Sign company bylaws online (SARL, SAS, SCI)
Articles of association (SARL, SAS, SCI, EURL, SASU) signed electronically by every founding shareholder, with the same legal value as paper articles. Compliant with article 1832 of the French Civil Code (company contract) and article L210-6 of the Commercial Code (incorporation formalities). For the registry filing via the one-stop shop (guichet unique), use the « Advanced (INPI) » level, whose embedded PAdES cryptographic seal is recognised by the public portals.
- Legal framework
- The Commission has not yet adopted a decision on the application of Article 18 of the Regulation.
- Signature level
- Advanced (INPI) for the registry
- Legal archival
- 10 years included
What are corporate bylaws?
Corporate bylaws are the founding contract that defines the company's organization, governance, operating rules, and the rights of shareholders. Article 1832 of the Civil Code establishes the principle: a company is formed by two or more persons (or one person, for single-member companies) who agree by contract to contribute assets or services to a common enterprise in order to share profits. Article L210-6 of the Commercial Code requires signature by all founding shareholders and filing with the commercial court registry within one month of signing. No provision requires handwritten signature — advanced electronic signature has been permitted since the PACTE law and consistent case law.
Why sign electronically?
Remote signature — time savings
No need to physically gather all founding shareholders (often geographically dispersed). Each shareholder signs from their phone or computer with individual SMS OTP. Saves several days in company formation.
Multi-shareholder (up to 100+)
Our workflow handles sequential signature (president first, then shareholders) or parallel (all at once). Compatible with multi-shareholder SAS, family SCIs, and shareholder agreements with many parties.
Registry filing compatible
The commercial court registry accepts electronic filing via the one-stop shop / infogreffe.fr. To pass the portal's signature check, choose the « Advanced (INPI) » level: its embedded PAdES cryptographic seal is issued by a qualified trust service provider (QTSP) on the EU Trusted List and recognised natively by the public verifiers. The eIDAS audit trail is attached to the file automatically.
Enforceable audit trail
Each set of bylaws is delivered with a proof PDF: identity of each signing shareholder, qualified timestamp, SHA-256 hash, SMS OTP, IP. Enforceable in case of dispute over shareholder status, formation date, or statutory clauses.
4-step procedure
From preparation to legal archival, in less than 5 minutes.
1. Prepare the bylaws
Upload your draft bylaws or start from a compliant template (SARL, SAS, SCI, etc.). Mandatory provisions: legal form, company name, registered office, duration, share capital, contributions, shares, management, fiscal year, transfer terms.
2. Add all shareholders
All founding shareholders must sign (art. L210-6 Commercial Code). Each receives a personalized secure link via email with SMS OTP on their own number. Compatible with 100+ signatories.
3. Choose the eIDAS level
For a registry filing, choose the « Advanced (INPI) » level: an embedded PAdES cryptographic seal inside the PDF and a certificate issued by a qualified trust service provider (QTSP) on the EU Trusted List, recognised by the public portal verifiers. The standard advanced signature (AES) remains suitable for evidentiary value between shareholders (art. 26 of the eIDAS Regulation) but is not verified by the registry portal.
4. File with the registry
At the last signatory, the finalized bylaws + audit trail are ready for filing on infogreffe.fr. The registry proceeds with registration and delivers the Kbis within 24-48 hours. Automatic 10-year archival.
Frequently asked questions
- Can corporate bylaws be signed electronically?
- Yes, without restriction. No provision requires handwritten signature of bylaws. Article 1366 of the Civil Code recognizes electronic writing as having the same probative force as paper writing, provided the signatory's identity is verified and the document's integrity is guaranteed. Certyneo's advanced signature (AES) meets these requirements.
- Does the registry accept electronically signed bylaws?
- Yes — the commercial court registry accepts electronic filing via the one-stop shop / infogreffe.fr for companies incorporated digitally. The portal does, however, verify the signature's cryptographic seal: choose Certyneo's « Advanced (INPI) » (or QES) level, whose certificate is issued by a qualified provider on the EU Trusted List. A simple signature (SES) or a standard advanced signature without an embedded PAdES seal may be rejected by the portal's automated check.
- What happens if not all shareholders sign?
- The company cannot be validly formed unless a founding shareholder has signed (art. L210-6 Commercial Code). Certyneo allows automatic reminders to late signers and offers sequential signature to manage scheduling constraints.
- Can family SCI bylaws be signed electronically?
- Yes — the family SCI (parents + children as shareholders) is one of the most common use cases for electronic signature of bylaws: shareholders are often dispersed and physical meetings costly. Our multi-signatory workflow allows each member to sign from home with individual SMS OTP.
- Which signature level to choose?
- It depends on the use case. For evidentiary value between shareholders (disputes over shareholder status, contributions or clauses), the advanced signature (AES) is enough: it provides a presumption of reliability (art. 1367 of the Civil Code). For the registry filing via the one-stop shop, choose the « Advanced (INPI) » level with an embedded PAdES seal (QTSP certificate on the EU Trusted List), recognised by the portal's automated check. QES remains reserved for instruments that explicitly require it.
- How long must bylaws be kept?
- Throughout the company's life + 10 years after dissolution (art. L123-22 Commercial Code). Certyneo automatically archives bylaws + audit trail for this period, including successive statutory amendments.
- Can bylaws be amended by electronic signature?
- Yes — amendments to bylaws (management change, capital increase, change of purpose, etc.) must be voted in an Extraordinary General Meeting (AGE) by the required majority. The amendment + AGE minutes can be signed electronically and filed with the registry via infogreffe.fr.
- Are electronically signed bylaws enforceable against third parties?
- Yes — publication in the RCS (commercial and companies register) after registry filing makes bylaws enforceable against third parties. Advanced electronic signature does not change the enforceability regime, which depends solely on legal publication.
See also
Form your company online
Permanent free plan (5 envelopes / month), no credit card. Compliant with Civil Code, Commercial Code, and eIDAS. Audit trail and 10-year archival included.