France — Open Records Law

Response Timeline

Initial Response

30 days

Residency Required

None

1 month (1 mois) from receipt of the request. For medical records: 8 days if less than 5 years old, 2 months if 5+ years old. If the administration does not respond within the deadline, silence constitutes a tacit (implicit) refusal (silence vaut refus). No formal extension mechanism, but CADA case law recognizes complex requests may require more time.

The right applies to "toute personne" (any person) per Article L311-1 CRPA. Any natural or legal person may request, regardless of citizenship, residency, or nationality. No requirement to state a reason for the request (sans avoir a motiver sa demande).

How to Submit a Request

Accepted Methods

Requests can be submitted by letter, email, or in person. No specific form is required. There is no centralized government portal -- each administration handles its own requests. Larger administrations must designate a PRADA (Personne Responsable de l'Acces aux Documents Administratifs). Ma Dada (https://madada.fr/) is a third-party civic platform for filing and tracking requests. Written submission is strongly recommended to establish dated proof for tacit refusal deadlines.

Required Elements

{'note': 'Identification of the requested document(s), sufficiently precise for the administration to identify them', 'field': 'document_description'}
{'note': 'Preferred mode of access: on-site consultation, postal copy, or electronic copy', 'field': 'preferred_access_mode'}
{'note': "Requester's name and contact details (postal or email address) for the response", 'field': 'identity_contact'}

Optional Elements

{'note': 'Narrow the search to a specific time period', 'field': 'date_range'}
{'note': 'Identify the specific service or direction likely to hold the document', 'field': 'specific_service'}

Fees

On-site consultation and electronic copies are free -- this effectively provides cost-free access for most requests in the digital era. Paper reproduction is capped at EUR 0.18 per page. The administration may not charge for the search, identification, or preparation of documents. Fee amounts are set by Articles R311-11 through R311-13 CRPA.

Fee Waivers

{'name': 'Digital Access', 'waives': ['all_fees'], 'category': 'automatic', 'criteria': ['Request for electronic copy or on-site consultation'], 'how_to_apply': 'Specify electronic access as preferred mode'}
{'name': 'Administration Discretion', 'waives': ['reproduction_fees'], 'category': 'discretionary', 'criteria': ["At the administration's discretion"], 'how_to_apply': 'Request waiver from the administration'}
{'name': 'Legal Aid (Aide Juridictionnelle)', 'waives': ['court_costs', 'attorney_fees'], 'category': 'means_tested', 'criteria': ['Limited financial means', 'Available to French citizens, EU citizens, and foreign nationals legally resident in France'], 'how_to_apply': "Apply through the bureau d'aide juridictionnelle at the tribunal"}

No formal fee waiver mechanism based on financial hardship for document access fees, but on-site consultation and electronic copies are always free, making most access effectively cost-free. Legal aid (aide juridictionnelle) is available for court proceedings if the requester has limited means.

Exemptions

Preparatory Documents

Documents of a preparatory nature are not communicable while the administrative decision they relate to has not been taken. They become communicable once the decision is made.
Government Deliberations

Secrecy of Government deliberations and authorities under executive power (secret des deliberations du Gouvernement)
National Defense Secrecy

National defense secrecy (secret de la defense nationale) -- classified information per Penal Code Article 413-9
Foreign Policy

Conduct of France's foreign policy -- diplomatic correspondence, negotiation documents
State and Public Security

State security, public security, personal security, or security of administrative information systems
Currency and Public Credit

Documents whose disclosure could affect currency and public credit
Court Proceedings

Conduct of proceedings before courts or preliminary operations thereto
Criminal Investigations

Investigation and prevention of offenses of any nature by competent services
Other Legally Protected Secrets

Other secrets protected by law (catch-all), subject to Environmental Code Article L124-4
Privacy, Medical Secrecy, Commercial/Industrial Secrecy

Protection of privacy, medical secrecy, and commercial/industrial secrecy. Relative exemption: opposable to third parties only; the person concerned may access documents about themselves.
Value Judgments on Individuals

Documents containing an assessment or value judgment on a named or easily identifiable natural person. Relative exemption.
Personal Behavior

Documents revealing a person's behavior where disclosure could cause them harm. Relative exemption.

Exemptions are divided into two categories. Article L311-5 lists absolute exemptions (secrets absolus) opposable to all persons -- covering government deliberations, defense, foreign policy, security, currency, court proceedings, criminal investigations, and other statutory secrets. Article L311-6 lists relative exemptions (secrets relatifs) opposable only to third parties -- the person concerned can access documents about themselves. Article L311-7 requires partial access: when a document contains both communicable and non-communicable information, the administration must redact protected portions and communicate the remainder.

Appeal Process

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CADA referral is an absolute mandatory prerequisite before any court action (recours prealable obligatoire). Skipping CADA results in inadmissibility. CADA opinions are non-binding but are followed in the majority of cases. The 2024 annual report shows 11,361 referrals received with ~58% favorable opinions. Administrative court proceedings are free (no filing fee) and attorneys are not required at first instance, making judicial review accessible. Courts can impose astreintes (penalty payments per day) to enforce disclosure orders.

Request Templates

Service-Public.fr -- Access Guide

CADA -- How to Refer

Ma Dada - File a Request

Records Retention

Retention Law

Code du patrimoine — Livre II : Archives

Authority

Service interministériel des Archives de France (Archives nationales)

Code du patrimoine, Articles L211-1 à L222-3 (Loi n° 2008-696 du 15 juillet 2008 relative aux archives)

View retention law →

Retention schedule catalog →

Archives are governed by Book II of the Code du Patrimoine, consolidated from the 1979 archives law and substantially revised in 2008. Retention periods are set by agreement between public bodies and the interministerial archives service.

Code des relations entre le public et l'administration (CRPA)