BODACC

Definition

The BODACC, short for Bulletin officiel des annonces civiles et commerciales (Official Bulletin of Civil and Commercial Announcements), is the official publication through which the State makes the legal information of French companies public. It is published by the Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information. It contains registrations, amendments, removals from the register, collective proceedings, sales and transfers of businesses, and the filing of accounts.

The publication operates on a continuous feed basis. The registries of the commercial courts, which maintain the trade and companies register, transmit the entries subject to publication; these are classified by category of announcement and then released by issue number. Each notice sets out the company's identification details, its name, its registered office and the elements describing the published instrument.

The publication produces a specific legal effect: enforceability against third parties. A published instrument is deemed to be known to all, and anyone claiming to be unaware of it cannot rely on that ignorance. The BODACC does not replace the formality carried out at the register; it provides publicity for it, and it is not to be confused with the legal notice, which is inserted in an authorised medium.

What the BODACC publishes

Notices are classified by category, according to the nature of the event declared, and this organization makes it possible to find the relevant publications.

Registrations and amendments

Registration in the trade and companies register gives rise to a notice that makes the existence of the company and its characteristics public. The amendments published concern the elements of its legal status, such as the company name, registered office, corporate purpose, share capital or directors.

Deregistrations, insolvency proceedings and transfers

Deregistration brings the company's legal existence to an end and is the subject of a notice. Insolvency proceedings are published from their opening through to their closure. Sales and transfers of businesses and the filing of accounts also appear in the bulletin, which gives these acts an enforceable date.

Consulting the BODACC and using the information

Two approaches coexist. Reading an issue of publication gives a snapshot of a day's publications, while a search by company reconstructs a history from the identification number. The complete guide to the BODACC covers both of these approaches and details the steps that accompany them.

Searching by company

Starting from the identification number, one can retrieve the notices published for a company, in the order of their publication. This continuous reading shows the stages of its legal life, from registration to striking off, including successive amendments.

What publication changes, what it does not replace

Publicity makes the information enforceable against third parties; a third party can no longer claim to have been unaware of the appointment of a director or a transfer. The bulletin does not constitute proof of the full content of the instruments and does not dispense with the insertions required in a legal notices journal.

Frequently asked questions

Is the BODACC free of charge?

Yes, consultation of the bulletin is open to everyone and free of charge, with no account or subscription required. Notices can be found by publication number or by company.

What is the difference between the BODACC and a legal notice?

A legal notice is an insertion published in an authorised medium, at the company's expense, for specific acts. The BODACC is the official publication that reproduces the information transmitted by the court registries. Both contribute to publicity, without belonging to the same circuit.

What is the purpose of publication in the BODACC for a company?

It makes acts enforceable against third parties and secures the transactions carried out. An unpublished appointment of a director or transfer may be challenged by a third party, whereas publication makes such a challenge difficult.