Short answer. French company data sits in the Registre national des entreprises (RNE), which INPI publishes, and the government's Annuaire des Entreprises is the easy front door. Look up the SIREN number first.
Where. Annuaire des Entreprises (official legal information from the administration): https://annuaire-entreprises.data.gouv.fr/ . INPI database: https://data.inpi.fr/ (the RNE data, legal information and non-confidential deeds and annual accounts, per INPI: https://www.inpi.fr/ressources/propriete-intellectuelle/rechercher-une-entreprise-base-entreprises ).
What you can see for free. Legal identity of the company (name, SIREN, legal form, address, status) and, through INPI, the non-confidential deeds and annual accounts that the company filed. Some data in the Annuaire is only for public-administration agents (the Annuaire's own documentation lists data restricted to agents, for example full dates of birth of directors).
Steps.
What the register does not show. Filed accounts can be confidential for some companies, some data is restricted to administration agents, and a registry record does not verify activity, creditworthiness or sanctions status.
What a Dutiful report adds. For France: registry profile, status and officers from the official register (the government's Recherche d'entreprises API), plus a sanctions screen (OFAC SDN and UK Sanctions List) and a public news and web scan, with sources. Owners and financial accounts are not covered. Sample: /sample. Free coverage check: /?ref=guides.
Disclaimer. This guide describes publicly available registry information and is general information, not legal, financial or compliance advice. Registers change; check the official source before relying on it. A Dutiful report is best-effort research from public sources and is not a compliance certificate. Checked 19 Oct 2026.