Loi n° 94-665 du 4 août 1994
For localization and marketing teams running campaigns in France and wondering when a slogan needs translating. This page covers what you need to know and ways to avoid running into issues.
What we've seen reported
France's Toubon law, Loi n° 94-665 of August 4, 1994, makes French mandatory in the designation, offer, presentation and instructions for goods and services, and in written, spoken and audiovisual advertising, according to its text.1
Last updated October 2026 · General information only, not legal advice. Sources.
What the rules cover
These are the kinds of content France's Toubon law covers, according to its text and the government's 1996 circular on applying it.1,2
| Requirement | Where it applies |
|---|---|
| Product names, descriptions and offers | The designation, offer and presentation of a good, product or service, in French. |
| Instructions for use and warranty terms | The instructions and the scope and conditions of a warranty, in French. |
| Invoices and receipts | Listed alongside product information as in French. |
| Written, spoken and audiovisual advertising | Any advertising for goods, products and services, in every format. |
| Signs and notices in public places | Inscriptions and announcements on the public highway, in places open to the public and on public transport. |
| Translations next to the French | Allowed, with the French version as legible, audible or intelligible as the foreign one. |
| Trademarks and the messages that go with them | Registered marks sit outside it; foreign-language messages that accompany them are described as needing French. |
Where it goes wrong
One approved set of product information ends up in many channels, markets and languages. Along the way it gets shortened, translated and reworded, and some versions end up without the warnings or details these rules require.
Aria 8 launch slogan and product information, approved with French versions
How Arbitr helps
Read every version by hand? Or use AI to check what you publish against what you've already approved.
FAQ
Usually in the formats added after launch. France's Toubon law covers how goods and services are presented and all advertising for them,1 and we usually find English-only wording in:
Plan the French line with the slogan, not after it. The government's 1996 circular says foreign-language messages that accompany a brand get a French translation, and the law asks for it to be as legible, audible or intelligible as the original.1,2 Our content localization page shows how teams keep both versions in step.
Give them the approved French version of each slogan and claim, the warranty and instruction wording, and the list of brand terms that stay in English. Then ask for every French deliverable back, including social cutdowns and marketplace copy, not just the hero ad. Rules for other markets are on our language requirements hub.
One record per line saves a lot of searching later. Keep the approved French wording, who approved it, which brand terms stay untranslated and why, and every channel where each version is live. When a question comes in, you can show the French version and where it ran.
How it applies to a specific slogan is a question for your legal adviser. Where that slogan appears across your markets and languages is a question Arbitr answers.
They're separate laws from different governments. The Toubon law, Loi n° 94-665, is a French law that applies in France, according to its text.1 Quebec's Bill 96 is a Quebec law on the French language, with its own page.
Yes. Each language version is checked against the approved original and your rules for that market. Where you want a person to look, it goes to your own reviewers or to one of Arbitr's experts.
