France Commercial Register

Business Registers and Official Announcements in France

The French system combines two key functions:

• Registration through the Registre du Commerce et des Sociétés (RCS), ensuring that all companies are formally recorded and verified.
• Publication through the Bulletin officiel des annonces civiles et commerciales (BODACC), which guarantees wide public access to essential company information such as creation, modifications, insolvency proceedings, and financial filings.

➡️ Together, the registers and the BODACC ensure both legal certainty (through validated records) and public transparency (through official announcements).

Business Registers in France – Key Points ⁽¹⁾

• Mandatory registration: All natural and legal persons conducting business in France must be registered in the Registre du Commerce et des Sociétés (RCS), which is divided into four categories (A, B, C, D).
• Local registers are maintained by registrars of commercial courts in mainland France, by mixed commercial courts (tribunaux mixtes de commerce) in the overseas departments and regions, and by registrars of combined courts with commercial jurisdiction (tribunaux judiciaires à compétence commerciale) in Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin (Alsace region), and Moselle.
• The Kbis extract acts as a company’s official “ID card,” providing verified information on its legal form, directors, activities, location, operations, insolvency status, and registration details. It also contains the company’s SIREN number (Système d’Identification du Répertoire des Entreprises), a unique nine-digit identifier assigned to every business entity in France, together with its RCS registration number. This ensures legal certainty in business transactions.
• At national level, the RNCS (registre national du commerce et des sociétés), managed by the INPI (National Institute of Industrial Property), centralises validated data from local registers and makes technical, business, and financial information freely available to the public.
• Through the DATA INPI website, companies can be searched by SIREN number, company name, brand name, director, municipality of the head office, or keywords related to the company’s activity.

Civil and Commercial Announcements

Official Bulletin of Civil and Commercial Announcements (BODACC)

The BODACC publishes information recorded in the French business and companies register, covering the entire life cycle of a company, from establishment to removal. It includes announcements on sales and transfers, insolvency proceedings, and the filing of accounts.

• https://www.bodacc.fr/pages/home

Actulegal

On Actulegal, you can find daily all legal announcements relating to the life of companies, corporations, and business assets, published in the authorized French press since 1 January 2010.

• https://actulegales.fr

Accessing the French Commercial Register

Official Register Portals and Administrative Platforms

Various public and private platforms provide access to information on French businesses listed in official registers. Extracts from the business and companies register, as well as annexed documents, can be obtained for a state-regulated fee, while some platforms also offer partial access free of charge.

Annuaire des Entreprises

This government platform consolidates all official public data of companies and associations, including data from the Kbis/D1 extract.

• https://annuaire-entreprises.data.gouv.fr

Infogreffe

Infogreffe is the official online register portal, serving as both an administrative and information platform. It brings together all commercial and companies registers in France.

• National portal: https://www.infogreffe.fr

• New Caledonia: https://www.infogreffe.nc

Accessing Register for free!

Pappers

Provides free access to financial data and key figures of French companies.

• https://www.pappers.fr

Northdata

Northdata’s free online search provides a large, publicly accessible collection of profit and revenue figures for French companies. Use the search box at the top of the page and select “France” from the menu to look up specific companies or individuals.

• https://www.northdata.com

French Company Directory and Paid Business Data Services

Reliable and up-to-date business information is particularly valuable in direct marketing and sales in France, helping companies identify prospects, customers, and competitors from different perspectives. The following paid business data tools provide detailed insights:

Fichier Société.com

Includes monitoring and prospecting tools (Surveiller & Prospecter).

• https://www.societe.com
• https://fichier.societe.com
• https://fichier.societe.com/pages/fichier-entreprises.html

Vérif

• https://www.verif.com/en
• https://www.verif.com/liste-entreprises

Le Figaro Entreprises

• https://entreprises.lefigaro.fr

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Source and further information:

• (1) https://e-justice.europa.eu/topics/registers-business-insolvency-land/business-registers-eu-countries/fr_en

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