Visite technique in Morocco: when, where and how much

Which cars need it

Every vehicle that has to be registered is subject to a periodic technical inspection, the Visite technique (contrôle technique), under article 66 of the Code de la route (law 52-05).

An inspection is also required before a car changes owner or is re-registered, and after any modification that could affect its mechanical or technical characteristics.

How often

For a private car, NARSA's rules are:

• First inspection: before the end of the car's 5th year after first registration.
• After that: every year. Each inspection report is valid for one year, and the next inspection must take place before the previous report expires.

Rental cars and taxis follow stricter schedules. You may read elsewhere that private cars go every two years: that is not what NARSA's official schedule says.

Where to go

Inspections are done at an inspection centre authorised for your type of vehicle. You can use any authorised centre, whatever the city where your car is registered. NARSA, the national road-safety agency, licenses and supervises the centres and their inspectors, and publishes the list of centres on a map.

Inspection centres are not allowed to repair or sell cars.

What is checked

The inspection checks, without taking anything apart, that the car matches its carte grise, is roadworthy, has no abnormal defects or wear, has working safety equipment and meets road-safety and anti-pollution rules.

NARSA's official checklist covers: identification, brakes, steering, visibility, lights and signalling, axles, wheels, tyres and suspension, structure and bodywork, equipment, engine and drivetrain, and pollution. Tyre pressure is checked and adjusted at the start. Each defect is marked as either needing a re-inspection or not.

What to bring and what it costs

Bring the car's carte grise. The fee is paid before the inspection.

Fees are regulated. For a normal car (under 3,500 kg), NARSA lists:

• the inspection: 200 DH excluding tax;
• a re-inspection, if needed: 70 DH excluding tax.

A passed inspection also carries a 10 DH NARSA tax, a 20 DH CNEH validation fee, and a local tax based on fiscal horsepower: 30 DH under 8 CV, 50 DH for 8 to 10 CV, 70 DH for 11 to 14 CV and 100 DH for 15 CV and over. [TO VERIFY — the all-in price including VAT, and how NARSA's 50 DH additional tax applies to private cars]

If your car fails

You receive an inspection report (procès-verbal) after every inspection. If it lists a defect that needs a re-inspection, you have one month from the first inspection to get it repaired and re-inspected.

Keep the inspection document in the car: the law requires it whenever the car is driven on public roads. Once your inspection date has passed, the car may only be driven to a garage or to the inspection centre.

Driving without a valid inspection

Missing the Visite technique is a first-class traffic offence, with a fine of 700 to 1,400 DH. It can be settled with a fixed fine of 700 DH, reduced to 400 DH if you pay on the spot or within 24 hours, or 500 DH within 15 days. It also costs 3 points on your licence. [TO VERIFY — check the Bulletin officiel for amendments to law 52-05 after July 2024]

The police must immobilise a car that has no proof of inspection. You then get a receipt allowing 7 days of driving to have the car inspected, and your carte grise is returned only once the inspection is passed.

A pre-check at a garage

Because the centre won't fix anything, a quick check at a garage before the inspection saves a second trip: bulbs and indicators, tyre wear and pressure, wipers and washer fluid, brakes, and any warning light on the dashboard. A re-inspection costs time as well as money.

How GarageLink helps

Log the date of your last inspection and GarageLink reminds you before the next one is due, in time to book a pre-check at a garage nearby. Your request reaches the garage with your car's make, model and mileage, and the work is recorded in your service book.