Lifts in Morocco: applicable standards, accessibility, fire safety and acceptance

Morocco has no published technical regulation dedicated to lifts at the date of the catalogue: IMANOR has announced draft standards on lift safety and energy performance, but they are not yet in force. The lift standards available, notably the NM EN 81 series for construction, testing, accessibility and fire behaviour, are homologated and become binding through the specification. Two regulations do apply around the lift: Law 10-03 and Decree 2-11-246 on accessibility, which make an accessible lift part of many collective buildings, and the fire decree No. 2-14-499, which governs shafts, landing doors and firefighters' use where required.

Scope

This page deals with electric and hydraulic passenger lifts and goods lifts in apartment buildings, offices and public buildings, platform lifts for people with reduced mobility, and the maintenance contract that follows. The structural shaft and pit are built by the main contractor to the lift supplier's drawings.

The package begins when the lift is chosen at detailed design, since its shaft, pit and machine space affect the structure, and it ends with the commissioning inspection and the signature of a maintenance contract. Power supply to the machine is part of the electrical package.

Regulatory table

Reference, edition, status, the text that makes the rule mandatory and the verified source (standards catalogue 2026-10-25; NM statuses checked against the official list of the Ministry of Industry and Trade).

ReferenceEditionStatusText making it mandatorySourceNote
Loi n° 10-03
Loi relative aux accessibilités		2003mandatoryThe text itself (published in the Official Bulletin)full textAccessibility law: lifts are part of the accessible route in buildings it targets.
Décret n° 2-11-246 du 30/09/2011
Décret d'application de la loi 10-03 relative aux accessibilités		2011mandatoryThe text itself (published in the Official Bulletin)full textImplementing decree of the accessibility law; check its requirements for vertical circulation.
Décret n° 2-14-499 du 15/10/2014
Règlement général de construction fixant les règles de sécurité contre les risques d'incendie et de panique dans les constructions		2014mandatoryThe text itself (published in the Official Bulletin)full textFire decree: enclosure of the lift shaft, landing doors and use by firefighters depending on the building class.
Projets de NM ascenseurs et monte-charges
Réglementation des ascenseurs		2026draft—Industrie / IMANORDraft lift regulation announced by IMANOR; not in force at the date of the catalogue, to be monitored.
NM EN 81-20
Ascenseurs pour le transport de personnes et d'objets — construction et installation		2020approved—IMANORHomologated standard for the construction and installation of passenger and goods lifts; the core reference of the CPS.
NM EN 81-50
Ascenseurs — examens et essais, règles de conception et calculs		2020approved—IMANORHomologated: examinations, tests and design rules for lift components.
NM EN 81-70
Ascenseurs — accessibilité y compris aux personnes handicapées		2020approved—IMANORHomologated: lift accessibility, including for disabled persons; supports the accessibility law.
NM EN 81-58 / NM EN 81-73
Ascenseurs — résistance au feu des portes palières ; comportement en cas d'incendie		2020-2021approved—IMANORHomologated: fire resistance of landing doors and behaviour of lifts in case of fire.
NM 10.8.044
Ascenseurs Dispositif d'appel prioritaire pour les sapeurs pompiers		2020approved—IMANORHomologated: priority call device for firefighters.
NM 10.8.018
Ascenseurs Contrats d'entretien		2021approved—IMANORHomologated: lift maintenance contracts, a useful model for the client.

Materials and documents to request

MaterialStandardsSupporting documentsBasis
Complete lift installationNM EN 81-20, NM EN 81-50Supplier's declaration that the lift is designed and installed to the standards cited in the CPS; shaft drawings and loads supplied to the structural engineer.Specification (CPS) requirement
Landing doors in a fire-protected shaftNM EN 81-58 / NM EN 81-73Test or classification documents for the fire resistance of the doors when the fire regulation requires it.Specification (CPS) requirement
Accessible lift car and controlsNM EN 81-70, Décret n° 2-11-246 du 30/09/2011Car dimensions, controls and signals described in the offer and checked against the accessibility requirements.Legal obligation

Who does what

PartyRole
Client (owner)Chooses the lift type and capacity with the architect, signs the supply contract and then the maintenance contract.
ArchitectIntegrates the shaft, pit, machine space and accessible route into the design and checks fire and accessibility requirements.
Structural engineerDesigns the shaft walls, pit slab and lifting points using the loads provided by the lift supplier.
Lift supplier and installerSupplies and installs the lift to the cited standards, performs commissioning tests and provides the technical file.
Inspection body (when appointed)Inspects the installation before it is put into service and, for buildings subject to it, its fire safety aspects.

Inspection milestones

  1. Detailed design (APD), calculation notes and consultants' drawings approved Specification (CPS) requirement
    Lift type, capacity and shaft dimensions fixed with the supplier's preliminary drawings and accepted with the detailed design.
  2. Building services drawings Specification (CPS) requirement
    Supplier's shaft and pit drawings, loads and power requirements integrated into the structural and electrical drawings.
    Standards to check at this milestone: NM 06.6.071
  3. Equipment installed and tested Specification (CPS) requirement
    Commissioning inspection of the lift: safety devices, levelling, doors, alarm and emergency communication.
    Standards to check at this milestone: NM 06.6.071
  4. Fire safety committee visit and compliance Legal obligation
    Fire safety committee visit where applicable: shaft enclosure, landing doors and firefighters' controls.

Common non-conformities and follow-up

FindingAction
Shaft built narrower or less plumb than the supplier's drawing.Survey of the shaft, adaptation proposal from the supplier or correction of the structure before the rails are fixed.
Pit flooded or not waterproofed.Drainage and waterproofing of the pit before installation continues.
Car controls not usable by a wheelchair user in a building subject to the accessibility law.Modification of the controls to the accessibility requirements before acceptance.
Lift put into service without a maintenance contract.Lift kept out of use by the client until a maintenance contract is signed.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a lift regulation in Morocco?

No dedicated technical regulation had been published at the date of the catalogue. IMANOR has announced draft standards; meanwhile the NM EN 81 series is applied through the specification.

Is a lift mandatory in an apartment building?

The accessibility law and its decree shape this for the buildings they target. Your architect confirms the requirement for your project and the urban planning rules.

Who designs the lift shaft?

The structural engineer, using the supplier's drawings and loads. Choosing the lift early avoids rebuilding a shaft that does not fit.

Why is a maintenance contract important?

A lift is a safety device used every day; regular maintenance by a competent company protects users and the owner. NM 10.8.018 offers a model.

Sources, author and revisions

Written by , architect · under review · updated . Professional reading, separate from the text of the standard: each requirement is classed as a legal obligation, a specification (CPS) requirement or good practice.

Revision log

All standards for this trade (63)

In short: for the "Lift" trade, the library lists 3 Moroccan regulation(s), 0 mandatory Moroccan standard(s), 17 approved NM and 5 foreign reference(s) used as equivalents.

Moroccan regulations (3)

Approved Moroccan standards (NM, voluntary) (17)

European and French standards (EN, NF, DTU) (3)

Other jurisdictions (equivalents) (2)

Cross-cutting texts (all trades) (38)

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