French Legislation In English

Search, Read and Apply French Law. In English.

20+ full codes, 2,400+ articles translated and updated. Case law linked to every article. Read the actual text before you ask a lawyer about it — free, no login required.

Try: L.227-1 SAS governance, L.145-9 bail commercial renewal, L.223-18 gérant removal SARL

20+

french codes

Fully translated

2,400+

articles in English

Updated regularly

480+

court rulings linked

Per article

Free

full access

No login required

Showing 721730 of 17962 articles for Art. 5 avr. 2011

French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force
Title IV: Citations and meanings

Article 556

If the person to whom the summons is addressed is absent from his or her home, the copy shall be delivered to an allied relative, servant or a person residing at that home.The bailiff shall indicate i…

AI translation · Updated 7 Nov 2023Open Article
French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force
Title IV: Citations and meanings

Article 564

…he end of the original and the copy of the writ, the cost thereof, on pain of a civil fine of 3 to 15 euros; this fine is pronounced by the president of the court hearing the case.

AI translation · Updated 7 Nov 2023Open Article
French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force
Chapter II: Forms of appeal

Article 586

The Registrar, within a maximum period of twenty days from the date of the declaration of appeal, shall mark and initial the documents in the file, to which he shall attach a copy of the contested dec…

AI translation · Updated 7 Nov 2023Open Article
French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force
Title IV: Citations and meanings

Article 559

…s report, which includes the particulars provided for in the second and third paragraphs of Article 551, is equivalent to a summons to appear before the public prosecutor. It allows the person to be t…

AI translation · Updated 7 Nov 2023Open Article
French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force
Chapter IV: Final proceedings before the Police Court

Article 540

If the police court considers that the act constitutes a felony or misdemeanour, it declares itself incompetent. It shall refer the Public Prosecutor's Office to proceed as it sees fit.

AI translation · Updated 7 Nov 2023Open Article
French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force
Title IV: Citations and meanings

Article 566

If a writ is declared null and void through the fault of the bailiff, the bailiff may be ordered to pay the costs of the writ and the annulled proceedings, and possibly damages to the party who has be…

AI translation · Updated 7 Nov 2023Open Article
French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force
Chapter II: Forms of appeal

Article 576

The declaration of appeal must be made to the registrar of the court which handed down the contested decision.It must be signed by the registrar and by the applicant for judicial review himself or by…

AI translation · Updated 7 Nov 2023Open Article
French General Tax CodeIn force
II: Merchants and persons treated as such

Article 534

All persons who separate and refine gold, silver or platinum for the trade, as well as auctioneers, ministerial officers or any other bodies (auction rooms, municipal credit institutions, etc.) carryi…

AI translation · Updated 7 Nov 2023Open Article
French General Tax CodeIn force
Section VI: Importation

Article 549

…sponsibility mark and a title mark under the conditions laid down in the fifth paragraph of article 548 and brought into France by virtue of the exceptions provided for in the last paragraph of the sa…

AI translation · Updated 7 Nov 2023Open Article
French General Tax CodeIn force
Section I: Title of works

Article 521

Manufacturers of gold, silver or platinum articles are subject to the guarantee legislation provided for in this chapter, not only in respect of their own production but also for articles which they h…

AI translation · Updated 7 Nov 2023Open Article
Common Questions

French legislation in English — Q&A

Our translations are produced and reviewed for accuracy, but the only legally binding version of French law is the French original. For court, registry or contractual use we offer lawyer-reviewed or sworn certified translations on request.

Articles are synced with Légifrance and updated as soon as a reform is published in the Journal Officiel, so you always read the version in force — and can see when each article was last amended.

Each article is linked to the key court decisions (Cour de cassation, Conseil d'État, courts of appeal) that interpret it, so you can read the text and its case-law application side by side.

Yes — every article has an AI plain-English summary, and you can order a lawyer-reviewed explanation of how it applies to your specific situation, with next steps.

No. Reading and searching the codes is free with no login. Paid services — certified translation and the legal application report — are entirely optional.

Mariela Petrova

Mariela Petrova

Avocate au Barreau de Paris

Toque #C2396

15+ Years In French Corporate Practice

English · French · Russian

Ready When You Are

Talk To A 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

Related legal services

01 / Read

Browse the French codes

20+ full codes and 2,400+ articles in English, with the key court rulings linked to every article — free to read.

Read More
02 / Apply

Legal application report

A lawyer-reviewed report explaining how the relevant articles apply to your situation, with case-law analysis and next steps.

Read More
03 / Act

Talk to a French lawyer

Scope your matter with a Paris-Bar avocate — incorporation, contracts, disputes — handled bilingually, end to end.

Read More