France’s digital accessibility laws
Understand the benefits and risks associated with compliance requirements in France and determine the right approach for your organization.
What are France’s digital accessibility laws and standards?
France established Law No. 2005-102 in 2005, which mandated digital accessibility compliance for public bodies and large private-sector organisations, supported by a nationally maintained technical standard: the Référentiel Général d’Amélioration de l’Accessibilité (RGAA). France transposed the EAA through a multi-layered set of instruments enacted in 2023.
For most private-sector businesses in Tier 2, the EAA transposition creates real but manageable obligations: accessibility information must be available to consumers in written and oral form, technical documentation must be retained for five years, non-compliance must be self-reported immediately, and fines of up to €7,500 per infraction apply.
For public bodies and large private companies (≥€250M turnover) in Tier 3, the compliance burden is substantially greater: formal Déclarations d’accessibilité with numeric RGAA audit scores, 3-year strategic plans, annual action plans, mandatory updates, and potential fines of €75,000 (renewable every six months) sit on top of EAA-specific obligations.
Disability and digital accessibility in France
As your organization develops its digital compliance strategies, here are some key statistics to be aware of:
Why digital accessibility is right for your organization
The benefits of offering accessible products and services are wide-ranging and include:
Legal compliance
Proactively addressing digital accessibility minimizes legal risk. Non-compliance can lead to lawsuits, fines, and other negative consequences.
Expanded reach
More than 12 million people in France have a disability. Accessibility enables you to reach this vast market and ensure they can access your products and services.
Brand leadership
Making your digital platforms accessible demonstrates your commitment to equality, strengthens your brand’s reputation, builds trust, and fosters customer loyalty.
Global alignment
Countries around the world are prioritizing regulations that support digital equality. Being proactive signals that your organization is a global leader and innovator.
France and the European Accessibility Act (EAA)
France’s transposition of the European Accessibility Act (EAA) has been effective since June 28, 2025. This federal law establishes binding accessibility requirements for digital products and services, enforced by a centralized market surveillance authority with penalties reaching €80,000 for non-compliance.
EAA enforcement: Key details
| Element | Details |
|---|---|
| National regulation(s) | Law No. 2023-171; Ordonnance No. 2023-859; Decree No. 2023-931; Order of 9 Oct 2023. Law No. 2005-102 continues in parallel for public sector and companies ≥€250M turnover. |
| Surveillance authority | DGCCRF (default for most consumer products and services); ARCOM (audiovisual, public sector, large companies under Law 2005-102); ARCEP (electronic communications); ACPR (banking/insurance); AMF (financial markets); DINUM (public sector digital – RGAA). |
| Maximum fines | EAA-specific: €7,500 per infraction for legal entities (€15,000 on recidivism). Law 2005-102: €50,000 for non-compliance; €25,000 for missing accessibility statement or multi-year plan. Law 2005-102 fines renewable every six months. |
| Accessibility statement requirements | EAA regime: accessibility information required in product documentation, service T&Cs, or website – no standalone statement mandated. Law 2005-102 regime: formal Déclaration d’accessibilité required with specific RGAA 4.1.2 audit results, numeric compliance score, multi-year plan, and annual action plan. |
| Consumer complaint mechanism | Staged process: (1) direct contact with business; (2) complaint to relevant authority (DGCCRF, ARCOM, or sector regulator); (3) escalation to Défenseur des droits; (4) civil litigation. No statutory response deadline on initial complaints. |
| Business reporting requirements | No periodic compliance reporting. Retain technical documentation and EU Conformity Declaration for 5 years. Reactive reporting required on discovery of non-compliance. Law 2005-102 entities must publish accessibility statements, multi-year plans, and annual action plans continuously. |
Penalties
France’s EAA transposition has a dual legal structure: one track for most private-sector businesses under the EAA transposition instruments, and a more demanding parallel track for public bodies and large companies.
France applies a dual penalty structure reflecting these regimes, with the level of financial exposure depending on which regime applies. The fine structure encompasses three violation types.
Scope of products and services
France’s transposition sets out how requirements apply to different products and services.
Products
- Consumer general-purpose computer hardware systems and their operating systems
- Self-service terminals
- Consumer terminal equipment used to access electronic communication services
- Equipment used to access audiovisual media services
- E-book readers
Services
- E-commerce services
- Electronic communications services
- Services providing access to audiovisual media services
- Certain passenger transport services
- Consumer banking services
- E-books and specialised software
Start building your global compliance strategy today—for France, and everywhere your organization operates.
Enforcement
France has adopted a sector-specific multi-authority model, distributing EAA oversight across specialised regulatory bodies rather than concentrating enforcement in a single agency.
Each supervisory authority exercises graduated enforcement powers within its jurisdiction. Where non-compliance is identified, authorities may: require corrective measures within specified deadlines; order product withdrawal or banning from the market; require cessation of non-compliant service provision; and impose administrative fines
Enforcement powers
Examples include:
- Require corrective measures within specified deadlines
- Order product withdrawal or banning from the market
- Require cessation of non-compliant service provision
- Impose administrative fines
Enforcement measures
Actions may include:
- Deploy AI-based automated testing tools for compliance monitoring at scale.
- Enforce penalties which are renewable every six months, creating a mechanism for continuous financial pressure until compliance is achieved.
- Publicly name non-compliant entities.
Accessibility statement and information requirements
Economic operators must communicate and document accessibility compliance for both products and services. For products, these obligations take the form of a declaration of conformity, CE marking, and accompanying instructions under Decree No. 2023-931. For services, they take the form of published accessibility information under Article D. 412-57.
Reactive obligations require immediate notification to supervisory authorities upon discovering non-compliance an apply across the full supply chain and to service providers.
Product manufactures
Product manufacturers are required under Article D. 412-51 to ensure covered products have been designed and manufactured in conformity with the accessibility requirements defined in the Order of 9 October 2023. Manufacturers must prepare a declaration of conformity (déclaration UE de conformité) and affix CE marking before placing the product on the market.
Service providers
Service providers must include information assessing how the service meets the accessibility requirements: a) A general description of the service in accessible formats; b) The descriptions and explanations necessary to understand the functioning of the service; and c) A description of how the accessibility requirements referred to in Article L. 412-13 are met by the service.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Frances’s digital accessibility law?
Digital accessibility has been a legal obligation in France since Article 47 of the law of February 11, 2005 on equal rights and opportunities for people with disabilities. The RGAA (Référentiel Général d’Amélioration de l’Accessibilité) is France’s official technical accessibility standard.
What is the difference between the EAA, the RGAA, and EN 301 549?
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is a directive of the European Union that aims to improve the accessibility of products and services for people with disabilities and the aging population in the EU. The EAA is a directive, not a law, so while its goals are legally binding, each member state of the European Union (EU) is required to transpose it into national law.
EN 301 549 is the standard of accessibility requirements for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) products and services in the European Union. To ensure that its accessibility goals are met, the EAA requires that member states base their accessibility standards on a harmonized European standard.
The RGAA predates the EAA, and is now being used to measure and demonstrate EAA conformance.. In 2023, via Decree No. 2023-931, the RGAA was updated and expanded to align with the EAA. Written into the RGAA regulation is the RGAA digital accessibility standard—RGAA is both a regulation and a standard.
Technically, France allows you to test to EN 301 549, but only provided you can meet certain conditions:
- Your audit and test methodology must be able to be communicated upon request by a user or an administrator.
- You must be able to provide a correspondence table that links criteria to tests.
- You must indicate in your accessibility statement that you have tested to EN 301 549.
Is compliance with France’s accessibility laws mandatory?
Yes, digital accessibility has been a legal obligation in France since Article 47 of the law of February 11, 2005 on equal rights and opportunities for people with disabilities.
The RGAA applies to:
- Public bodies of all kinds (government agencies, local authorities, public institutions like universities and hospitals).
- Private organizations that are delegated a public service mission, or that are set up, funded, or controlled by a public body to serve a general-interest purpose.
- Large private companies with more than €250 million in annual revenue in France.
