Legal publication in Morocco: why publish in the JAL and the Official Bulletin in 2026?
Legal publication (publicité légale) requires every commercial company (SARL, SARL AU, SAS, SA) to publish a notice in a legal announcements newspaper (journal d'annonces légales, JAL) and in the Official Bulletin (Bulletin officiel, BO), both and not one or the other, within the month following its registration (immatriculation), then after each amendment or dissolution. The total cost ranges from a few hundred to about 1,500 MAD depending on the length of the notice. Required by Law 5-96 (Article 96) and Law 17-95 (Articles 30 et seq.), it makes the information about the company enforceable (opposable) against third parties.
The essentials
In shortLegal publication is mandatory for commercial companies (SARL, SARL AU, SAS, SA). It consists of publishing a notice in a legal announcements newspaper and in the Official Bulletin (both, not one or the other), within the month following registration, then after each amendment or dissolution. The total cost ranges from a few hundred to about 1,500 MAD depending on the length of the notice. No posting at the registered office is required.
the information provided in this article is for information purposes only and does not constitute personalized legal advice. We recommend that you consult a qualified legal expert before making any decision. Charikaty provides experts to support you: contact us for free advice.
It is therefore not an optional expense: legal personality arises from registration, and legal publication, for its part, ensures that the information about your company is known and enforceable against your partners, creditors and customers. Here is what you need to publish, when and at what cost, and with Charikaty, you do everything online.
What is legal publication?
Definition and purpose
Legal publication is the obligation to publish a notice summarizing the essential particulars of a company (or of a deed amending it) in a legal announcements newspaper and in the Official Bulletin, in order to inform the public.
It is provided for by Article 96 of Law 5-96 (SARL, SNC, limited partnerships [sociétés en commandite]), by Articles 30 et seq. of Law 17-95 (SA) and, for the SAS, by Law 5-96 as amended and supplemented by Law 19-20. It makes it possible to:
- Make the information about the company enforceable against third parties, in addition to the entry in the Commercial Register in Morocco (Commercial Code [Code de commerce], Law 15-95)
- Inform creditors, customers and partners of the company's existence and organization
- Provide dated proof that the formalities have been completed
Legal nature
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Type of obligation | Legal (Law 5-96, Art. 96; Law 17-95, Art. 30 et seq.) |
| Media | Legal announcements newspaper and Official Bulletin |
| Deadline | Within the month following registration |
| Cost | From a few hundred to about 1,500 MAD (total for both) |
| Frequency | One insertion per deed (incorporation, amendment, dissolution) |
| Validity | Permanent (notice archived) |
Distinction: initial publication and amendments
| Element | Initial publication | Amendments |
|---|---|---|
| Timing | Within the month following registration | After each amending decision |
| Mandatory? | Yes | Yes, for each change entered in the RC |
| Content | Essential particulars of the articles of association (statuts) | Amended element and new wording |
| Cost | Depending on the length of the notice | Depending on the length of the notice |
Should you publish in the JAL or in the Official Bulletin?
The two media are cumulative: a company must publish in a JAL and in the Official Bulletin.
1. Legal announcements newspaper (JAL): the first publication
Status: newspaper authorized to receive legal announcements, daily or weekly, in French or in Arabic
Characteristics: ✅ Speed: generally published within a few days ✅ Rate: calculated per line, depending on the length of the notice ✅ Proof: copy of the newspaper or certificate of publication ✅ Choice: several national newspapers are authorized
Points to watch: ❌ Unauthorized newspaper: the notice does not count as legal publication ❌ Text errors: a typo in the company name or the capital requires a corrective notice ❌ Keeping records: keep the copy, the newspaper does not archive it for you
2. Official Bulletin (BO): the official publication
Status: official journal of the Kingdom, published by the General Secretariat of the Government (Secrétariat général du gouvernement); company notices appear in the legal, judicial and administrative announcements edition (édition des annonces légales, judiciaires et administratives)
Characteristics: ✅ Official force: reference publication at national level ✅ Permanent archiving: official collection available for consultation ✅ Access: editions available on the website of the General Secretariat of the Government
Points to watch: ❌ Publication time: generally longer than for a JAL ❌ Rate: calculated per line according to the Official Printing Office (Imprimerie officielle) scale
3. Other newspapers: to be avoided
A widely circulated newspaper that is not authorized to publish legal announcements does not make it possible to fulfill the obligation. Check that the newspaper is authorized before ordering the insertion.
How do you publish the notice of incorporation?
Step 1: Obtaining the registration document
After registration by the commercial court registry (greffe du tribunal de commerce), you have the Commercial Register extract and your RC number; the extract is issued by the registry that registered the company, for a modest fee, and with Charikaty it is delivered to you online. The notice reproduces this information as well as the essential particulars of the articles of association. The role of this registry is presented in our guide to the commercial court in Morocco.
Step 2: Choosing the legal announcements newspaper
The Official Bulletin is mandatory; you still have to choose an authorized JAL, taking into account the publication time and the rate per line.
💡 Tip: draft a concise and accurate notice. The cost depends on the length, and an error requires the publication of a correction.
Step 3: Drafting and submitting the notice
- To the JAL: the newspaper's legal announcements department
- To the Official Bulletin: Official Printing Office of the Kingdom (Rabat), according to its filing procedures
Step 4: Providing the documents
✅ Text of the notice, drawn up in the name of the legal representative ✅ Commercial Register extract or copy of the articles of association, if the publisher requests it ✅ Purchase order for the insertion ✅ Payment according to the rate per line
Step 5: Publication
- Receipt and review of the notice by the publisher
- Quote and payment
- Insertion in the next available issue
- Publication and delivery of a copy or a certificate
Timeframe: a few days for the JAL, longer for the Official Bulletin; the whole process must be initiated within the month of registration.
Step 6: Keeping the supporting documents
No posting at the registered office is required by law. However, keep the copies of the JAL and of the Official Bulletin in the company's legal file: banks, partners or administrations may ask for them.
What must the legal publication notice contain?
Standard content of the publication
The notice of incorporation reproduces the essential particulars set when drafting the company's articles of association and generally contains:
Section 1: Identification of the company
- Company name (dénomination sociale) and legal form
- Registered office (siège social)
- Duration of the company
- Registration number in the Commercial Register
Section 2: Management and administration
- Identity of the manager(s) (gérants), the chairman or the directors
- Statutory auditor (commissaire aux comptes), where applicable
Section 3: Capital and partners
- Amount of the share capital (capital social) and nature of the contributions
- Distribution of the shares among the partners (associés) (SARL)
Section 4: Activity
- Corporate purpose (objet social) (summary)
Section 5: Administrative particulars
- Commercial court registry where the legal filing was made
- Date and number of the filing
How much does legal publication cost in Morocco?
Rates by medium
| Medium | Cost | Timeframe |
|---|---|---|
| Legal announcements newspaper | Rate per line, depending on the length | A few days |
| Official Bulletin | Official Printing Office rate per line | Longer than the JAL |
| Total for both publications | From a few hundred to about 1,500 MAD | To be initiated within the month of registration |
This item is added to the other public formation fees, summarized in our guide to the cost of setting up a company in Morocco.
Possible additional fees
⚠️ Additional fees:
- Additional copies or certificates of publication
- Commercial Register extracts issued by the registry
- Corrective notice in the event of an error in the notice
Possible exemptions
❌ No exemption for commercial companies: a SARL AU with a symbolic capital publishes just like an SA.
⚠️ Auto-entrepreneurs (self-employed status) (Law 114-13): they do not form a company and are not registered in the Commercial Register; they are therefore not concerned by this notice.
What are the risks without legal publication?
Why publication is essential
1. Enforceability against third parties
The company exists legally from its registration. Without publication: ❌ Third parties may disregard unpublished information ❌ A change of manager or registered office that has not been entered and published is not enforceable against them ❌ The directors, who are responsible for the formalities, incur liability
With publication: ✅ The information about the company is enforceable against everyone ✅ Partners can check who has authority to bind the company ✅ The company has an official record of its incorporation
2. Dated proof
Publication provides official and dated proof of the published information, kept in the archives of the newspaper and of the Official Bulletin.
3. Access to credit and contracts
Banks and partners request the Commercial Register extract and the articles of association, and sometimes proof of publication, particularly after an amendment (change of manager, registered office or capital).
Consequences of failing to publish
❌ Legal risks:
- Unpublished information and amendments are not enforceable
- Late publication: the one-month deadline after registration cannot be postponed, and a delay leaves the company without publication enforceable against third parties
- Liability of the directors for failure to complete formalities
❌ Administrative risks:
- Incomplete banking or administrative files
- Difficulties during subsequent amendments or dissolution
❌ Commercial risks:
- Loss of partners' trust
- Requests for additional guarantees from suppliers
Do you have to publish again in the event of an amendment?
When should you publish again?
You must also publish the following amendments:
| Amendment | Republication? |
|---|---|
| Change of manager or director | ✅ Yes |
| Transfer of the registered office | ✅ Yes |
| Capital increase or reduction | ✅ Yes |
| Change of corporate purpose | ✅ Yes |
| Merger or demerger | ✅ Yes |
| Change of legal form | ✅ Yes |
| Dissolution and close of liquidation | ✅ Yes |
The formalities specific to each operation are detailed in our guides to transferring the registered office to another city and to the transfer of company shares.
Cost per amendment: of the same order as the initial publication, depending on the length of the notice.
Deadline: publication accompanies the amending entry (inscription modificative) in the Commercial Register, which must be applied for within one month of the deed (Article 75 of the Commercial Code).
Republication procedure
- Partners' decision and minutes (procès-verbal)
- Registration of the minutes with the DGI
- Filing with the registry and amending entry in the Commercial Register
- Notice in the JAL and in the Official Bulletin
- Keeping the supporting documents
How does Charikaty handle your legal publication?
To publish your company's notice of incorporation, you need an accurate text, an authorized legal announcements newspaper, the insertion in the Official Bulletin and the safekeeping of the supporting documents. With Charikaty, you do everything online, simply and quickly. A private Moroccan legal-tech platform, Charikaty drafts the notices, submits them to the legal announcements newspaper and to the Official Bulletin, follows their publication and delivers the supporting documents to you, both at formation and at each amendment: the drafting of the deeds, the electronic signature, the filing with the registry and the legal publications are done online. Discover our online SARL formation service. More than 250 companies have already been set up with Charikaty.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
Is legal publication really mandatory?
Yes. Article 96 of Law 5-96 and Articles 30 et seq. of Law 17-95 impose legal publication on commercial companies. Without publication, the information about the company is not enforceable against third parties.
Can you choose between the Official Bulletin and a JAL?
You must publish in both: the notice must appear in an authorized legal announcements newspaper and in the Official Bulletin. A single publication is not enough.
How long after registration must you publish?
Legal publication must take place within the month following registration in the Commercial Register. Launch both insertions as soon as you receive your RC number.
What is the price of a legal notice in the JAL and in the Official Bulletin?
Legal publication costs a total of a few hundred to about 1,500 MAD for both media, depending on the length of the notice. Ask the JAL for a quote and check the Official Bulletin rate.
Do auto-entrepreneurs have to publish a legal notice?
No, the auto-entrepreneur (Law 114-13) does not form a company and is not registered in the Commercial Register. All commercial companies, even a SARL AU with a symbolic capital, must however publish.
Do you have to renew the publication every year?
No, the initial publication is final. Only amendments and dissolution give rise to a new notice; the annual filing of the financial statements (états de synthèse) with the registry is a separate formality, presented in the calendar of companies' annual obligations.
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Need help?
Charikaty supports you with your company's legal publication, both at formation and at each amendment. We draft the notices, submit them to the legal announcements newspaper and to the Official Bulletin, follow their publication and deliver the supporting documents to you, all online.
Last updated: October 2026
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