A decision by Morocco’s Ministry of Transport and Logistics has reignited debate over the place of the Amazigh language and its Tifinagh script in official documents. The Tamaynut organization has criticized the absence of Tifinagh from vehicle license plates and registration numbers, calling the measure unconstitutional.
The decision in question, No. 640.26, was issued by the Minister of Transport and Logistics on March 26, 2026, amending and supplementing Decision No. 2711.10 on the registration of motor vehicles and trailers. According to a statement from Tamaynut’s federal bureau released on August 11, 2026, the text added Latin characters alongside Arabic ones in the standard series of registration plates and numbers, without including Tifinagh.
Tamaynut argues that this exclusion raises a constitutional issue, since Amazigh is an official language of the state. The organization says the absence of its script from an administrative document as widely used as a license plate is inconsistent with commitments to formally implement the Amazigh language’s official status and integrate it into public life.
The organization stresses that the principle of constitutional supremacy requires decisions issued by public institutions to align with its provisions. It calls for a shift from what it describes as “constitutionalizing the text” to “constitutionalizing practice,” through the effective implementation of these provisions on the ground.
The statement urges the Minister of Transport and Logistics to intervene urgently to correct what it calls a shortcoming, by including Tifinagh among the characters used on license plates and registration numbers for vehicles and trailers.
The criticism comes amid a series of similar objections raised by Amazigh activists over administrative decisions they view as excluding the Amazigh language. Tamaynut says this reveals a gap between official discourse on recognizing the Amazigh language and the practices of some public institutions.
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