On March 25, 2025, the French Ministry of Justice issued an order establishing a personal data processing system known as the “National Public Signatures Database”. This register has been created to support the implementation of the country's apostille reform.
What the reform of apostille in France is about
As previously reported by Schmidt & Schmidt, apostilles in France are currently issued by 34 regional courts of appeal. Each court may only apostille documents issued within its territorial jurisdiction. Documents issued by federal authorities are apostilled by the Paris Court of Appeal.
Gradual reform of the legalization of documents was launched in 2020. It was decided that the central role in the apostilization process will be transferred to notaries. According to the authorities of the republic, this decision should simplify the procedure of document legalization and make it more modern.
The transfer of powers was scheduled for September 2023, but it was postponed for organizational reasons. Eventually, it was decided to launch the apostilization reform on May 1, 2025, and the consular legalization reform on September 1.
Once the reform is in force, 15 notarial chambers will become the officially authorized bodies for issuing apostilles. French municipalities have already submitted the contact details of their officials to the High Council of Notaries for the purpose of transmitting sample seals and signatures to the authorized bodies.
What the French Official Signatures Database involves
The Ministry of Justice has officially assigned responsibility for maintaining the official signatures database to the High Council of Notaries. The database is intended to verify the authenticity of seals and signatures of public officials, as well as the status of those officials at the time of signing documents.
The database records the following information about public officials:
- First name, last name, and position of the signatory;
- Professional email address;
- Relevant public authority;
- Date from which the signatory was authorized to sign;
- Date on which the signatory lost the right to sign;
- Handwritten signature;
- Stamp or seal accompanying the signature;
- in the case of court commissars signing public documents, the professional ID.
Access to the database is available to:
- Representatives of public authorities issuing official documents;
- Apostille authorities, as well as authorized agents processing requests.
Personal data is stored in the active database for five years from the date the signatory’s authority to sign expires. After that, the data is kept in an intermediate archival database for another five years before being deleted. As an exception, data on individuals who signed diplomas is retained in the intermediate archive for forty-five years.
Issues related to accessing and correcting the database of specific employees are within the competence of the High Council of Notaries. Any changes to the database shall be recorded with information on the person who made the change and the exact time when it was made. The relevant data shall be kept for six months.
What is an apostille?
What is an apostille? Why do I need an apostille? How do I get an apostille? - Our video will explain everything you need to know about the apostille. If you have a document that needs to be certified with an apostille for use abroad, Schmidt and Schmidt will assist you! We provide apostille services in more than 100 countries worldwide.
