Publication of Acts, Regulations and Circulars

Verified 21 April 2021 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Laws, ordinances, decrees and orders shall be published in the Official Journal of the French Republic. You can consult these texts online on the website  Legifrance. Circulars interpreting the positive duty or describe an administrative procedure shall be published in paper or on the Internet.

Laws, regulations

Laws, ordinances and regulations (decrees, orders) are published in the Official Journal of the French Republic (JORF).

You can consult these texts online on the website Legifrance.

FYI  

as the saying goes, no one is supposed to ignore the law. That means you can't justify an action or a behavior by saying you didn't know it was prohibited or regulated. Publication of regulations in the JORF allows everyone to access it.

Circulars, instructions

Administrations shall publish circulars containing an interpretation of the positive duty or a description of the administrative procedures.

These are the following administrations:

  • State service, local authority, public establishment...
  • Public or private body with a public service mission. For example, Social Security Fund, Pôle emploi, Office HLM.

However, this rule does not apply to:

  • Territorial community of less than 3,500 inhabitants
  • Legal person employing less than 50 persons

Publication shall be partial if particulars are not disclosable in the light of public or private interests.

For example, state security or privacy.

FYI  

an administration may also make public other administrative documents that it produces and receives.

Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement

Department Circular (Headquarters)

The circular must be published in the 4 months following his signature.

It must be published in a official gazette, on paper or on the Internet.

The official gazette shall be published every 3 months.

You can use a circular to have the existence of an act or situation recognized and respected if it is published on the site circulars.legifrance.gouv.fr and on sites listed by decree.

Circular of a devolved State administration

Prefecture, Regional Health Agency (ARS), Departmental Directorate of Population Protection (DDPP)...

Prefecture, Regional Health Agency (ARS), Departmental Directorate of Population Protection (DDPP)...

The circular must be published in the 4 months following his signature.

The circular must be published in the register of administrative acts of the prefecture, on paper or on the Internet.

The compendium of administrative acts shall be published at least every 3 months.

You can use a circular to have the existence of an act or situation recognized and respected if it is published on the site circulars.legifrance.gouv.fr or on sites listed by decree.

Circular from a Minister addressed to his departments and institutions

The circular must be published in the 4 months of his signature.

You can use a circular to have the existence of an act or situation recognized and respected if it is published on the site circulars.legifrance.gouv.fr or on sites listed by decree.

The publication may be made on another site provided that it is mentioned on circulaires.legifrance.gouv.fr.

Circular of a municipality, department, region, territorial collectivity of Corsica

The circular must be published in the 4 months following his signature.

The circular must be published:

  • by insertion in an official gazette (BO) if it appears at least every 3 months,
  • or by transcription within 3 months on a register made available to the public.

Publication may be in paper or on the Internet. For example, the website of a municipality.

Circular of a public institution or other body

Public establishment of intercommunal cooperation (EPCI), Public health establishment, Communal Center for Social Action, Public Housing Office...

Public establishment of intercommunal cooperation (EPCI), Public health establishment, Communal Center for Social Action, Public Housing Office...

The circular must be published in the 4 months following his signature.

The circular must be published:

  • by insertion in an official gazette (BO) if it appears at least every 3 months,
  • or by transcription within 3 months on a register made available to the public.

Publication may be in paper or on the Internet.

For example, the website of a municipality.

Please note

a circular signed before january 2019 shall be considered deleted if it has not been published in the prescribed media before may 2019.