What is a handrail?

Verified 12 May 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

If you are a victim or witness, you can file a handrail. This is a declaration by which you report facts that are recorded in a police or gendarmerie register. The handrail differs from the complaint. We explain.

The handrail is used to record facts about you victim or witness to be registered with the police or gendarmerie.

Any person victim or witness of facts may lay down a handrail, including a minor.

The handrail cannot not be deposited on the internet. You must move around in a police station or gendarmerie.

Who shall I contact

Your handrail is recorded by a police officer or gendarme.

The deposit of a handrail is free.

Your statements must be precise. You must provide the following information:

  • Your identity
  • Description of the facts
  • Place and date of the facts
  • Identity of the person involved, if you know them.

You can request a copy from your handrail to the police officer or gendarme who records it.

A handrail can be deposited at any timeeven long after the fact.

The laying of the handrail does not interrupt limitation periods, i.e. the period beyond which the facts may no longer give rise to proceedings.

Example :

If you report harassment that occurred more than six years ago, it can no longer be prosecuted because it is an offense. The limitation period applicable for a crime is 6 years.

You can make a additional handrail if you have any changes to make to the original handrail at a later time.

The police or gendarmerie keep handrails during 5 years after their deposit.

The handrail does not lead to the opening of a judicial inquiry.

However, if the police or gendarmerie believe that the facts constitute a infringement, they shall notify the public prosecutor who can decide to hire legal proceedings.

FYI  

In the field of domestic violence, the opening of a judicial inquiry is the rule.

The handrail makes it possible to act on facts and may constitute a start of evidence in legal proceedings.

It is used in particular in the following situations:

The person mentioned in the handrail is not not warned of the approach.

A handrail may be attached to a complaint to demonstrate the repetitive nature of the facts or their seniority.

Warning  

You can be subject to criminal proceedings (defamationfalse statement) if it turns out that the information provided in the handrail is unfounded.

The handrail and the complaint have goals different.

If you feel you are victim of a criminal offense and you wish that the author is prosecuted, then you must lodge a complaint.

If you wish to do acknowledge a situation, report or report facts of which you are witness or victim without any criminal prosecutionthen you can file a handrail.

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region

    • accès

      For more information on this subject, you can contact Allô Service Public.

      Attention: the service does not have access to users' personal files and therefore cannot provide information on their progress.

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      • Lundi : de 08h30 à 17h30
      • Mardi : de 08h30 à 12h15
      • Mercredi : de 08h30 à 12h15
      • Jeudi : de 08h30 à 17h30
      • Vendredi : de 13h00 à 16h15

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      The informants who answer you belong to the Department of Justice.

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