New French law imposes fines for missing safety documents

A new French law, enacted on June 25, 2026, and effective since June 27, 2026, introduces administrative fines for the absence of a required document used to assess professional risks in workplaces. The law, known as Law No. 2026-534, focuses on combating social and tax frauds and allows labor authorities to impose penalties under specific sections of the Labor Code.

Fines can reach up to 8,000 euros per employee

Under this law, the administrative fine for missing the single risk assessment document can reach up to 4,000 euros per employee present in the company. If the same issue is found again within two years, the fine doubles to 8,000 euros per employee. These fines are issued directly by the DREETS (and DRIEETS in Île-de-France) based on internal reports, without needing a court decision.

Criminal penalties remain an option

Before this law, the absence of the single document could only be addressed through criminal penalties. Now, during inspections, the absence of the document can result in either an administrative fine or a criminal fine, but not both. The criminal fine under Article R.4741-1 of the Labor Code is 1,500 euros per employee, which doubles to 3,000 euros if repeated.

Fines for not updating the document are criminal

The law clarifies that while the absence of the single document is subject to administrative fines, the failure to update it remains a criminal offense. The criminal fine for not updating the document is also 1,500 euros per employee, with potential increases for repeat offenses. For companies, these fines can be multiplied by five, leading to higher penalties.

Requirement for the document remains unchanged

The law does not change the requirement that any business employing at least one employee, regardless of the type of employment contract, must maintain a single document for assessing professional risks. This includes permanent, fixed-term, seasonal, apprenticeship, or internship contracts, except for observation internships.