Complete BODACC Guide 2026
In brief: BODACC is the Official Bulletin of Civil and Commercial Announcements: the official journal that publishes daily updates on the life of French companies. Creations, filing of accounts, collective proceedings, removals: everything that changes within a company is announced here. It is free, public and available online, and our work at BODACC.io is to bring order to this data, and above all to keep it free and accessible to everyone.
Introduction
The BODACC is the official bulletin that publishes the daily official life of French companies: creations, registrations, filing of accounts, collective proceedings, removals. This complete BODACC 2026 guide tells you everything: where this data comes from, how to consult it free of charge, read a notice step by step and exploit it via the API, with real examples and figures verified day by day.
This guide was designed to meet a concrete need: understanding the BODACC without unnecessary jargon, with real examples and figures verified day by day. Our mission at BODACC.io can be summed up in one sentence: bringing order to public company data, and above all keeping it free and accessible to all. That is exactly what you will discover page after page.
💬 "Public data that sleeps serves no one: our role is to wake it up and make it useful." Nansou, founder of BODACC.io
What is the BODACC?
The BODACC (Official Bulletin of Civil and Commercial Announcements) is an official publication issued by the DILA (Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information), under the authority of the Ministry of Justice. It brings together the legal announcements concerning businesses and traders: registrations, creations, modifications, filing of accounts, collective proceedings, removals from the register, and transfers of business assets.
Many people wonder why this bulletin exists and what it really contains. The answer can be summed up in one sentence: when a company is created, modified, placed in receivership or liquidation, or removed from the commercial register, the event must be made public, and it is the BODACC that ensures this legal publicity. In practical terms, on 12 August 2026, 7,622 announcements were published in the BODACC, a daily pace that makes this bulletin a unique source of information on the French economic landscape. Every day, thousands of events that change the lives of businesses pass through this bulletin: a goldmine for those who know how to read it.
It should not be confused with the Journal officiel (which publishes laws and decrees), nor with the legal announcement journals (JAL) where businesses publish their paid announcements. This guide details these differences further below, because they are the source of much confusion and, sometimes, unpleasant surprises.
Who publishes the BODACC?
The BODACC is published by the DILA (Direction de l'information légale et administrative), a department of the Prime Minister's office. The DILA also publishes the Journal officiel, the Bulletin officiel des annonces légales obligatoires (BALO) and the Bulletin officiel des annonces de marchés publics (BOAMP). In short: it is the administration that centralizes legal publication in France, and the BODACC is one of its most consulted showcases.
The notices found in the BODACC come from the commercial and judicial court registries, which transmit information from the trade and companies register (RCS). This chain is important to understand: the registry records, the DILA publishes. It is this two-step process that guarantees the official and enforceable nature of the information: when a notice appears in the BODACC, it is authoritative, and no one can claim to be unaware of it. This also explains the short delay between the event (for example a judgment) and its publication in the bulletin: the time it takes for the information to travel from the court to publication.
The 4 BODACC Publications: A, B, C, E
The BODACC is organized into four series depending on the type of notice and the audience concerned. This is a very common question, because the letters A, B, C and E appear everywhere without ever being explained:
| Series | Content |
|---|---|
| A | Commercial companies: registrations, amendments, removals, transfers |
| B | Individual traders and craftsmen: registrations, amendments, removals |
| C | Deeds and judgments: collective proceedings (receivership, liquidation, disposal plan), filing of accounts |
| E | Foreign individuals and companies with an establishment in France |
In practice, when you search for a company, you will most often come across series A. When you search for an individual trader, it will be series B. Series C and E concern more specific situations: collective proceedings and foreign establishments. Knowing these four series saves you valuable time in your searches, because you immediately know where to look and what each notice means.
Note of clarification: the exact details of the scope of each series are to be confirmed on the official DILA documentation at the time of final publication.
BODACC is free and public
Yes: BODACC is free. Access to the bulletin is open to everyone, with no account, no subscription, and no payment required. It is public data produced by the French administration and freely reusable. Many entrepreneurs are surprised to discover that this source exists and that it is free: accustomed to paying for business information, they often do not realize that the essentials are freely accessible.
Free access is not a minor detail: it sets France apart from most of its European neighbors (see below). And it paves the way for services like ours: because the data is open, it can be consulted in real time, translated, cross-referenced with other sources, and used to create automatic alerts, for example to be notified when a specific company changes its status. That is the whole difference between data that exists and data that works for you.
An official source, different ways to read it
The BODACC is published by the DILA, and it is the reference. Consultation is free, open to all, and that is already a great deal. But a source, even an official one, does not tell its own story. Between the raw publication and the useful information, there is a step that everyone takes in their own way: reading.
On bodacc.fr, each notice can be viewed exactly as published. This is the raw material, accurate and complete. For checking a specific point, the date of a publication, the existence of a procedure, it is the right place, and it must be said clearly: the official website does its job perfectly.
What BODACC.io offers is a different way of reading the same source. Notices are linked together: a company, its successive events, its directors, its changes of registered office or capital. A business founder can look at what is happening in their sector. A buyer can compare transfer prices for a type of business. A journalist can track a company's evolution over the months, without having to search for each notice one by one.
Let us take a concrete example: the sale of a business asset. The official notice states the activity, the location, the stipulated price. That is already valuable information. But to know whether this price is within the norm for the sector, it must be compared with other recent sales of the same type, in the same region. That is possible, but by hand, it requires considerable work. This is exactly the kind of reading our site makes accessible.
Another example, more everyday: a company changes its director, transfers its registered office, increases its capital. Each event appears in the BODACC. Linked together, they tell a trajectory. For a supplier, a partner, a candidate for a management position, this trajectory is first-hand information.
It is not about pitting the source against its readings. The source remains the source, and we refer to it, we cite it, we depend on it. It is simply about stating what everyone knows: the same data does not have the same value depending on how it is read, compared, and tracked. This is the reading we are building, notice after notice.
BODACC or Journal officiel: What Is the Difference?
This is undoubtedly the most common confusion, and it is understandable: both publications are called "official," both are published by the DILA, and yet they do not publish the same thing at all. The Journal officiel (JO) publishes laws, decrees, appointments, and association announcements. The BODACC publishes the life of companies and merchants.
- Journal officiel → legislative texts, associations, the BALO (listed companies), the BOAMP (public procurement)
- BODACC → legal notices for companies, merchants, and collective proceedings
The simple rule to remember: if you are looking for a company, you go to the BODACC. If you are looking for a law, an association, or a public contract, you go to the Journal officiel and its satellite publications (BALO, BOAMP). Many people waste precious time searching for a company in the wrong place, simply because they confuse the two publications. Now that you know, you will not make that mistake again.
BODACC or legal notices journal (JAL): what is the difference?
Legal notices journals (JAL) are authorized publications (e.g. Les Échos, Le Moniteur, regional newspapers) where companies pay to publish a notice, which is mandatory before a registration or a modification (transfer of registered office, change of manager, capital increase...). Once published in the JAL, the notice is then sent to the court registry, which has it published in the BODACC.
- JAL → the company publishes (paid, voluntary step to fulfill an obligation)
- BODACC → the administration publishes (free, mandatory, legally binding)
The key point to understand: the JAL is a step in the process (the company must publish, so it pays), whereas the BODACC is the final result (the administration publishes, and it is free for the reader). Beware of the trap: some "legal notices" websites charge a high price for a mandatory publication, playing on urgency and the fear of a fine. At the BODACC, consultation is always free: never pay to read a notice.
BODACC, RCS, greffe, INPI : Who Does What?
Many people get lost among all these acronyms: BODACC, RCS, greffe, INPI… They look alike, they complement each other, and yet they do not do the same thing. Here is the chain to remember:
- RCS (registre du commerce et des sociétés): the official register of companies, kept by the commercial court registries. It is the official memory of each company: its incorporation, its capital, its directors, its registered office.
- Greffe: the authority that keeps the RCS and transmits the announcements to the BODACC. It is the intermediary between the court and the publication.
- INPI: the Institut national de la propriété industrielle, which manages the national register of companies (RNE) and trademarks/patents. In recent years, it has also centralized RCS data at the national level.
- BODACC: the bulletin that makes public what happens at the RCS. It is the showcase, the visible part of the iceberg.
In summary: the RCS is the source, the greffe keeps it, the INPI centralizes it, and the BODACC publishes it. If you want to verify the existence of a company and its recent status, the BODACC is the simplest and fastest place: free, online, up to date. That is why it forms the foundation of BODACC.io.
Four real notices, broken down
The best way to understand the BODACC is to read real notices. Here are four, taken from the August 12, 2026 edition, which offer a striking glimpse of what the bulletin reports on a daily basis.
The commercial bridge between China and Angola. First intriguing notice: a commercial intermediary based in Chelles, specializing in sourcing, negotiation and purchasing of goods from Chinese suppliers, on behalf of clients based in Angola and Africa. A commission activity without taking possession of the goods. Behind this registration notice of an individual trader lies a real entrepreneurial story: SAPALO ESTEVES RAFAEL. The BODACC does not tell the strategy, but it certifies the existence and the precise purpose of the activity: that is already a great deal for anyone wanting to check a partner.
The video game and artificial intelligence studio in Lyon. Second notice: a Lyon-based company whose purpose is the development, publishing and release of mobile video games, as well as technology services for marketing and digital advertising with AI. A decidedly modern activity, published in the bulletin like any other: Leyo Technology Investment. It is this democracy of the bulletin that fascinates me: the micro-business of the bike courier and the tech SAS appear in the same publication, without hierarchy.
The baby spa and belly painting. Third notice, more surprising: a beauty care activity in Saint-Germer-de-Fly, with nail prosthetics, eyelash extensions, tattooing, baby spa (wrap baths) and belly painting (body makeup), plus customization of shoes and various objects. Behind this colorful catalog: HELIE MARION. This kind of notice reminds us that the BODACC reflects the real economy, including in its most creative forms.
The café-restaurant-caterer changing hands for €50,000. Fourth notice: a café-restaurant-caterer in Saint-Philbert-de-Bouaine, transferred by MANABLE ERIC to a new owner, at the stated price of €50,000. A few lines are enough to say the essentials: the establishment, the activity, the price. For a potential buyer, for a supplier, for a curious neighbor, this notice is valuable and free information.
These four notices have one thing in common: they tell the story of French economic life better than any report ever will. And on BODACC.io, each one is linked to its company record, like that of this real bakery: BOULANGERIE SAINT MARTIN. Click, look: you will see what a notice can build when it is linked to other public data.
A recent history: from paper to open data
BODACC has not always been a website. It is a story that often surprises: an institution so "administrative" actually has a modern history, that of public data opening up. A look back in 4 acts:
- The creation (1980s): BODACC was created to centralize the legal advertising of companies, previously scattered among authorized newspapers and court registries. It was a small administrative revolution: for the first time, the life of companies was published in a single, official bulletin.
- The paper era: the bulletin was published in printed form; the historical archives (some dating back to the 1950s and 1960s) are now consultable via Gallica (BnF). This era seems distant, but it shaped the culture of publication: everything is preserved, everything is traceable.
- The digital shift and open data: publication moved online, then the data was opened, with open data publication on data.gouv.fr and an official API made available by DILA. The law for a Digital Republic (2016) established the default opening of public data: this is the moment when BODACC became reusable raw material.
- Real time: today, announcements are available as soon as they are published, and third-party services (like BODACC.io) make them consultable, translated, and alertable in real time. This is the logical outcome: the data is free, all that remained was to make it circulate quickly and well.
This evolution tells a broader story: French public data, long locked away in paper publications, has become raw material reusable by all. And this movement is not over: every year, access improves, and the whole of society benefits.
France vs. Europe: The State of Open Data
Comparing ourselves with our neighbors is enlightening, and rather flattering for France on this specific point. The first question European professionals always ask is: "does this type of data exist in our country, and at what price?" The answer varies greatly from one country to another:
| Country | Equivalent register | Access |
|---|---|---|
| 🇫🇷 France | BODACC | Free, open data, official API |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Companies House | Free, open data, API, the global benchmark |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | Handelsregister | Historically paid, electronic access currently being opened up |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | Registro Mercantil | Paid (extracts) |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | Registro Imprese | Paid (extracts) |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | KvK | Paid (extracts) |
| 🇪🇺 EU | BRIS (register interconnection) | Limited interconnection between national registers |
The French paradox: the BODACC is one of the most open registers in Europe, free and reusable, while the RCS itself remains partially paid on the court clerks' side (registration extracts). In other words: France opens the door to announcements, but still keeps locks on the register itself. This is exactly the gap BODACC.io exploits: the most useful official data (the announcements) is free, it just needs to be brought to life. By comparison, Companies House enabled the United Kingdom to make a major leap forward in innovation and transparency: the potential to be seized in France is of the same order.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Certain mistakes recur regularly among entrepreneurs, investors, and journalists. Here are five of them, along with the best practice to follow:
- Confusing BODACC with the Official Journal: the JO publishes laws and associations, while the BODACC publishes companies. If you are looking for a company, go to the BODACC, and you will save precious time.
- Paying to consult the BODACC: consultation is free. If a website charges you for a simple consultation, be wary: it is either an intermediary or a scam.
- Looking for a company in the wrong place: a registration or deregistration is found in the BODACC, not in the associations directory. The rule: company = BODACC, association = JO.
- Believing the BODACC contains everything: it publishes RCS events, not accounts filed with the commercial court registry, nor trademarks, nor tax data. You must cross-reference sources to get a complete picture.
- Ignoring the delays: there is a delay between publication in the legal notices journal and appearance in the BODACC (generally a few days). A "same-day" announcement may reflect an earlier event: always check the date of the event, not just the date of publication.
Limits and Alternatives
BODACC is an official and reliable source, but it has its limits, and it is best to know them before using it:
- No annual accounts: accounts filed with the commercial court registry are not in BODACC (they can be consulted at the registry or via the RNE/INPI).
- No associations: association notices are published in the Journal officiel, not in BODACC.
- No public procurement: contract notices are in BOAMP.
- Paper history: older notices (before digitization) require a visit to the archives (Gallica).
Alternatives depending on the need: the Journal officiel (associations, legislative texts), the BOAMP (public contracts), the BALO (listed companies), the RNE/INPI (national business register) and the commercial court registries (annual accounts, extracts). Our position is simple: we do not replace these sources, we complement them. BODACC is our core business; for everything else, we point you to the right door.
Taking Action
You now know what the BODACC is, who publishes it, what it contains, and why it is so valuable. Time to put it into practice: the best way to understand data is to see it for real.
- View today's announcements: the 7,622 announcements published today, free and in real time
- Search for a company: by SIREN, name or city, with its full record
- Create a free SIREN alert: get notified automatically when a company changes status (filing of accounts, liquidation, receivership…)
And if a question remains unanswered, write to us: we reply to every message.