Registering directly at the Registre du Commerce 

et des Sociétés with the Art. 3 Procedure

The "procédure de l’article 3 decree nº 96-650" of 19 July, 1996 (Art.3 procedure), allows businesses to file their administrative formalities directly with the Greffe du Tribunal de Commerce (Registrar’s office of the Commercial Court) - the organization responsible for verifying and legally validating administrative formalities for sole-traders and companies.

The Greffe is also the special centre for completing company administrative formalities (CFE) for the sociétés civiles and sociétés non commerciales (i.e. non-trading companies).

  This procedure is free of charge: no other charges are required by the Greffe.

To use this procedure, follow these steps:

  Contact the Centre des Formalités des Entreprises (CFE) 

After completing the application form (MO, PO, etc.), send the first page of the form to the CFE appropriate for the company:

- CFE of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Paris (CCIP)
2, rue de Viarmes
75001 Paris
( 01 53 40 48 48

Or

- CFE of the " Chambre des Métiers " (Guild chamber)
72, rue de Reuilly
75012 Paris
( 01 53 33 53 00

Send the first page by registered letter with signed receipt; a cover letter informing the CFE that you are using the "Art. 3" procedure - filing a request directly with the Greffe for registration with the Registre du Commerce et des Sociétés.

The first page of the application form can also be deposited directly with the CFE which will then give you a receipt.

  Proof that the CFE has been contacted is then sent to the Greffe.

 Enclose a copy of the first page of the application form in a registered letter (with signed receipt) and a copy of the cover letter.