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France (FR)
Overview of French company data coverage, registers, and legal forms
Overview
France maintains the Registre du Commerce et des Sociétés (RCS), managed by the clerks of commercial courts (Greffes des Tribunaux de Commerce). Company data is accessible through INPI (Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle).
Data Sources
Identifiers
French companies are uniquely identified by their 9-digit SIREN number:
| Field | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
siren | 9-digit unique company identifier | 542051180 |
Note: SIRET (14 digits) identifies establishments, while SIREN identifies the company itself.
Legal Forms
Corporations
| Legal Form | Full Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| SAS | Société par actions simplifiée | Simplified joint-stock company (most popular) |
| SASU | SAS unipersonnelle | Single-member SAS |
| SA | Société anonyme | Public limited company |
| SARL | Société à responsabilité limitée | Limited liability company |
| EURL | Entreprise unipersonnelle à responsabilité limitée | Single-member LLC |
Partnerships
| Legal Form | Full Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| SNC | Société en nom collectif | General partnership |
| SCS | Société en commandite simple | Limited partnership |
| SCA | Société en commandite par actions | Partnership limited by shares |
Other
| Legal Form | Full Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| SCI | Société civile immobilière | Real estate company |
| Association | Association loi 1901 | Non-profit association |
| GIE | Groupement d'intérêt économique | Economic interest grouping |
Coverage
- All French departments covered
- DOM-TOM territories included
- All company types registered with RCS
For detailed API integration instructions, see the INPI API guide.
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