The adoul profession: Law No. 51-26 comes into force

Publication and date of application

Law No. 51-26 on the organisation of the adoul profession (القانون رقم 51.26 المتعلق بتنظيم مهنة العدول) was promulgated by Dahir No. 1-26-58 of 28 July 2026 and published in Official Bulletin No. 7533 of 10 August 2026. According to Médias24, Parliament gave its final approval in early July 2026.

Its Article 199 provides that it comes into force ninety days after its publication in the Official Bulletin. The press (Le360, Belpresse) puts this date at 9 November 2026. On 22 October 2026, the Supreme Council of the Judiciary sent a circular to judicial officials to prepare the judges responsible for tawthiq for the application of the text.

From that date, the law repeals Law No. 16-03 on the adoul profession (2006) and Law No. 49-00 on the nassakh profession (2001), with certain provisions of the former law remaining applicable until the planned regulatory texts are published.

Approval by the judge is maintained

As under the former regime, the deed drawn up by the two adouls is not authentic until it has been approved by the judge responsible for tawthiq (القاضي المكلف بالتوثيق). Article 78 is explicit: the document acquires official status only after this approval.

What changes is the form and the time limit. The adouls present the original and the copies on paper or in electronic form (Article 76). The judge approves manually or electronically, after checking, within a maximum of three days (Article 77). If he refuses, he must state the reasons on the deed, and the adouls may challenge this refusal before the president of the court of first instance.

Electronic signature, registers and registration

• Signature: endorsements and signatures are handwritten in indelible ink, or affixed by qualified electronic signature (Article 62).
• Registers: the adel (a single adoul) keeps his register of deeds and his accounts register on paper or electronically (Article 30), and must work according to the electronic procedures provided for by the texts (Article 29).
• Registration: the adel files the copies of the deeds with the registration office, directly or electronically, pays the duties within the legal time limit and completes the formalities for entry in the land registers (Article 63), unless the parties waive this.
• Retention: the judge keeps an approved copy; the copies are gathered in a digital and paper register kept at the court registry (Article 79). The adel keeps the original and retains the supporting documents for ten years (Article 80).

What this changes for an owner

A deed received before 9 November does not lose its value merely because of the reform: according to Belpresse, the circular of 22 October 2026 deals precisely with the continuity of earlier deeds. For a deed in progress, ask your adel under which regime it will be approved and when it can be filed with the land registry.

The reform does not change who does what: the adel or the notary draws up the deed, the land registrar enters it, and the surveying engineer prepares the plans and the boundary marking. For a melkia or a partition, see the guides Buying land: melkia, registration application or land title? and Inheriting land and dividing it.

Official sources

• Official Bulletin No. 7533 of 10 August 2026 (general edition in Arabic): Dahir No. 1-26-58 of 28 July 2026 promulgating Law No. 51-26 on the organisation of the adoul profession, Articles 29, 30, 62, 63, 76 to 80, 199 and 203 — General Secretariat of the Government (Official Bulletin), 10 August 2026
• The law on the adoul profession comes into force in three months (article in French) — Le360, 17 August 2026
• Morocco: new rules for adoul deeds from 9 November (article in French) — Belpresse, 29 October 2026
• Final adoption of the bill on the adoul profession (article in French) — Médias24, 8 July 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.