What is the role of OMPIC in company formation in Morocco in 2026?
OMPIC (Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property, Office Marocain de la Propriété Industrielle et Commerciale) is the public institution that, when a company is set up in Morocco, issues the negative certificate (certificat négatif) reserving your company name (dénomination) (232.76 MAD online, valid for 90 days), keeps the central commercial register and registers your trademarks. It validates neither the articles of association nor the file: registration is the responsibility of the commercial court registry (greffe du tribunal de commerce), the IF and the ICE are assigned by the DGI, and affiliation is done with the CNSS. Here is what OMPIC does at each stage. With Charikaty, you complete all these formalities online.
The essentials
In shortOMPIC keeps the central commercial register (registre central du commerce) and the industrial property registers. It issues the negative certificate certifying the availability of your name (232.76 MAD online, valid for 90 days), registers trademarks (protection for 10 years, renewable), patents and industrial designs, and makes public databases available. Registration (immatriculation) in the Commercial Register (Registre du Commerce, RC) is the responsibility of the commercial court registry, not OMPIC.
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 your first point of contact when setting up your company: understanding its exact role, and what on the contrary falls under the other administrations, helps you avoid the mistakes that delay poorly informed entrepreneurs.
What is OMPIC?
Status and legal framework
OMPIC (Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property) is a public institution with legal personality and financial autonomy, created by Law 13-99 (2000). It was born from the merger of the former industrial property office and the central commercial register, and it is placed under the supervision of the ministry in charge of industry and trade.
OMPIC is the Moroccan equivalent of a national patent and trademark office. It works within the framework of the conventions administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO, Organisation Mondiale de la Propriété Intellectuelle, OMPI) to which Morocco is a party, in particular:
- The Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property
- The Madrid Protocol concerning the international registration of marks
- The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
What does OMPIC do when a company is set up?
For a founder, OMPIC is involved on three points, the name (negative certificate), the central commercial register and the trademark, and provides basic information.
1. Verification and issue of the negative certificate
The pivotal step of any company formation in Morocco, the negative certificate certifies that the proposed company name (up to three proposals in order of preference) is not already entered in the central commercial register, is not likely to be confused with an existing company name and contains no prohibited terms; it costs 232.76 MAD online, is generally issued within 24 to 48 hours and remains valid for 90 days. Without it, the commercial court registry cannot register your company (Article 74 of the Commercial Code [Code de commerce]): it is a mandatory blocking document, and the company name must be entered in the Commercial Register within 90 days. The documents, the procedure and expiry are detailed in our guide to the negative certificate in Morocco.
2. Keeping the central commercial register
OMPIC centralizes the entries of all the local commercial registers kept by the registries of the commercial courts (Law 15-95) and thus has a national database of company names, trade names (noms commerciaux) and business signs (enseignes). This database can be consulted free of charge to check whether an identical or similar company name exists and the legal information published about a company; registered trademarks appear in a separate database. How the register works (RC number, extract, amending entries, deregistration) is presented in our guide to the Commercial Register in Morocco.
💡 Practical tip: Before applying for a negative certificate, consult the OMPIC databases free of charge at www.ompic.ma for a preselection; the method is explained in checking the availability of a company name.
3. Trademark registration
OMPIC registers at national level word marks (names, slogans), figurative marks (logos, designs) and combined marks (text and image), under Law 17-97, for protection of 10 years, renewable indefinitely; third parties may file an opposition within 2 months following the publication of an application. Unlike the negative certificate, which concerns the name to be entered in the Commercial Register, a trademark protects a sign for classes of goods and services: the prior rights search, the classes, the cost and the procedure are detailed in our guide to filing a trademark in Morocco.
4. Information and guidance
OMPIC does not provide personalized legal advice, but it makes basic information available:
- Compliance criteria for company names and prohibited terms
- Application procedures and required documents
- Online guides and forms, customer relations center
For detailed legal advice, consult a lawyer, a chartered accountant (expert-comptable) or the Charikaty legal team.
Which legal texts underpin the role of OMPIC?
Reference texts
Moroccan laws:
- Law 13-99 establishing OMPIC: missions and organization
- Law 15-95 enacting the Commercial Code: central commercial register (Articles 27 to 78) and negative certificate (Article 74)
- Law 17-97 on the protection of industrial property, amended by Laws 31-05 and 23-13: trademarks, patents, industrial designs
- Law 5-96 (SARL), Law 5-96 as amended and supplemented by Law 19-20 (SAS) and Law 17-95 amended by Law 19-20 (SA): company names (dénomination sociale)
International conventions:
- Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property
- Madrid Protocol concerning the international registration of marks
- PCT for international patent applications
Acceptance or rejection criteria applied by OMPIC
OMPIC refuses a negative certificate if the proposed name:
| Criterion | Example of rejection |
|---|---|
| Identical | "Maroc Tech SARL" if "Maroc Tech SARL" already exists |
| Confusing similarity | "Maroc Tek SARL" (confusion with "Maroc Tech") |
| Regulated terms | "Banque Maroc SARL" without a banking license |
| Public authority | "Ministère du Secteur" or "Douanes Maroc" |
| Contrary to public order | Offensive or discriminatory names |
| Misleading | Name that is misleading about the actual activity |
✅ Issues the certificate if the name is:
- Unique and distinctive
- Compliant with the regulations
- Unambiguous about the actual activity
- Respectful of public order
What other services does OMPIC offer businesses?
Beyond the name and the trademark, OMPIC registers patents as well as industrial designs; copyright, for its part, falls under another body.
Patent registration
OMPIC receives and examines applications for invention patents (Law 17-97):
Functions:
- Formal examination and preparation of a search report
- Grant and publication of patents, protected for 20 years subject to payment of the annual fees
- Receipt of international applications via the PCT
Infringement litigation falls under the courts, not OMPIC.
How are OMPIC and the Commercial Register linked?
Flow of information
1. Negative certificate issued by OMPIC
↓
2. Registration file (negative certificate + articles of association + documents) filed at the commercial court registry
↓
3. The registry registers the company in the local commercial register
↓
4. Publication of the notice of incorporation in a legal announcements newspaper and in the Official Bulletin
↓
5. Transmission of the entry to the central commercial register kept by OMPIC
Division of roles
| Authority | Role |
|---|---|
| OMPIC | Negative certificate, central commercial register, trademarks and patents |
| Commercial court registry | Registration in the Commercial Register, amending entries, filing of deeds |
| DGI | Tax identification number (identifiant fiscal, IF), ICE, business tax (taxe professionnelle) |
| CNSS | Affiliation of the employer and employees |
Your company may therefore appear in the registry's local register before its entry appears in OMPIC's central register database; this centralization delay varies. The role of each party involved is detailed in the administrations involved in registering a business in Morocco.
How do you access OMPIC services and at what price?
Contact channels
Online:
- Official website: www.ompic.ma
- Online services for the negative certificate and trademark filing
- Databases that can be consulted free of charge
In person:
| Location | Services |
|---|---|
| Casablanca (head office, Sidi Maârouf) | All services |
| Regional branches | Receipt of applications for negative certificates and industrial property titles, depending on the branch |
By telephone:
- OMPIC customer relations center (office hours)
Service pricing
| Service | Cost |
|---|---|
| Negative certificate | 232.76 MAD online |
| Trademark registration | About 1,200 to 1,800 MAD excl. VAT for one class depending on the applicant, plus 240 to 360 MAD excl. VAT per additional class |
| Patent | According to the OMPIC fee schedule (filing, search report and publication fees, then annual fees) |
| Database consultation | Free online |
Why prepare your OMPIC formalities carefully?
✅ Time saving: Free check before the formal application
✅ Risk reduction: Avoids costly rejections later on
✅ Credibility: Official certificate recognized by the registry and the bank
✅ Legal protection: Basis for the reservation of your name, then of your trademarks
✅ Future access: Reusable online account for later needs (trademark, patent, renewal)
What mistakes should you avoid with OMPIC?
❌ Not consulting the database before applying: Increases the risk of rejection
❌ Submitting incomplete documents: Lengthens processing times
❌ Confusing company name and trademark: The two require different procedures (negative certificate then registration on the one hand, trademark filing on the other)
❌ Ignoring the validity limit (90 days): The certificate expires if you delay registration
❌ Expecting OMPIC to validate your complete file: OMPIC only validates the name, not the articles of association (statuts); it is the registry that registers the company
❌ Believing that the negative certificate covers every spelling of the name: it covers the company name as you submitted it; if you also use an Arabic version, make sure the two spellings are consistent on your documents, and to protect a sign in several scripts, trademark filing is the appropriate tool
How does Charikaty simplify your OMPIC formalities?
Here is what you need from OMPIC to set up your company: a negative certificate for your company name, then, if you wish, a trademark filing. With Charikaty, you do everything online, without travelling. We obtain your negative certificate in about 24 hours, draft your articles of association as soon as it is received and file your application with the commercial court registry, as permitted by Law No. 88-17, as part of our SARL formation service; we can also file your trademark with OMPIC.
More than 250 companies have already been set up with Charikaty.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
Does OMPIC approve my entire registration file?
No, OMPIC only checks the company name and issues the negative certificate. It is the commercial court registry that examines the complete file and registers the company.
Can I set up a company without going through OMPIC?
No, the OMPIC negative certificate is mandatory for every company (Article 74 of the Commercial Code). Without it, the registry will refuse registration.
How long before my company is visible in the OMPIC database after registration?
A company appears in the OMPIC database after the registry has transmitted its entry to the central commercial register. The delay varies, from a few days to a few weeks; the Commercial Register extract is authoritative in the meantime.
Do I need to renew my negative certificate after registration?
No. The negative certificate no longer serves any purpose once the company is registered: the name is then definitively entered in the Commercial Register.
Does OMPIC intervene in disputes between companies with similar names?
Not directly. OMPIC examines oppositions to trademark filings and can provide documents in the event of litigation, but it is for the court to decide.
Does OMPIC guarantee that my name is protected internationally?
No, the OMPIC negative certificate only protects in Morocco. For international protection, file your trademark via the Madrid Protocol, administered by WIPO, or directly in the target countries.
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Need help?
Charikaty guides you through all your formalities with OMPIC and through the entire formation process. As permitted by Law No. 88-17, we obtain your negative certificate, have your articles of association signed electronically, file your registration application at the commercial court registry and, if you wish, file your trademark with OMPIC, all online.
Last updated: October 2026
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