observed during the survey (Decree No. 2-13-18, Article 4).

Under Article 21 of the same decree, this plan is tied to the nearest fixed points of the geodetic network. It bears the name of the surveyor (géomètre-topographe) who drew it up, the date of the survey and the signature of the head of the cadastre department or their delegate. Once checked and signed by the cadastre department, the land registrar annexes it to the land title. This is why it is commonly called “the title plan” (plan du titre).

In everyday language, and in the very name of the ANCFCC's online service, the document issued for a title or a registration application is often called a cadastral plan (plan cadastral). Remember the key point: it is an official extract, signed by the administration, that shows the legal boundaries of the land as they were marked.

The property plan shows the boundaries as they were set at the time of the boundary marking. If boundary markers have since disappeared or a wall has been built in the wrong place, the actual land may no longer match the plan. Only an on-site survey can verify this.

Location plan, topographic plan, spot-height plan

These plans say nothing about ownership: they are used to locate and describe the land for a project. They are among the documents required by the joint orders issued under the general building regulations (Official Bulletin No. 6874 of 16 April 2020).

• Location plan (plan de situation): it makes it possible to find the land. It shows the orientation, the access roads with their names and landmarks. For a plot division application, it must be drawn up by a surveying engineer (ingénieur géomètre-topographe), at a scale of 1/2000 or 1/5000, and tied to the geodetic network where applicable.
• Topographic plan (التصميم الطبوغرافي): it describes the land as it is, with its boundaries, its boundary markers, its elevations (spot heights and contour lines), and the existing buildings and plantings. For a subdivision application, the text sets the scale (1/500, or 1/1000 for large subdivisions) and the minimum content, including the numbers of the boundary markers and of the neighbouring land titles.
• Spot-height plan (plan coté): this is a topographic plan showing dimensions (lengths of the sides, distances between boundary markers) and elevations. It is the basis the architect needs to set out a building, set the levels and check the setbacks.

For a building permit, the list of documents provides for the plan issued by the ANCFCC for registered land, or a topographic survey for unregistered land, as well as a location plan. The guide Development plan, zoning, Taamir details this file.

Boundary marking, plot division, subdivision and co-ownership plans

Some plans accompany a legal operation on titled land. Article 17 of Decree No. 2-13-18 provides that any application for plot division, subdivision, co-ownership, merger, bringing the property plan into line with the situation on the ground (mise en concordance) or boundary marker reinstatement must be based on a technical file drawn up by a private-sector surveying engineer registered on the roll of the National Order of Surveying Engineers (ONIGT).

This file includes the property plan and the boundary marking report signed by the parties and by the engineer. It is submitted to the cadastre department, which checks it, transfers it onto the cadastral map, endorses it and archives it.

• Boundary marking plan: it accompanies the report that sets the boundaries on the ground, in the presence of the parties concerned. See the boundary marking guide.
• Plot division plan (plan de morcellement): it divides a title into several parcels, for example between heirs. In the areas covered by Law No. 25-90, as amended by Law No. 34-21, a plot division authorisation issued by the president of the municipal council is required beforehand (Articles 58 and 59). Since this reform, the authorisation is deemed granted if the president has not ruled within 30 days of the application being submitted (Article 59).
• Subdivision plan (plan de lotissement): it divides land into lots intended for building, with roads and facilities. It requires a subdivision authorisation (Law No. 25-90, Articles 2 and 3). Registration of the subdivision requires, among other things, the topographic plan drawn up after boundary marking and a copy of the report of provisional acceptance of the works (Article 32).
• Co-ownership plans: they delimit, floor by floor, the private parts and common parts of a building, in order to establish a title for each flat.

An important point for families: under Article 61 of Law No. 25-90, adouls (notaries under Islamic law), notaries and land registrars must refuse to draw up, receive or register a deed of sale or partition subject to plot division authorisation if it is not accompanied by that authorisation or by a certificate from the president of the municipal council stating that the operation falls outside the scope of the law. Since Law No. 34-21, this certificate is only issued after the prior approval of a committee bringing together representatives of the urban planning agency, the municipality and the prefecture or province. The engineer prepares the plans; the deed remains the business of the adel or the notary, and the registration that of the land registrar.

Summary table: who draws it up, who issues it, what it is for

For each plan: who draws it up, who gives it official status and what it is used for.

• Property plan (title plan) — drawn up by a surveyor whose name appears on the plan; checked and signed by the cadastre department; copy issued by the ANCFCC; used to prove the legal boundaries of the titled land.
• Cadastral map — kept by the cadastre department; used to locate the land among its neighbours and to identify the neighbouring titles.
• Location plan — required from a surveying engineer for a plot division (for a building permit, the text does not specify who draws it up); used to locate the land in an authorisation application.
• Topographic plan / spot-height plan — drawn up by a surveying engineer; it is not issued by an administration; used to design a project, check boundaries or prepare a division.
• Boundary marking, plot division, subdivision and co-ownership plans — drawn up by a surveying engineer registered with the ONIGT; checked and endorsed by the cadastre department; used to modify or create land titles.

How to obtain a copy of the plan of a plot of land

Article 27 of Decree No. 2-13-18 provides that any person, after proving their identity, may obtain the information recorded in the land registers and on the plans of properties that are registered or undergoing registration, provided they supply the land title or registration application number. Without these references, disclosure is only possible by court order. Article 28 lists, among the documents issued on request, copies of property plans, after payment of the fees set by the texts in force.

1. Gather the references: the land title number (with its index, if it has one) or the registration application number, and the land registry concerned. They appear on the certificate of ownership (certificat de propriété), the purchase deed or old correspondence.
2. Online: the ANCFCC offers the “E-Plan cadastral” service on its portal. You fill in a form (cadastre department, “title” or “registration application” type, number), confirm by SMS, pay online and then track the request with a code. The plan can be requested in digital or paper format, and its authenticity can be checked online for a limited period after it is signed.
3. At the counter: the request can also be made at the relevant land registry or cadastre department.
4. Unregistered land (melkia, a customary ownership deed; adoul deed): there is no property plan to request. The only reliable plan is a topographic survey carried out on site. See the guide Melkia or land title.

Fees and procedures may change: see the guide to the ANCFCC's online services and check on the Agency's portal before paying.

Lambert coordinates: why they matter

Moroccan official plans are expressed in the Lambert Morocco system: a Lambert conformal conic projection, based on the Clarke 1880 ellipsoid and the geodetic system known as Merchich. The country is divided into zones, each with its own parameters. Fez, like the whole north of the country, is in zone I (Nord Maroc).

This tie to the network is not a technical detail. It is what makes it possible to overlay, without any offset, the property plan, the cadastral map, the development plan and the architect's design. Urban planning agencies indeed often ask for a plan with Lambert coordinates in order to issue a planning information note (note de renseignements urbanistiques).

Note: a phone's GPS gives coordinates in another system (WGS 84 latitude and longitude). Comparing them directly with Lambert coordinates produces discrepancies. For a quick check, you can use our Lambert converter; for a boundary, only a survey with precision equipment is authoritative.

Common pitfalls

• The old plan not tied to the network: some old plans were drawn up in local coordinates, without being tied to the geodetic network. They do not overlay correctly on recent plans. Before designing or dividing, have the boundaries checked on site; bringing the property plan into line with the ground may be necessary.
• The worthless sketch: a freehand drawing, a plan attached to a melkia or a diagram drawn by a seller are not official plans. They can help with understanding, never to prove a boundary or an area.
• The plan of another lot: after a plot division or a subdivision, the original title (“parent” title) and the new titles coexist. Check that the title number and index on the plan correspond exactly to those on the deed and the certificate of ownership.
• The area “on paper”: the area stated in an old deed may differ from the measured area. For titled land, the reference is the property plan; for untitled land, only a recent measurement is informative.
• The right plan, the wrong ground: boundary markers pulled out, fence moved, neighbouring building encroaching. The plan may be accurate and the land no longer match it. This is what boundary marker reinstatement is for.

A common example in Fez: three heirs want to divide titled land registered in their father's name. The first step is to obtain the property plan using the title number, then to have it checked on site that the boundary markers still exist. Next comes the study of the plot division in the light of the planning rules, then the technical file. If this is your situation, the Inheritance and division page describes the support a surveying engineer can provide.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• Law No. 58-00 establishing the National Agency for Land Registration, Cadastre and Cartography (Official Bulletin No. 5036 of 5 September 2002) — Official Bulletin (FAOLEX copy)
• Decree No. 2-13-18 of 16 Ramadan 1435 (14 July 2014) on land registration formalities — ANCFCC
• E-Plan cadastral service (application, tracking, authenticity check) — ANCFCC
• Law No. 25-90 on subdivisions, housing groups and plot divisions (original 1992 text, before Law No. 34-21) — Ministry of Justice (adala)
• Law No. 34-21 amending and supplementing Law No. 25-90 on subdivisions, housing groups and plot divisions, promulgated by Dahir No. 1-26-61 of 28 July 2026 (Official Bulletin No. 7533 of 10 August 2026, Arabic edition) — General Secretariat of the Government (Official Bulletin)
• Decree No. 2-18-577 approving the general building regulations and joint orders setting the required documents (Official Bulletin No. 6874 of 16 April 2020) — Official Bulletin (copy from the Settat Urban Planning Agency)
• EPSG:26191 — Merchich / Nord Maroc (Lambert conformal conic) — EPSG Registry (spatialreference.org)

This guide provides general information, up to date as of the date shown. It does not replace the official texts or a professional review of your file. Ask us about your situation.