Cross-Border Jurisdictional Protocol
France has not objected to the Article 10 alternative channels, so service can be effected either through a huissier de justice — a government-licensed judicial officer who is, by French law, typically the only person authorized to serve papers — or formally through France's Central Authority, the Ministry of Justice's Bureau of Judiciary International Assistance. Using a huissier directly is usually faster than routing through the Central Authority. Note that a generic private process server who is not a licensed huissier cannot validly effect service in France; U.S. courts have rejected attempts to do so.
We engage a licensed huissier de justice to personally serve the defendant under Article 10(c), typically completing in one to two months — faster than the formal Central Authority channel and fully valid under French and Hague procedure.
Request huissier service →For matters requiring the more formal treaty channel, we submit the Request for Service Abroad (USM-94 or LLA-116) to the Ministry of Justice's Bureau of Judiciary International Assistance, which arranges service through the competent local court.
Request Central Authority submission →French governmental bodies and public officers can only be served under French administrative law procedures, distinct from ordinary civil service — we identify and follow the correct channel for these parties.
Confirm the correct channel →Complete National Jurisdiction
Active network of local agents, court officers, and Central Authority specialists covering every administrative region.
All international document handoffs are executed pursuant to local sovereignty statutes and returned with court-certified evidentiary declarations.
Judicial Knowledge Base
Only a licensed huissier de justice may validly serve documents in France. A generic private process server without that license is not a competent person under Article 10(c), and U.S. courts have rejected service attempted this way.
Yes. Engaging a huissier directly typically completes in one to two months, while the formal Central Authority route through the Ministry of Justice generally takes two to four months.
The Request for Service Abroad form must be completed in English or French.
The Ministry of Justice's Bureau of Judiciary International Assistance (Bureau de l'entraide civile et commerciale internationale).
No. French governmental bodies and public officers can only be served in accordance with French administrative law, a separate procedure from ordinary civil service.
Consult with our international legal support specialists about service of process in France.