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Criminal penalties in Morocco
Checked in October 2026 against the Code pénal, Dahir n° 1-59-413 (consolidated version of 5 July 2018, as hosted by WIPO Lex).
These are statutory ranges for a first offence, from the least to the most the law allows. A court decides the actual sentence in each case. We read the code in its original language and give the offences in plain English, with the legal term where it helps. For anything that matters, rely on the code itself. Not legal advice.
How Morocco sets penalties
- The Penal Code (arts. 16-18) lists the principal penalties for crimes as death, life imprisonment (réclusion perpétuelle), and réclusion for 5 to 30 years. A délit is punished by imprisonment of 1 month to 5 years, and by a fine, unless the law sets other limits.
- The court may find mitigating circumstances and reduce the penalty (arts. 146-147): death falls to life or to 20 to 30 years, life falls to 10 to 30 years, and so on down the scale.
- The text we read is the consolidated version of 5 July 2018, as hosted by WIPO Lex. Morocco has amended its Penal Code and is preparing wider reform, so confirm the current text in the Bulletin officiel or on the Ministry of Justice's site (adala.justice.gov.ma).
- The Code sets fines in dirhams beside many penalties. Those amounts are not shown here, because they have been changed several times.
- Drunk driving is governed by Morocco's separate traffic law, which we have not read. It is left out of this table.
Death penalty: Yes, in the Code. Death is the penalty for assassination, murder accompanied by another crime, arson of an inhabited place, torture of a kidnapped person, and other crimes. Courts still pass death sentences, but Morocco has not carried out an execution since 1993.
Read the Morocco legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
First-degree murder
Death
Meurtre accompanying or following another crime, or committed to prepare or help a crime or délit or to escape (Crime (réclusion))
- Least
- No minimum term set by the statute
- Most
- Death
Assassinat (murder with premeditation or by ambush) (Crime (réclusion))
- Least
- No minimum term set by the statute
- Most
- Death
'Assassinat', murder with premeditation or by ambush (arts. 393-395), is punished by death. The court may reduce it to life or to 20 to 30 years where there are mitigating circumstances (art. 147).
Second-degree murder
Life imprisonment
Meurtre (intentional killing) (Crime (réclusion))
- Least
- No minimum term set by the statute
- Most
- Life imprisonment (réclusion perpétuelle)
Death instead where the killing accompanied, preceded or followed another crime, or was committed to prepare or hide one.
Voluntary manslaughter
3 months to 5 years (killing by negligence) up to 10 to 20 years (blows causing death without intent)
Homicide by negligence (Délit (emprisonnement))
- Least
- 3 months
- Most
- 5 years' imprisonment
Blows or wounds given on purpose, without intent to kill, that cause death (Crime (réclusion))
- Least
- 10 years
- Most
- 20 years' réclusion
The same, with premeditation, ambush or a weapon (Crime (réclusion))
- Least
- No minimum term set by the statute
- Most
- Life imprisonment (réclusion perpétuelle)
Moroccan law has no separate offence for a killing in the heat of passion. The closest offence is blows that cause death without intent to kill, shown with killing by negligence.
Robbery
5 to 10 years (theft with violence) up to life (armed theft)
Theft with one aggravating circumstance (violence or threat, night, a group, break-in, and others) (Crime (réclusion))
- Least
- 5 years
- Most
- 10 years' réclusion
Theft with two or more aggravating circumstances (Crime (réclusion))
- Least
- 10 years
- Most
- 20 years' réclusion
Theft on public roads, in public transport or at stations or ports, with one of the circumstances of article 509 (Crime (réclusion))
- Least
- 20 years
- Most
- 30 years' réclusion
Theft where one of the thieves carries a weapon, visible or hidden (Crime (réclusion))
- Least
- No minimum term set by the statute
- Most
- Life imprisonment (réclusion perpétuelle)
Moroccan law treats robbery as theft with aggravating circumstances such as violence, a weapon or night. The more circumstances, the higher the penalty.
Burglary
5 to 10 years (break-in) up to 10 to 20 years (a dwelling and other circumstances)
Theft by break-in, climbing or false keys, even in a building that is not a home (one circumstance) (Crime (réclusion))
- Least
- 5 years
- Most
- 10 years' réclusion
Theft by break-in, climbing or false keys in a home, together with another of the listed circumstances (Crime (réclusion))
- Least
- 10 years
- Most
- 20 years' réclusion
Morocco has no offence named 'burglary'. Theft by break-in or climbing is an aggravated theft.
Arson
5 to 10 years up to death (an inhabited place, or where someone dies)
Setting fire to one's own property to harm another person (Crime (réclusion))
- Least
- 5 years
- Most
- 10 years' réclusion
Setting fire to another's unoccupied building, vehicle, forest, crops and similar property (Crime (réclusion))
- Least
- 10 years
- Most
- 20 years' réclusion
Setting fire to an occupied building or home, or to a vehicle or train carrying people (Crime (réclusion))
- Least
- No minimum term set by the statute
- Most
- Death
Arson that causes the death of one or more people (Crime (réclusion))
- Least
- No minimum term set by the statute
- Most
- Death
Where the fire causes wounds or permanent infirmity, the penalty is life imprisonment.
Aggravated assault
1 to 3 years up to 10 to 20 years (mutilation, with premeditation or a weapon)
Wounds or blows causing incapacity for work of more than 20 days (Délit (emprisonnement))
- Least
- 1 year
- Most
- 3 years' imprisonment
2 to 5 years with premeditation, ambush or a weapon.
Wounds or blows causing mutilation, loss of a limb, blindness or another permanent infirmity (Crime (réclusion))
- Least
- 5 years
- Most
- 10 years' réclusion
The same, with premeditation, ambush or a weapon (Crime (réclusion))
- Least
- 10 years
- Most
- 20 years' réclusion
Rape and sexual assault
5 to 10 years (rape) up to 20 years, and up to 30 years in the gravest listed cases
Rape (Crime (réclusion))
- Least
- 5 years
- Most
- 10 years' réclusion
Rape of a girl under 18, a woman who cannot consent, a woman with a disability or weak mental faculties, or a pregnant woman (Crime (réclusion))
- Least
- 10 years
- Most
- 20 years' réclusion
Article 486 defines rape as sexual relations by a man with a woman against her will. Articles 487 and 488 raise the penalty where the offender is an ascendant, a person in authority or a guardian, or was helped by others, and in other listed cases, up to 30 years.
Kidnapping
5 to 10 years up to life (hostage, ransom) or death (torture)
Abduction, arrest, detention or confinement of a person without lawful order (Crime (réclusion))
- Least
- 5 years
- Most
- 10 years' réclusion
10 to 20 years if the detention lasted 30 days or more.
Abduction to take a hostage, to prepare a crime or help someone escape, or to obtain a ransom or an order (Crime (réclusion))
- Least
- No minimum term set by the statute
- Most
- Life imprisonment (réclusion perpétuelle)
Abduction where the victim is tortured (Crime (réclusion))
- Least
- No minimum term set by the statute
- Most
- Death
Embezzlement
6 months to 3 years
Abus de confiance (breach of trust) (Délit (emprisonnement))
- Least
- 6 months
- Most
- 3 years' imprisonment
Moroccan law calls it 'abus de confiance', breach of trust: wrongly diverting items handed over to be returned or used in a set way. Where the harm is of little value, the term is 1 month to 2 years.
Forgery
6 months to 3 years (administrative papers) up to life (by an official or notary)
Forging or altering passports, permits, certificates and similar documents issued by public bodies (Délit (emprisonnement))
- Least
- 6 months
- Most
- 3 years' imprisonment
Forgery in private, commercial or bank writings (Délit (emprisonnement))
- Least
- 1 year
- Most
- 5 years' imprisonment
Forgery in a public or authentic writing, by a private person (Crime (réclusion))
- Least
- 10 years
- Most
- 20 years' réclusion
Forgery by a judge, a public official, a notary or an adoul in the exercise of the post (Crime (réclusion))
- Least
- No minimum term set by the statute
- Most
- Life imprisonment (réclusion perpétuelle)
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