Access to administrative documents

Verified 13 August 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)

Do you want to consult an administrative document, for example an urban planning or a school file? We tell you how to make the request and how to enter the Cada: titleContent in case of refusal.

Step-by-step approach

An administrative document is produced or received by a State Service (for example, a prefecture), a local authority (for example, a town hall), a public institution (e.g. France Travail) or a private body entrusted with a public service mission.

These may include, for example, following documents :

  • Folder
  • Report
  • Study
  • Debriefing
  • Minutes
  • Statistics
  • Directive
  • Instruction
  • Circular.

An administrative document can take a form written, of registration audible or visual or in form digital or computer science.

Please note

A document with a character judicial (for example, a judgment), a document private (for example, a notarial deed) or a the National Assembly or the Senate are not administrative documents.

You can use this online service to check that the document you want to obtain is communicable:

Verify the communicability of an administrative document

The communication of a unfinished document (for example, a draft) is not possible.

Communication of certain documents is not prohibited, but subject to. These include, for example, following documents :

  • Preparatory document for an administrative decision as long as it is being developed
  • A document with sensitive content. However, its partial disclosure is possible if the sensitive information can be hidden or isolated from the rest of the document.
  • Protected Secret Public Archive. Secrecy can be protected between 25 and 100 years.

FYI  

The administration is not obligated to disclose documents that you can obtain by your own means given their public dissemination.

Choice of recipient

You must contact the administration or to the body which holds the document.

In some jurisdictions, a person is responsible for access to administrative documents (Prada)

If the desired document is placed in the public archives, you can also contact the relevant public archives department.

Consult the directory of public archival services:

Find an archive service that welcomes the public

If necessary, the archive service will tell you the deadline by which the archived document can be communicated.

It also tells you if it is possible to request early access to the archived document.

Formulate the request

Your request may be oral or by written (mail or mail).

The written request allows you to keep a dated proof of your request in case of lack of response from the administration.

You do not have to justify (i.e. justify) your request.

Your request must be precise for the administration to identify the desired document.

You must indicate if you wish view the document on-site or receive it by post or by email.

FYI  

The administration is not obliged to respond to a abusive demand. For example, a request intended to disrupt the proper functioning of the requested administration.

The follow-up of the document request varies depending on the general case or a request concerning a medical record :

Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement

General scenario

The administration must provide you with the document in a one month delay upon receipt of your request.

In the absence of a response within one month upon receipt of your request, this means that your request is refused (denial unspoken).

The administration may also refuse your request for access by reasoned decision.

Medical record

The situation varies depending on whether your medical record has under 5 years old or 5 years or more :

Your medical record is less than 5 years old

The response time is 8 days upon receipt of your request.

If you do not receive a response within this period, this means that the administration refuses your request (denial unspoken).

The administration may also refuse your request for access by reasoned decision.

Your medical record is 5 years old or older

The response time is 2 months upon receipt of your request.

If you do not receive a response within this period, this means that the administration refuses your request (denial unspoken).

The administration may also refuse your request for access by reasoned decision.

Mode of communication

You choose the communication mode of the document within the limits of technical possibilities of the administration.

The communication of the document shall not prejudice its preservation and to its good preservation.

Thus, according to the document, the administration can propose:

  • On-site consultation
  • Reproduction
  • Sending by email.

If you asked to many documents, the administration has the right to offer you to consult them on the spot.

The administration may also spread over time your access to documents.

FYI  

An administration may also communicate the document by posting it on the internet, provided that it can be communicated to any person and that it is anonymised if necessary.

Cost

The on-site consultation is free of charge.

Sending by email of the copy of a document in digital format is free.

The reproduction is fee-paying. Depending on the communication medium of the document, the cost may not exceed the following rates:

Tableau - Transmission cost

Support

Maximum rate

Paper

€0.18 per page A4 (black and white)

Cedrom

€2.75

Deadline

You have 2 months to enter the Cada: titleContent following the notification the written decision or tacit refusal of the administration.

Please note

It is mandatory to enter the Cada before making a contentious remedies. However, this principle has exceptions, for example in the case of referral to the judge hearing the application for interim measures.

Cost

The Cada referral is free of charge.

Approach

The approach varies depending on whether it is the general case or a series of 5 or more requests :

Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement

General scenario

It is possible to enter the Cada of several ways :

By post

Your application must include the following items :

  • The precise purpose, with the detailed list of requested documents
  • Your surname, first names, postal address and possibly email address
  • Depending on the case, the copy of the initial request of the document remained unacted for more than a month or the copy of the refusal of the administration.
Who shall I contact

  • To inquire or request access to an administrative document in case of explicit refusal by the administration or if it has not responded for more than a month to a request for disclosure.

    By phone

    +33 (0)1 42 75 79 99

    By post

    ASD 50730

    75334 PARIS CEDEX 07

    By email

    cada@cada.fr

    By online form

    Referral form

It is advisable to briefly explain why you are requesting the document(s) in order to transmit the maximum number of items to the Cada.

FYI  

For a legal person, you must indicate, in addition, its form, name, registered office and the surname and forenames of the person entitled to represent it.

By email

Your application must include the following items :

  • The precise purpose, with the detailed list of requested documents
  • Your surname, first names, postal address and possibly email address
  • Depending on the case, the copy of the initial request of the document remained unacted for more than a month or the copy of the refusal of the administration.
Who shall I contact

  • To inquire or request access to an administrative document in case of explicit refusal by the administration or if it has not responded for more than a month to a request for disclosure.

    By phone

    +33 (0)1 42 75 79 99

    By post

    ASD 50730

    75334 PARIS CEDEX 07

    By email

    cada@cada.fr

    By online form

    Referral form

It is advisable to briefly explain why you are requesting the document(s) in order to transmit the maximum number of items to the Cada.

FYI  

For a legal person, you must indicate, in addition, its form, name, registered office and the surname and forenames of the person entitled to represent it.

Online via the form

You can use this online form to apply to Cada:

Enter the French Commission for access to administrative documents (Cada) online

Series of 5 or more requests

It is possible to enter the Cada of several ways :

By post

Your application must include the following items :

  • The precise purpose, with the detailed list of requested documents
  • Your surname, first names, postal address and possibly email address
  • The name, postal address (or e-mail address), date on which you requested the document(s) for each administration you entered
  • Document that you have received at least one refusal from one of the jurisdictions you have seized.
Who shall I contact

  • To inquire or request access to an administrative document in case of explicit refusal by the administration or if it has not responded for more than a month to a request for disclosure.

    By phone

    +33 (0)1 42 75 79 99

    By post

    ASD 50730

    75334 PARIS CEDEX 07

    By email

    cada@cada.fr

    By online form

    Referral form

It is advisable to briefly explain why you are requesting the document(s) in order to transmit the maximum number of items to the Cada.

FYI  

For a legal person, you must indicate, in addition, its form, name, registered office and the surname and forenames of the person entitled to represent it.

By email

Your application must include the following items :

  • The precise purpose, with the detailed list of requested documents
  • Your surname, first names, postal address and possibly email address
  • The name, postal address (or e-mail address), date on which you requested the document(s) for each administration you entered
  • Document that you have received at least one refusal from one of the jurisdictions you have seized.
Who shall I contact

  • To inquire or request access to an administrative document in case of explicit refusal by the administration or if it has not responded for more than a month to a request for disclosure.

    By phone

    +33 (0)1 42 75 79 99

    By post

    ASD 50730

    75334 PARIS CEDEX 07

    By email

    cada@cada.fr

    By online form

    Referral form

It is advisable to briefly explain why you are requesting the document(s) in order to transmit the maximum number of items to the Cada.

FYI  

For a legal person, you must indicate, in addition, its form, name, registered office and the surname and forenames of the person entitled to represent it.

Online via the form

You can use this online form to apply to Cada:

Enter the French Commission for access to administrative documents (Cada) online

Acknowledgement of your request

The situation varies depending on whether the general case or a series of 5 or more requests :

Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement

General scenario

If necessary, the Cada: titleContent invites you to complete your request.

The Cada recorded your application when complete.

It is accused then reception without delay.

Series of 5 or more requests

If necessary, the Cada: titleContent invites you to complete your group application.

The Cada recorded your bundled application when complete.

It is accused then reception without delay.

The acknowledgement of receipt shall indicate the list of applications in the series.

FYI  

Cada is processing the application in respect of a single administration whose refusal you have communicated to it.

Receipt of the Cada opinion

The situation varies depending on whether the general case or a series of 5 or more requests :

Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement

General scenario

The Cada: titleContent you notified his opinion in a one month delay from the registration of your request.

The Cada shall notify its opinion within the same period to the administration which has refused your request for a document.

Series of 5 or more requests

The Cada: titleContent you notified his opinion in a one month delay from the registration of your request.

The Cada shall notify its opinion within the same period to the administration which has refused your request for a document.

That authority shall inform Cada, within one month of receipt of that notice, of the action it intends to take on the request.

FYI  

Cada is processing the application in respect of a single administration whose refusal you have communicated to it. However, it shall notify its opinion to each of the administrations correctly identified.

Other jurisdictions will inform you of their decision to comply with the Cada Notice. They have a period of one month following notification of the notice to do so.

Please note

Even in the event of a favorable opinion from Cada, the administration on right to confirm refusal.

If the administration maintains its initial refusal despite the favorable opinion of the Cada: titleContent or if it confirms the adverse opinion of Cada, you can make a contentious remedies.

You can refer the matter to the administrative judge in the 2 months following the implied refusal decision of the administration.

The implicit refusal decision occurs when the administration remains silent during 2 months from the registration of your request by Cada.

You must apply to the administrative court in whose jurisdiction the administration has its seat.

Who shall I contact

Please note

He is not no appeal to the administrative court of appeal of the judgment of the administrative court with regard to the disclosure of administrative documents.

If the judge's decision is unfavorable to you, you can challenge in cassation before the Council of State.

Verify the communicability of an administrative document

Enter the French Commission for access to administrative documents (Cada) online

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region

  • French Commission for access to administrative documents, Cada

    To inquire or request access to an administrative document in case of explicit refusal by the administration or if it has not responded for more than a month to a request for disclosure.

    By phone

    +33 (0)1 42 75 79 99

    By post

    ASD 50730

    75334 PARIS CEDEX 07

    By email

    cada@cada.fr

    By online form

    Referral form

FAQ