9 Need-To-Know Road Signs in Morocco

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I recently drove from Marrakech to Merzouga in Morocco. I made sure to do quite a lot of background research into driving in Morocco, so I was pretty confident with the car rental company that I'd picked and I’d protected myself well against anything that could’ve gone wrong including having car rental excess insurance and having a Moroccan SIM. If you are thinking of driving in Morocco, you should read my handy guide to the 27 Essential Tips for Driving in Morocco!

What I missed reading up on was the road signs in Morocco. When it came to driving, I was a bit perplexed by some of the signs, mainly because they are mostly in Arabic and French. A lot of the road sign symbols are similar to most of Europe, but quite different from the United Kingdom (where I come from). So, I’ve put together this list of important road signs in Morocco, so you know when to stop, overtake, and park when driving in Morocco!

This post is a list of important Morocco Road Signs.

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9 Need-to-Know Road Signs in Morocco

These stop signs are everywhere in Morocco; they are mainly found in Arabic. When you see this sign, you need to stop fully and not just slow down. They can be commonly found when you exit petrol stations or are coming from a side road onto a main road. However, they can also be found in some really weird places like the middle of a roundabout.

When I was driving in Morocco, I slowed down at a stop sign that was on a roundabout in Boumalne Dades and there was a police checkpoint immediately afterwards. They waved me down and told me that because I hadn’t come to a complete stop at the stop sign, I’d committed a traffic violation. I very luckily managed to avoid a fine, but they are really strict about this stuff!

Unlike the UK, speed limit signs in Morocco are km/h, not mph. There is an abundance of speed limit signs in Morocco, which is great for keeping you regularly informed of the speed limit.

Just make sure you adhere to the speed limit as the police in Morocco are really strict about this. If they catch you even going 5 km/hr above the speed limit, they will likely fine you.

The typical speed limits for Moroccan towns and cities tend to be around 40 km/h or 50 km/h. For open country roads, it is usually about 80-100 km/h, and for motorways, it is about 100-120 km/h.

Speed Limit Sign in Morocco — **Speed Limit Morocco**

I’m ashamed to admit that when I first saw this sign, I thought it meant it was ok to overtake. Well, it turns out that it’s the complete opposite! This is why it’s important to have a solid understanding of the road signs in Morocco before driving there.

When you see this sign at the side of the road, you aren’t allowed to overtake. So, if you’re stuck behind a slow vehicle, you’ll just need to wait there until you are far past this sign.

When there are no overtaking signs, you can then overtake and there are plenty of opportunities to overtake throughout Morocco. As you get further away from the bigger cities, the roads get straighter, and you can see for miles. My advice would be to not rush overtaking, take your time, and make sure that the other side is clear before overtaking.

We certainly don’t get these signs back home in the UK. This is just a warning sign that since there are camels in the area, they may cross the road so you need to drive cautiously. You’ll hopefully be able to see the animals quite clearly during the day. It’s more dangerous at night as the animals in Morocco don’t have any reflectors, therefore you might not be able to see if there are any animals on the road. I would actually avoid driving at night in Morocco due to these dangers.

Camels aren’t the only animal you’ll see on these warning signs, you’ll also see signs like this for goats. As you go through small Moroccan towns, you’ll also see signs for schoolchildren crossing the road too.

**Warning Camel Crossing Road Sign in Morocco**

Police checkpoints are normal and very common throughout Morocco. They tend to be found on popular roads, particularly in touristy regions of the country. They can pop up when you least expect them, hence why it’s important to always stick to the speed limit. A good indication that a police checkpoint is coming up is if another driver flashes at you or the driver in front slows down considerably. You don’t need to stop at every checkpoint, but slow down to around 20 km/h. If the police want to stop and question you, they will signal for you to pull over.

When you are stopped, they will ask to see documentation like your driving license, passport, and insurance documents. Always have these to hand just in case! If you don’t speak French or Arabic, you might need to have a translator app on your phone to help you communicate with the police officer.

The most common fines seem to be for speeding, not fully stopping at a stop sign, and driving past the police checkpoint when waved down. Also, the fines cost around €40 each time.

If there is somewhere you can’t park in Morocco, you will see this no parking sign. It tends to be have Arabic or French writing near it, which usually indicates why you can't park there.

Even if you see vacant parking spots but there is this sign next to them, it might mean that the spots are reserved for nearby hotels or riads. It will probably say this on the sign.

There are plenty of places to park on the street and in designated car parks in Morocco. Where it is ok to park, you’ll see a blue sign with a capital ‘P’ or parking attendants wearing brightly coloured vests nearby. These parking attendants will help you park and keep your car safe. You will need to pay them for this service and they’ll let you know how much. Always confirm the price beforehand. Make sure you look for a parking attendant before leaving your car. If you are in a smaller Moroccan town or a more remote area, there may not be parking attendants.

Pedestrian Crossing in Morocco

When you see this sign accompanied by a crosswalk, it does mean, in theory, that you should stop and allow pedestrians to cross. In the larger Moroccan cities including Marrakech and Casablanca, hardly any cars stop to allow pedestrians to cross. In Fes, Tangier, Rabat, and Agadir: drivers are better at adhering to this sign.

This danger sign in the Atlas Mountains is luckily in English, but there's no guarantee that it will always be in English so it may be worth knowing the Arabic word for danger. It’s usually accompanied by some sort of traffic sign indicating the danger. In this case, the danger is due to the upcoming bendy roads and possible falling rocks. You’ll see the latter frequently as you are driving through the Atlas Mountains.

During the 2023 earthquake, a lot of the rocks from the surrounding Atlas Mountains fell and damaged roads. Some sections of the roads have had to be redirected due to this damage.

This one is pretty straightforward. Whichever road you see this sign next to, it simply means that you can’t go down that road.

Is it Safe to Drive in Morocco?

I can only talk from my personal experience of driving from Marrakech to Merzouga, but I felt perfectly safe driving in Morocco! I did the full 800 miles of driving and as a young female, I didn’t ever feel like I was in danger.

You just need to be as cautious as you would be back home; adhere to the speed limits, follow the driving rules in Morocco, and only overtake on a long, straight road. The roads are quite chaotic in the larger cities so I would probably avoid them or reduce the amount of driving time you have in the cities. I really would recommend reading my 27 Essential Tips for Driving in Morocco as I discuss a lot of recommendations for how to stay safe when driving through Morocco.

Girl standing next to car rental in Morocco — **Is it Safe to Drive in Morocco?**

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This post is all about Road Signs in Morocco. Thanks for taking the time to read through this blog, it’s much appreciated!

Kirsty x