Key points
- Status: published in the Official Bulletin No. 7533 of 10 August 2026 (Dahir No. 1-26-63 of 28 July 2026).
- The law creates a regional urban planning and housing agency in each region of the Kingdom, twelve agencies in all.
- It comes into force only when the agency's director general is appointed and its board of directors meets (Article 24).
- As of 29 October 2026, we have found no official announcement of the appointment of the directors general.
- Until then, the existing urban planning agencies, including the one in Fez, remain your point of contact.
From the vote to publication
Bill No. 64-23 was adopted by the House of Representatives and then by the House of Councillors, at the end of June 2026 according to the press. The law was promulgated by Dahir No. 1-26-63 of 28 July 2026 and published in Official Bulletin No. 7533 of 10 August 2026 (general edition in Arabic).
Published does not mean applied. Article 24 provides that the law comes into force as soon as the agency's director general is appointed and its board of directors meets. It is from that date that the 1993 Dahir creating the urban planning agencies, Law No. 19-88 creating the Urban Planning and Safeguarding Agency of Fez and Law No. 20-88 on the Urban Planning Agency of Agadir are repealed.
What each regional agency will do
Each agency is a public institution with legal personality and financial autonomy, under the supervision of the State (Article 1). Its area of jurisdiction corresponds to the territory of the region; its head office is in the prefecture or province that is the regional capital, and branches may be created at the level of prefectures and provinces (Article 2).
Article 3 entrusts it in particular with:
- drawing up draft urban planning documents, monitoring their implementation, evaluating and revising them;
- giving a binding opinion (avis conforme) on the applications for authorisations and permits submitted to it, in accordance with the urban planning documents;
- proposing the appointment of urban planning inspectors;
- contributing to policies on access to housing and the elimination of substandard housing;
- technical assistance to local authorities and prior review of projects before applications for authorisation are filed.
The agency is administered by a board of directors chaired by the Head of Government or the authority he delegates, and managed by a director general (Articles 4 and 5).
What happens to the urban planning agencies?
On entry into force, the regional agency takes the place of the urban planning agencies within its jurisdiction in their rights and obligations, including contracts and decisions whose effects continue (Article 21). Their property, archives and staff are transferred to it (Articles 16, 17 and 22). The head offices of urban planning agencies located in regional capitals become the head offices of the regional agencies; the others become provincial branches (Article 18).
Exception: in the Casablanca-Settat region, the Urban Planning Agency of Casablanca keeps its own regime for its area of jurisdiction (Article 23).
Where do things stand on 29 October 2026?
On 23 August 2026, Le360 reported that the implementing decrees needed to make these agencies fully operational were still awaited. In early July, the same site, relaying the daily Assabah, reported that the minister was preparing to appoint the twelve directors, without a precise timetable.
At the time of writing, we have found no official announcement of the appointment of the directors general, either in the Official Bulletin or in the press consulted. We therefore consider that the law has not yet come into force for the agencies; we will update this article as soon as an appointment is published.
For your file
For now, nothing changes: the application for authorisation is still filed with the municipality, and the urban planning opinion is still given by the urban planning agency of your town or city. The guide Development plan, zoning, Taamir: what you can build explains the current procedures.
Official sources
- Official Bulletin No. 7533 of 10 August 2026 (general edition in Arabic): Dahir No. 1-26-63 of 28 July 2026 promulgating Law No. 64-23 on the creation of regional urban planning and housing agencies — General Secretariat of the Government (Official Bulletin), 10 August 2026
- Regional urban planning agencies: the legal framework officially sealed (article in French) — Le360, 23 August 2026
- Urban planning: overlapping powers delay the reorganisation of the sector (article in French) — Le360 (Assabah press review), 1 July 2026
- Urban planning: the House of Councillors gives the green light to the creation of regional agencies (article in French) — TelQuel, 30 June 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.