How to prove that you are an heir to an estate (attestation, deed of notoriety)?
Verified 01 January 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
If one of your loved ones dies, you can prove that you are his heir by a certificate signed by all the heirs or by deed of notoriety. It depends on the amount of the estate.
Less than €5,965
In case of succession less than €5,965, you can prove that you are heir by a certificate signed by all the heirs.
The certificate, signed by all heirs, to justify that you are an heir to an estate.
You can do the following:
- Withdraw amounts from the deceased's bank accounts, up to a maximum of €5,965, to settle the protective acts (you must present proof to the financial institution: invoices, funeral purchase orders or tax notices)
- If the total amount of money held by the banking institution is less than €5,965obtain the closure of the accounts of the deceased and the payment of the sums shown therein.
The heir who makes the request to the bank must provide the following documents:
- Signed certificate of all heirs
- His birth certificate extract
- Extract of the deceased's birth certificate and full copy of his death certificate
- Extract of the deceased's marriage certificate, if he was married at the time of death
- Extracts from birth certificates of each person entitled to the birth certificate
- Certificate of absence of registration of provisions of last will. You can obtain this document from the central file of provisions of last wishes (FCDDV) or from the association for the development of the notarial service (ADSN).
Who shall I contact
To inquire and to request to consult the central file of provisions of last wishes (FCDDV), commonly called wills file.
In particular, you can request a certificate of absence of registration of provisions of last will.
By phone
0,800,306,212
Free service and call
By mail
fcddvpublic@adsn.fr
serviceclient@adsn.fr
By post
Public FCDDV Service
95, avenue des Logissons
13107 VENELLES CEDEX
The heirs must indicate the following information in the certificate:
- There is no will or other heirs of the deceased.
- There is no marriage contract.
- The person presenting the document is authorized to collect, on behalf of the heirs, the sums shown in the accounts of the deceased or to close them.
- There are no ongoing trials or challenges regarding the identification of an heir or the composition of the estate.
- The succession does not include any real estate.
Please note
All heirs must sign the certificate.
You have to pay the production of certificate of absence of registration of provisions of last will. You can pay by check, or by credit card in case of online request.
The price varies depending on where you request it.
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
From France (metropolis)
Querying the FCDDV costs €18.
From a Dom
Querying the FCDDV costs €16.28.
From the foreigner
Querying the FCDDV costs €15.
€5,965 or more
In case of succession greater than €5,965, you must ask the notary to establish a act of notoriety to prove you're an heir.
The act of notoriety justifies that you are heir to an estate.
You can do the following:
- Steps where you have to justify that you are well heir (e.g. to change the holder of a vehicle license)
- Release the sums in the deceased's bank accounts, the amount of which is greater than €5,965.
Please note
Recognition that you are an heir does not mean that you have accepted the estate.
The deed of notoriety shall contain the following information:
- Identity of the deceased
- Existence or non-existence of specific inheritance provisions (e.g. a will or a gift between spouses)
- Complete identity of each heir
- Relationship and degree of kinship of each heir to the deceased
- Share to each heir.
You and the other heirs must go to a notary.
You have to pass thedeath certificate of the deceased. You must also provide the notary with civil status documents justifying your relationship with the deceased (birth certificate, family record book, etc.).
Who shall I contact
The establishment of an act costs €57.69 (€69.23 TTC).
Other fees may be added, including emoluments formalities and/or registration fees. You can ask the notary for a detailed written estimate of the amount of the fees to be paid or an estimate of the cost of the operation.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
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.
- 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
- Service free
The informants who answer you belong to the Department of Justice.
Information service of notaries of France. This service does not offer personalized consultations.
By phone
0 892 011 012
Open Monday to Thursday from 9:30 am to 6 pm and Friday from 9:30 am to 5 pm
Purple or increased number: €0.80 / minute + call price
To obtain a certificate of absence of registration of provisions of last will
To inquire and to request to consult the central file of provisions of last wishes (FCDDV), commonly called wills file.
In particular, you can request a certificate of absence of registration of provisions of last will.
By phone
0,800,306,212
Free service and call
By mail
fcddvpublic@adsn.fr
serviceclient@adsn.fr
By post
Public FCDDV Service
95, avenue des Logissons
13107 VENELLES CEDEX
Proof of heir status (deed of notoriety)
Proof of the status of heir by attestation signed by all heirs (Article L312-1-4 )
Tariffs of notaries
Online service
FAQ
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