When a French company signs a contract, places a large order or opens an account with you, someone signs on its behalf. Is that person allowed to? In France, the answer depends on the company's legal form and its bylaws, and the officers are recorded in public registers. This guide explains who represents the main types of French company, where to see who holds those roles, and how to check the person signing.
Rules come from service-public.fr, read on 10 October 2026.
What you'll learn
- Who represents an SAS, an SASU, a SARL and an SA
- Where to see a company's officers, for free
- How changes of officers are published
- What to do when the signatory isn't an officer
- A short record to keep for each contract
Who represents the company
SAS and SASU: the président
According to service-public.fr, every SAS must have a président, who represents the company towards third parties. The partners set the président's powers in the bylaws. The same applies to an SASU, the single-shareholder version. The bylaws can also create other officers, such as a directeur général, with powers they define.
SARL and EURL: the gérant
According to service-public.fr, a SARL is managed by one or more gérants, who must be natural persons. A gérant can act in all circumstances on behalf of the company, within the limits of the law, and the partners set the gérants' powers in the bylaws.
SA: the board and its officers
An SA has a more formal structure, with a board and executive officers. Service-public.fr's page on the SA describes it. In practice, ask who holds the general management and check it in the registers.
Individual entrepreneurs
An individual entrepreneur (including a micro-entrepreneur) is the business: the person signs for themselves. See checking a French freelancer.
For the differences between the forms, see French legal forms explained.
Where to see who the officers are
The national company register (RNE)
Since 1 January 2023, the national company register (RNE) kept by INPI gathers the information of companies with a commercial, craft, agricultural or independent activity, according to INPI. INPI says anyone can consult the public data of the RNE, on its data portal. A company's page there lists its declared officers and their roles.
The Annuaire des Entreprises
The State's free directory also shows the officers declared for a company, with their role. Through the State's search API, each company comes with a list of officers, each with its type (natural or legal person) and role, such as "Administrateur" for Renault on 10 October 2026.
Proof documents
For a contract that matters, a recent Kbis extract or RNE extract shows the officers at the date of the document. See Kbis, Sirene notice and RNE extract.
How changes of officers are published
When officers change, the company files the change, and the BODACC publishes the acts registered in the trade and companies register, including changes, according to service-public.fr. Service-public.fr's page on appointing a company's officer describes the formalities.
So an officer listed in an old extract may no longer be in office. For anything important, look at the current register data, not a document from last year.
When the signatory isn't an officer
Companies often let employees sign: a purchasing manager, a sales director. That's normal, but it relies on a delegation of authority (délégation de pouvoir) from the legal representative. If the person signing isn't listed as an officer:
- Ask for the written delegation.
- Check it covers this kind of contract and amount.
- Check that the person who granted it is the current legal representative.
A job title in an email signature isn't a delegation.
A short record for each contract
| Item | Example of what to keep |
|---|---|
| Company | Legal name, SIREN |
| Legal form | SAS, SARL, SA… |
| Signatory | Name and capacity (président, gérant, holder of a delegation) |
| Checked against | RNE, State directory, Kbis or RNE extract |
| Date of the check | The day you looked |
With these five lines, the question "could this person bind the company?" can be answered in seconds, even years later. For the rest of the pre-signing checks, see how to check a French company before you sign.
Common situations, and what to ask
- "I'm the CEO", but the register lists another président. A title isn't a mandate. Ask for the delegation, or have the président sign.
- A group company signing for a subsidiary. Each company in a group is a separate legal person with its own officers. Check the signatory for the company named in the contract.
- A gérant who just left. Changes take time to appear. If you know of a departure, ask who now represents the company before signing.
- A legal person as président. In an SAS, the président can be a company. The State's API shows the officer's type (natural or legal person); follow the chain to the person who signs for that company.
- A foreign parent signing. The French subsidiary is bound by its own officers, not by its parent's executives, unless they hold a delegation.
Doing it for many counterparties
If you onboard many business customers or suppliers, checking officers by hand for each one is slow. The State's search API returns each company's officers and roles with the rest of its identity; your system can store them with the date of the check and send unclear cases to a person. This blog shows no names of people; the registers do publish them.
Fuentio's API will return, for a SIREN, the officers' names and roles as the register publishes them, with the source, its licence and the check date. It isn't open yet: join the waitlist below to hear the day it opens.
See what we cover in France and Spain.
Limits. The rules come from service-public.fr (SAS, SARL, SA and appointing an officer) and INPI, read on 10 October 2026. The bylaws can limit or extend officers' powers; this guide doesn't replace reading them. Not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Who can sign for an SAS?
Its président, who represents the company towards third parties, and any other officer or employee the bylaws or a delegation authorise.
Who can sign for a SARL?
Its gérant or gérants, who must be natural persons, within the powers set by the bylaws.
Where can I see a French company's officers for free?
In the national company register (RNE) on INPI's data portal, and in the State's Annuaire des Entreprises.
Is a job title enough to sign a contract?
No. If the person isn't an officer, ask for a written delegation of authority.
Sources
- Service-public.fr, the SAS: entreprendre.service-public.gouv.fr
- Service-public.fr, the SARL: entreprendre.service-public.gouv.fr
- Service-public.fr, the SA: entreprendre.service-public.gouv.fr
- Service-public.fr, appointing a company's officer: entreprendre.service-public.gouv.fr
- Service-public.fr, consulting the BODACC (page checked on 2 October 2026): entreprendre.service-public.gouv.fr
- INPI, the national company register (RNE): inpi.fr
- API Recherche d'entreprises (checked on 10 October 2026): recherche-entreprises.api.gouv.fr