Legal status
Electronic bills of lading in France
France gives electronic transferable records the same effects as paper under Title II (articles 14 to 17) of Law No. 2024-537 of 13 June 2024, which created the 'titre transférable électronique'.
- Status
- In force
- Instrument
- Loi n° 2024-537 du 13 juin 2024 visant à accroître le financement des entreprises et l'attractivité de la France (Titre II, articles 14 à 17)
- MLETR-based
- Yes
- Enacted
- 13 Jun 2024
- In force since
- 14 Mar 2025
- Scope
- Title II defines the 'titre transférable' and lets it be issued electronically. It covers bills of exchange and promissory notes, warehouse receipts and warrants, maritime bills of lading to order or bearer, negotiable inland-waterway bills of lading under the CMNI, insurance policies to order or bearer (including cargo and transport policies), assignable professional-receivables slips to order, and any other writing to order or bearer that meets the definition. Seven categories are excluded, including financial instruments, cheques and bons de caisse, and Title II does not apply to titles issued before it came into force.
In more detail
An electronic title has the same effects as its paper equivalent where a reliable method ensures uniqueness, exclusive control, identification of signatories and holders, and integrity; the law also amends article L. 5422-3 of the Code des transports so that a maritime bill of lading may be issued, signed, transferred, amended, kept and delivered electronically. Title II took effect on 14 March 2025, and Decree No. 2025-811 of 12 August 2025, in force from 15 August 2025, sets the conditions for the reliable method, including independent certification. UNCITRAL lists France (2024) as having adopted legislation based on the Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records.
What remains unclear
Title II took effect on 14 March 2025, but the decree defining the reliable method took effect only on 15 August 2025, so it is unclear how the equivalence applied in between. Under the decree a method must be certified by an independent evaluation body; no public list of certified methods has been identified.
Sources
- LOI n° 2024-537 du 13 juin 2024 visant à accroître le financement des entreprises et l'attractivité de la France (JORFTEXT000049707573), articles 14, 16 and 29Légifrance (DILA) · published 14 Jun 2024 · accessed 16 Oct 2026supports: status, in force since, scope, summary
- Code des transports, article L5422-3 (version en vigueur depuis le 14 mars 2025)Légifrance (DILA) · accessed 16 Oct 2026supports: status, in force since, scope, summary
- Status: UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (2017)UNCITRAL · accessed 16 Oct 2026supports: MLETR basis, summary
- Décret n° 2025-811 du 12 août 2025 relatif à la définition de la méthode fiable pour la dématérialisation des titres transférables et portant diverses dispositions relatives aux instruments pour le commerce extérieur (JORFTEXT000052097141)Journal officiel de la République française n° 0188 du 14 août 2025 (DILA) · published 14 Aug 2025 · accessed 16 Oct 2026supports: summary, open questions
- Dossier législatif : Loi visant à accroître le financement des entreprises et l'attractivité de la FranceSénat (France) · accessed 16 Oct 2026supports: status, instrument, enacted
- État d'application de la loi n° 2024-537 du 13 juin 2024Sénat (France) · accessed 16 Oct 2026supports: instrument, in force since