Title VIII: Criminal records

Articles in this section · 4

Article D571-4

French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force

Updated 5 Nov 2023

In application of the provisions of the penultimate paragraph of article 776, may obtain the issue of bulletin no. 2 of a person's criminal record, where it does not contain any mention of a conviction, and solely for the purposes of recruiting the person, the managers of public or private legal entities managing establishments, services or living and reception facilities and the following reception organisers:

1° The reception facilities mentioned in article L. 227-4 of the Code de l'action sociale et des familles.

2° Establishments or services implementing educational measures ordered by the judicial authority pursuant to l'ordonnance n° 45-174 du 2 février 1945relative à l'enfance délinquante or of articles 375 to 375-8 of the Civil Code or concerning adults under the age of twenty-one or investigation measures prior to educational assistance measures provided for by the Code of Civil Procedure and by the aforementioned Order of 2 February 1945.

3° The living and reception facilities mentioned in articles D. 316-1 et seq. of the Code de l'action sociale et des familles which take in minors mentioned in 2° of I of article D. 316-2 of this same code.

4° The living and reception facilities mentioned in articles D. 316-1 et seq. of the Code de l'action sociale et des familles (Social Action and Family Code) which have been authorised by the State representative, alone or jointly with the President of the General Council, which receive minors mentioned in 1°, 3° and 4° of I of article D. 316-2 of this same code.

5° Special education and teaching establishments or services that provide, on a principal basis, adapted education and social or medico-social support for minors or young adults with disabilities or adjustment difficulties, as provided for by 2° of I of article L. 312-1 of the Code de l'action sociale et des familles.

6° Les centres d'action médico-sociale précoce mentionnés à l'article L. 2132-4 du code de la santé publique.

7° Private school education establishments mentioned in article L. 441-1 du code de l'éducation, the private distance learning organisations mentioned in article L. 444-1 of this same code and the tutoring organisations mentioned in article L. 445-1 of this same code.

Mariela Petrova

Need help applying this article to your situation?

A registered French Lawyer explains what applies to your business — in English, fixed fee.

within 48h

Fixed Fee

Talk to a lawyer
Common Questions

Working with a corporate lawyer in France — Q&A

Any time a strategic decision changes how the company is owned, governed or contractually bound — incorporation, fundraising, M&A, restructuring, shareholder agreements, or major commercial contracts. Earlier engagement always costs less than later remediation.

A notary (notaire) is a public officer who authenticates specific deeds (mainly real-estate transfers and certain family-law acts). A corporate lawyer (avocat) advises on strategy, negotiates and drafts company documents, and represents you in disputes. The two roles complement rather than overlap.

Yes — most of our clients are foreign suppliers, investors or holding entities. We bridge the gap between French law and your home jurisdiction's expectations and deliver everything bilingually.

The SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) is the default choice for most international structures: flexible governance, single shareholder allowed, no minimum capital, and works cleanly with foreign holding entities. We assess SARL, SA, SCI on the merits when the situation calls for it.

Yes — communications with a French avocat are protected by the secret professionnel (Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971). This protection is broader than the common-law attorney-client privilege and applies to written and oral exchanges.

We work on fixed fees for clearly scoped engagements (incorporation, contract drafting, audits) and on monthly retainers for ongoing advisory. Hourly billing is the exception, not the default. You always know the cost before work starts.

Typical timeline is 2–3 weeks from KYC kick-off to RCS registration, assuming standard documentation. Holding-company structures, foreign-shareholder identification or in-kind contributions can extend this — we flag the gating items at the first meeting.

Absolutely. We routinely coordinate with your in-house counsel, expert-comptable or notaire — pragmatic collaboration is the norm, not the exception. We send them everything they need to do their part without duplicating work.

Mariela Petrova

Mariela Petrova

Avocate au Barreau de Paris

Toque #C2396

15+ Years In Corporate Practice

English · French · Russian

Ready When You Are

Talk To A Corporate
Lawyer In France.

A 20–30 minute call, in English, to scope the engagement. No obligation, no preliminary fee. You will leave the call with a clear view of what the work will cover and what it will cost.

First EngagementFixed Fee

Talk to a French lawyer.

Reply within 24 hours.

Communications protected by professional secrecy — secret professionnel de l'avocat, Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971.

Continue Reading

Related corporate services in France

01 / Setup

Setting up a French company

Choose between SAS, SARL, SA or SCI — and structure your first French entity around how you actually plan to operate.

Read More
02 / Operating

French commercial contracts

Distribution, agency, supply, services and IP licences — drafted around the protections French law actually gives.

Read More
03 / Disputes

Business disputes & litigation

Shareholder conflicts, commercial breaches and pre-litigation strategy — handled by the same team that knows the file.

Read More