Development plan, zoning, Taamir: knowing what you can build on a plot of land

Urban planning documents

Law No. 12-90 on urban planning (قانون التعمير), promulgated in 1992 and amended since, notably by Law No. 66-12, organises several levels of documents. They are drawn up by the administration with the participation of the municipalities (communes), then approved in the manner laid down by decree.

• The urban development master plan (schéma directeur d'aménagement urbain, SDAU): it sets the broad orientations for an area (zones to be urbanised, agricultural and forest land to be preserved, major facilities) for a period that may not exceed 25 years (Articles 2 to 4). It is not read plot by plot.
• The zoning plan (plan de zonage): a transitional document that takes protective measures pending the development plan; its effects are limited in time (Articles 13 to 17).
• The development plan (plan d'aménagement, تصميم التهيئة): this is the document that matters for a plot of land in a town or city. It comprises graphic documents and regulations, and may define the allocation of zones, non-building zones, the boundaries of roads, green spaces, sites reserved for public facilities, building rules and easements (Articles 19 and 20).
• The development plan for rural settlements (plan de développement des agglomérations rurales): provided for by the dahir of 25 June 1960, it plays a comparable role for rural settlements and must comply with the SDAU where one exists (Article 11 of Law No. 12-90).

The instrument approving a development plan constitutes a declaration of public utility for the roads, green spaces, sports areas and public facilities it provides for, for a period set by Article 28. A plot of land may therefore be encumbered by a planned road or school: this is the first thing to check before buying.

Zoning and regulations: reading the rules of a zone

The development plan divides the area into zones (housing, business activities, facilities, agricultural zones, non-building zones…), each designated by a code specific to the plan. Each zone has a corresponding article in the development regulations (règlement d'aménagement). Article 19 of Law No. 12-90 cites in particular the following rules, which appear in varying forms from one plan to another:

• Allocation: uses that are permitted, prohibited or subject to conditions.
• Height: maximum height, often also expressed as a number of storeys.
• The ratio between buildable area and land area: the regulations may set a COS (coefficient d'occupation du sol, the proportion of the land the building may cover on the ground) and/or a CUS (coefficient d'utilisation du sol, the total permitted floor area in relation to the land area). Their exact definition is given in the regulations of each plan: read it before calculating.
• Setbacks and siting: distances from the road and from the boundaries with neighbouring plots, whether or not building on the party line is permitted, distance between buildings on the same plot.
• The minimum plot area and the conditions for division.
• Easements: non aedificandi zones, protection of a monument or site, architectural requirements, parking.

These rules are cumulative. In Fez as elsewhere, a plot is sometimes split between two zones or part of it is reserved for a road: the area that can actually be built on is then smaller than the area on the title.

The planning information note

The planning information note (note de renseignements urbanistiques, مذكرة المعلومات التعميرية) is governed by Articles 6 to 9 of the general building regulations (règlement général de construction), approved by Decree No. 2-18-577 of 12 June 2019. It is issued by the urban planning agency (agence urbaine, الوكالة الحضرية) and states the use that may be made of a plot of land under the urban planning documents in force.

Under these articles, the application may be made by any interested person when the urban planning document has been approved. Otherwise, only the owner, or a person holding the owner's consent or a supporting document, may apply. The note is issued within two working days at most of the application. It specifies the applicable document, the allocation of the zone, the uses that are prohibited or subject to conditions, the maximum land-use potential, the siting conditions, the maximum height and the conditions of access to the road network. The official template also mentions any new building line (alignement) to be observed.

Two limitations to be aware of: the note is drawn up on the basis of the information provided by the applicant, which it does not certify, and it is in no way equivalent to an agreement in principle on a project. Its validity corresponds to the duration of the effects of the urban planning document in force.

• The documents required vary from one agency to another. They generally include a plan of the land (a plan issued by the ANCFCC with Lambert coordinates for titled land, a topographic plan drawn up by a surveyor for untitled land), proof of ownership and an identity document.
• Several urban planning agencies now accept the application online, via the services section of the Taamir geoportal: account creation, submission, payment and tracking. Check the procedure on the website of the urban planning agency responsible for your municipality.

Reorganisation under way: Law No. 64-23, published in Official Bulletin No. 7533 of 10 August 2026, creates twelve regional urban planning and housing agencies which are progressively taking over the tasks, staff and assets of the urban planning agencies in their region. During the transition, contact the urban planning agency of your town or city; its contact details and name may change.

Taamir: consulting urban planning documents online

Taamir is the national geoportal for urban planning documents, available at taamir.gov.ma. It was launched in 2021 by the Ministry of National Spatial Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and City Policy, together with the urban planning agencies. It provides free public access to approved urban planning documents, on computer as well as on mobile phone.

In practice, you locate your plot on a map, identify the zone and consult the corresponding regulations. It is the right reflex before a visit or an offer to buy.

What Taamir does not do: it replaces neither the planning information note nor the authorisation. A map consulted online remains information; for a binding decision (purchase, design of a project), request the official note and, if the zone boundary runs close to your plot, have a topographic plan in Lambert coordinates overlaid on the development plan.

Building permit, Rokhas and the role of the architect

The building permit (permis de construire, رخصة البناء) is issued by the president of the municipal council (Law No. 12-90, Article 41), after the application has been examined, in particular by the urban planning agency. The same applies to the subdivision authorisation (autorisation de lotir) and the plot division authorisation (autorisation de morceler) (Law No. 25-90, as amended by Law No. 34-21, Articles 3 and 59).

The general building regulations provide for electronic procedures for submission, examination and issue (Articles 53 and 54). The joint order issued for their application creates a single digital platform for the whole Kingdom. This platform is Rokhas (rokhas.ma): the application is submitted and tracked online, generally by the architect, the surveying engineer (ingénieur géomètre-topographe) or an authorised representative.

The architect: Article 50 of Law No. 12-90 makes it mandatory to use an architect in private practice and specialist engineers in urban municipalities, delimited centres and their peripheral zones, as well as in special-purpose zones. This applies to any new construction, any alteration requiring a permit and the restoration of monuments. Outside these areas, Article 51 requires it for public buildings or buildings open to the public. The application includes a copy of the architect's contract where the architect's involvement is mandatory.

• Main documents for the building permit under the joint order: the application, a certificate of ownership (certificat de propriété) or equivalent title, the plan issued by the ANCFCC for registered land or a topographic survey otherwise, a location plan, the architectural plans (at least 1:100, showing the street building line and the dimensions of the plot boundaries), a technical description.
• For a subdivision: in particular an ANCFCC certificate, an ANCFCC plan and a topographic plan showing the boundary markers, the neighbouring titles, the spot heights and the contour lines.
• For a plot division: in particular a location plan drawn up by a surveying engineer, the ANCFCC plan, the plan of the proposed plot division and the contract with the engineer.

Land outside a development plan or in a rural area

Not all land is covered by a development plan. Law No. 12-90 provides for several situations:

• In an urban municipality, a delimited centre or a special-purpose zone, without a plan: the president of the municipality, after obtaining the opinion of the administration responsible for urban planning, may defer a decision, for a limited period, or issue the permit if the project is compatible with the SDAU or, failing that, with the de facto purpose of the area (Article 45).
• Outside these areas, without a plan: the permit is issued if the project complies with the rules laid down by regulation on the minimum plot area, the buildable area and the height, as well as minimum setbacks from the public road and the property boundaries (Article 46).
• Rural settlement with a development plan for rural settlements: it is this plan that applies.
• Connection to networks: the permit is refused if the land is not connected to a sewerage or drinking water network, unless an exemption is granted where stand-alone solutions offer the required hygiene guarantees (Article 47).

Example: an inherited plot in a rural municipality near Fez, held by melkia (customary ownership deed), with no development plan. Before committing to a project there, ask the urban planning agency which document applies, check whether the land is in a zone where a permit is required, and have the actual area measured: minimum area thresholds are assessed on the measured area, not on the area in the deed.

The rules applicable outside a plan have been clarified by successive regulatory texts and circulars. Have your case confirmed by the urban planning agency and the municipality before buying or designing.

Building lines and road rights-of-way

The building line (alignement, التصفيف) is the boundary between the public road and the adjoining properties. It is set by the development plan or by an alignment order (arrêté d'alignement) of the president of the municipality (Law No. 12-90, Articles 32 to 34). From the publication of such an order, no new construction may be erected on the part of the land within the road right-of-way; only authorised maintenance repairs are possible on existing buildings.

Article 37 further provides that the owner of land adjoining a planned municipal road contributes free of charge to its creation, within limits set by the law; beyond that, the owner is compensated under the rules on expropriation.

Practical consequence: the frontage and usable area of a plot may be reduced by a road widening. The ground-floor plan attached to the permit application must in fact clearly show the street building line. A recent planning information note and a topographic plan showing the building line make it possible to measure this before buying.

Why have a topographic plan made before designing

The architect designs on a plan. If that plan is wrong, the whole project is wrong: setbacks, height, access, permitted area. A spot-height topographic plan, drawn up by a surveying engineer, provides:

• the actual boundaries compared with the title plan (plan du titre), with the boundary markers found or missing;
• the relief (spot heights, contour lines), useful for levels, foundations and water drainage;
• the neighbouring buildings, trees, visible utility networks and the road with its current right-of-way;
• Lambert coordinates, which make it possible to overlay the plot on the development plan and the building line;
• an accurate basis for the setting-out of the building at the start of works.

The recommended order: consult Taamir, request the planning information note, have the topographic plan drawn up, then entrust the design to the architect. To prepare for this stage, see the Building page and the guide Cadastral plan, title plan, topographic plan.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• Law No. 12-90 on urban planning (consolidated version) — General Secretariat of the Government
• Decree No. 2-18-577 of 12 June 2019 approving the general building regulations, and joint orders (required documents, electronic procedures), Official Bulletin No. 6874 of 16 April 2020 — Official Bulletin (copy from the Settat Urban Planning Agency)
• 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)
• Planning information note: documents and procedure (example from an urban planning agency) — El Jadida-Sidi Bennour Urban Planning Agency
• Taamir, national geoportal for urban planning documents — Ministry of National Spatial Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and City Policy
• Digitalisation: “Taamir” is online (9 March 2021) — La Vie éco
• Law No. 64-23 establishing the regional urban planning and housing agencies (Official Bulletin No. 7533 of 10 August 2026) — Le Matin, 2026

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.