Speed cameras, gendarmerie and road checks in Morocco: rules and fines
For a foreign driver arriving in Morocco, the visible and regular presence of law enforcement at the roadside can come as a surprise. Between the filter checkpoints at town entrances, the latest fixed speed cameras and mobile patrols, the highway code is enforced seriously. Here is what you need to know to handle it calmly and courteously.
Contents
Police and gendarmerie checkpoints: the slow-down rule
Speed cameras in Morocco: fixed, average-speed and handheld
What if you are fined while driving a rental car?
Police and gendarmerie checkpoints: the slow-down rule
At every entrance to and exit from a built-up area, you will meet a filter checkpoint staffed by the National Police in urban areas, or by the Royal Gendarmerie on national roads.
The rule is absolute: as soon as you see the sign announcing the check, slow right down to a crawl, or even stop. Move off only when the officer on duty clearly waves you through. Failing to slow down is an offence that will be fined. In the vast majority of cases, the officer simply waves you on.
Speed cameras in Morocco: fixed, average-speed and handheld
Morocco is modernising its camera network: the national road safety agency has announced a target of deploying at least 550 new-generation devices across the kingdom, on top of those already in service. They measure instant speed, calculate average speed over a stretch and also detect crossing a solid line and running a red light.
Away from the motorways, gendarmes regularly use handheld speed guns on the approach to villages, or in places where the limit drops abruptly from 100 to 60 km/h. Be especially careful from the first town-entrance signs onwards: that is where the checks are concentrated.
Fixed fines: what to expect
When an officer witnesses an offence directly, Moroccan law provides for immediate payment of a fixed settlement fine, with the mandatory handover of an official receipt torn from a counterfoil book. Always insist on that receipt: it is your proof of payment.
Since the reform of the highway code, the common fixed fines range from 300 to 700 dirhams depending on the seriousness of the offence: minor speeding and obstructive parking sit at the bottom of the scale, then come failing to wear a seatbelt and using a phone at the wheel, and finally running a red light or a stop sign and driving the wrong way down a one-way street. Large speeding offences fall outside that range: more than 50 km/h over the limit brings a fine of 1,400 to 3,000 dirhams along with suspension of the licence.
What if you are fined while driving a rental car?
If you are stopped on the spot, pay the fine to the officer, who hands you the official receipt there and then. You keep your licence and drive on immediately.
If the offence is recorded by an automatic camera without an interception, the notice goes to the owner of the vehicle, meaning the rental agency. The agency will pass you a copy of the notice to charge the fine on, often with an administrative handling fee. Those fees must be set out in your contract: read that clause when you collect the keys, which is the right moment to ask.
Frequently asked questions
Which documents do I have to show at a check?
Your original driving licence, the rental contract handed over by the agency, the registration document or a copy of it, and the vehicle's insurance certificate. These papers are normally in the glovebox: check they are there when you collect the car.
Do police officers and gendarmes speak French?
Yes, the great majority of officers speak fluent French. A greeting, a calm manner and papers in order are all it takes for the check to go smoothly.
What is the rule on drink-driving in Morocco?
Driving under the influence of alcohol is forbidden, with zero tolerance. It is a heavily punished offence. The simple, safe rule is not to drink at all if you are driving.
Further reading
guide and driving rules in Morocco
motorways and tolls in Morocco
Written by the Loccor editorial team, the platform connecting travellers with car rental agencies in Morocco.