A DGCCRF inspection of an online store, a formal notice received by a blogger, a competitor reporting your site to the CNIL: in each of these cases, the first thing checked is the legal notice page. In France, every publicly accessible website must display legal notices, whether it is a showcase site, an e-commerce site, or a simple personal blog. This obligation arises from the law for confidence in the digital economy (LCEN) of June 21, 2004, which has since been revised by several texts. Here’s what you really need to monitor to remain compliant.
2024 SREN Law: What Has Changed in the Structure of Legal Notices
Most legal notice templates available online still refer to Article 6 of the LCEN to list the identification information of the publisher. This reference is now partially outdated.
The law n° 2024-449 of May 21, 2024, known as the SREN law, created Article 1-1 in the LCEN. This article groups the publisher’s identification mentions (individual or legal entity) into a separate block. In practice, if you use an automatic legal notice generator that only cites Article 6, the produced text may be legally incomplete or poorly referenced.
You can consult an example of compliant structuring by looking at the legal notices on Bordel de Nerd, which clearly illustrates the separation between the publisher’s identification and information about the host.
To update your own notices, the reflex to adopt is to check that the text mentions the updated legal basis and no longer just the old Article 6 of the LCEN.
Mandatory Legal Notices: What Your Site Must Display According to Your Status
The exact content of the legal notices varies depending on whether you are a sole trader, a company, or an association. Confusing the two regimes is a common mistake in the field.
Sole Trader or Micro-Entrepreneur
- Name, first name, and home address, accompanied by the mention “sole trader” or the initials EI
- Registration number with the RCS, email address, and contact phone number
- VAT identification number (even under the basic exemption, the number remains required as soon as it is assigned)
- Identity of the site’s host: name or company name, address, and phone number
Legal Entity (SARL, SAS, registered association)
The same categories of information are found, but the company name, legal form, and amount of share capital replace the name and first name. The address indicated is that of the registered office, not that of the manager.
If you engage in a regulated activity (real estate agent, health profession, craftsman), additional mentions are required: professional card number, organization that issued the authorization, reference to applicable professional rules.
Closure of the European Online Dispute Resolution Platform: A Trap for E-Commerce Sites
Many merchant sites still display a link to the European Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) platform, created by EU Regulation n° 524/2013. This link is now dead.
The platform ceased to accept complaints in March 2025 and then closed permanently on July 20, 2025. E-commerce sites should no longer refer to it. Instead, the mention must direct the consumer to the competent consumer mediator and, if applicable, to the European Consumer Centre.
Leaving a broken link to a disappeared platform is not just an image problem. It can be interpreted as a lack of consumer information during an inspection.
Sanctions and Inspections: What a Non-Compliant Site Risks in France
It is often said that no one checks legal notices. Feedback varies on this point, but inspections do indeed exist, particularly through the DGCCRF for merchant sites and the CNIL for personal data aspects.
For an individual, the absence of legal notices is punishable by a fine of up to one year in prison according to the LCEN. For a legal entity, the amounts are significantly higher. Beyond the fine, it is primarily the loss of trust from visitors and business partners that weighs heavily.
A GDPR compliance barometer published in 2026 qualifies the legal notices section as a critical criterion and notes that nearly half of French sites present non-compliance on this point. The problem is therefore not marginal.
Personal Data and Cookies: The Link Between Legal Notices and GDPR
Legal notices do not just limit themselves to the publisher’s identity. As soon as your site collects personal data (contact form, newsletter, customer account, analytical cookies), you must inform users precisely.
- The purpose of each data collection must be explained (prospecting, statistics, order management)
- The legal basis for processing must be indicated: consent, legitimate interest, or performance of a contract
- The recipients of the data and the retention period must be stated in an accessible manner
- The rights of users (access, rectification, deletion, portability) must be recalled with the contact details of the data controller
Separating the privacy policy from the legal notices is a good practice. Combining the two on a single page makes reading difficult and complicates updates when changing analytical tools or providers.
Cookies: The Banner is Not Enough
The cookie consent banner is a visible element, but it does not replace the obligation to detail in your legal notices (or in a dedicated page) the list of cookies placed, their purpose, and their lifespan. The CNIL continues to sanction sites that only provide a banner without accessible documentation.
Updating your legal notices is not a one-time exercise. Each change in legal status, host, consumer mediator, or cookie policy requires a revision. The simplest approach is to plan a complete review at least once a year, ensuring that the legal references cited still correspond to the texts in force.
