Extrait Kbis (French Company Registry Extract)

What is the Extrait Kbis?

The Extrait Kbis is the official trade register extract issued by clerks of the Commercial Court (Greffe du Tribunal de Commerce) in France. It serves as the legal identity document for companies and merchants registered with the Trade and Companies Register (Registre du Commerce et des Sociétés – RCS).

This document provides a certified snapshot of a company's legal, administrative, and operational status as recorded in the register. It consolidates key corporate information in a single document. The Extrait Kbis is widely used in KYB (Know Your Business), AML checks, public procurement, and as official proof of a company's existence and legal standing.

The extract is issued by the local Commercial Court where the company is registered and can be purchased from Infogreffe. Each document includes a verification code that allows third parties to confirm authenticity via the Infogreffe portal.

What does it contain?

1. Document header and issuing authority

The extract opens with the name and address of the issuing Commercial Court (Greffe du Tribunal de Commerce), followed by the internal management number (N° de gestion). A QR code and verification code (Code de vérification) appear in the header, enabling online authentication of the document via the Infogreffe control portal.

The document title "Extrait Kbis" and subtitle confirm it is an official extract from the RCS, with the date up to which the information is current (à jour au).

2. Company identification

The section "Identification de la personne morale" (for legal entities) or "Identification de la personne physique" (for sole traders) provides core identifiers:

• RCS registration number (Immatriculation au RCS, numéro) — the unique identifier including the court name (e.g., "932 884 117 R.C.S. Bobigny")
• Date of registration (Date d'immatriculation) — when the company was registered with the current RCS
• Transfer details (Transfert du) — if applicable, the previous RCS and transfer date when a company has moved its registered office between court jurisdictions
• Original registration date (Date d'immatriculation d'origine) — the initial registration date if different from the current registration
• Company name (Dénomination ou raison sociale) — the official legal name
• Legal form (Forme juridique) — e.g., Société par actions simplifiée (SAS), Société à responsabilité limitée (SARL), or sole proprietorship
• Share capital (Capital social) — the nominal capital amount in Euros

3. Registered office and corporate purpose

• Registered office address (Adresse du siège) — full address including street, postal code, and city
• Principal activities (Activités principales) — a description of the company's authorised business activities as declared to the register

4. Key dates

Several important dates are recorded:

• Duration (Durée de la personne morale) — the date until which the company is incorporated, typically 99 years from formation
• Financial year end (Date de clôture de l'exercice social) — the annual closing date for accounts
• First financial year end (Date de clôture du 1er exercice social) — if applicable, the closing date of the first accounting period

5. Management and officers

The section "Gestion, direction, administration, contrôle, associés ou membres" lists individuals authorised to manage or represent the company. For each officer, the extract includes:

• Function (e.g., Président, Directeur général, Gérant) — the role held
• Full name (Nom, prénoms) — surname and given names
• Married name (Nom d'usage) — if applicable
• Date and place of birth (Date et lieu de naissance) — full birth date and location with department number
• Nationality (Nationalité)
• Personal address (Domicile personnel) — residential address

For certain legal forms, the extract may list additional officers such as statutory auditors.

6. Principal establishment details

The section "Renseignements relatifs à l'activité et à l'établissement principal" describes the main place of business:

• Establishment address (Adresse de l'établissement)
• Trade name (Nom commercial) — if different from the legal name
• Business sign (Enseigne) — the trading name displayed at the premises, if any
• Activities carried out (Activité(s) exercée(s)) — description of operations at this location
• Date of commencement (Date de commencement d'activité)
• Origin of business (Origine du fonds ou de l'activité) — e.g., Création (new business), or acquisition details
• Method of operation (Mode d'exploitation) — typically "Exploitation directe" (direct operation)

If the company operates additional premises within the court's jurisdiction, a separate section "Renseignements relatifs à l'autre établissement dans le ressort" (Secondary establishments) provides equivalent details.

7. Observations and supplementary information

The section "Observations et renseignements complémentaires" contains notable events such as:

• Continuation of the company despite net assets falling below half of share capital (mention of shareholders' decision)
• Acquisition of a business (fonds de commerce) with details of the transaction date and nature

These mentions are referenced by number and date (e.g., "Mention n° 69478 du 08/11/2022").

8. Certification and signature

The extract concludes with the signature block of the clerk (Le Greffier), the court seal, and the statement "Fin de l'extrait" confirming the end of the document. The watermark "Tribunal de Commerce – République Française – Greffe" appears throughout the document.

What is not included?

The Extrait Kbis does not contain:

• Shareholder information — ownership details are not disclosed in the extract
• Beneficial ownership data — UBO information is held in the separate Registre des Bénéficiaires Effectifs (RBE)
• Financial data — annual accounts are filed separately and available as distinct documents
• Filing history — historical changes must be consulted separately
• NAF/APE codes — the statistical activity classification codes assigned by INSEE do not appear on the Kbis

With Topograph

Topograph provides certified French trade register extracts (Extrait Kbis) through our API and web application. Through our platform, you can:

• Order certified extracts directly from the Greffes via Infogreffe
• Retrieve structured company data including legal representatives, registered office, and share capital
• Access extracts for all entity types registered with the RCS: commercial companies, partnerships, and sole traders
• Integrate French company verification into your onboarding and compliance workflows

This enables efficient, compliant due diligence on your French counterparties without manual searches.