French accessibility standard

RGAA 4.1.2

France's Référentiel Général d'Amélioration de l'Accessibilité (RGAA) version 4.1.2 defines 106 criteria across 13 themes, providing a French-language operational transposition of WCAG 2.1 AA. It is legally binding for French public sector organizations and a growing number of private companies since the 2023 decree.

ActiveDINUM (France)2023

What is RGAA 4.1.2?

RGAA 4.1.2 (Référentiel Général d'Amélioration de l'Accessibilité) is the official French transposition of WCAG 2.1 AA, maintained by DINUM (Direction interministérielle du numérique). Version 4.1.2, published in 2023, contains 106 criteria organized under 13 themes — Images, Frames, Colors, Multimedia, Tables, Links, Scripts, Mandatory elements, Structure, Presentation, Forms, Navigation, and Consultation. Each criterion has one or more test procedures and a dedicated technical sheet. Unlike WCAG, which is principles-based, RGAA offers a more prescriptive set of test conditions, making it easier to apply consistently across French public sector projects.

RGAA compliance is legally required for: (1) all French public sector bodies (state, local authorities, hospitals, public establishments) under Article 47 of the 2005 disability law; (2) private companies with annual turnover above €250 million in France, following the 2023 transposition decree of the EU Web Accessibility Directive; (3) online platforms and mobile applications serving French users. A formal accessibility statement (déclaration d'accessibilité) must be published on the website and updated annually. Non-compliance can trigger sanctions from Arcom (Autorité de régulation de la communication audiovisuelle et numérique), which became the enforcement authority in 2023.

The French legal framework derives from Directive (EU) 2016/2102 on the accessibility of public sector websites, transposed via ordinance n°2023-859 of 6 September 2023. The ordinance extended obligations to large private sector operators and empowered Arcom to levy fines of up to €20,000 per non-compliant service per year. RGAA 4.1.2 is the current version; DINUM has announced RGAA 5 for late 2026, which will integrate WCAG 2.2, extend scope to mobile applications and office documents, and maintain Arcom as the supervisory authority.

Key criteria

The 10 requirements most frequently flagged in automated audits by scan-access.com.

1.1
Images — Alternative text
Every image (img, area, input[type=image], canvas) must have a relevant text alternative. Decorative images must have an empty alt or role='presentation'.
Official spec →WCAG 1.1.1
3.2
Colors — Contrast ratio
Text contrast must be at least 4.5:1 (normal) or 3:1 (large text ≥18pt or ≥14pt bold). Placeholder text included.
Official spec →WCAG 1.4.3
8.2
Mandatory elements — Valid code
HTML source code must be syntactically valid per the used doctype, with no duplicate id attributes or improperly nested structural elements.
Official spec →WCAG 4.1.1
9.1
Structure — Heading hierarchy
Page headings (h1–h6) must form a coherent outline. At least one h1 per page. Headings must not be empty. No skipped levels without justification.
Official spec →WCAG 1.3.1
11.1
Forms — Labels
Every form field must have a linked label via htmlFor/id, aria-labelledby, aria-label, or title. The label must be visible and relevant.
Official spec →WCAG 1.3.1
12.1
Navigation — Skip links
Pages with repeated blocks (header, nav, sidebar) must provide skip links to jump to the main content and to each major navigation block.
Official spec →WCAG 2.4.1
6.1
Links — Link purpose
Every link must have a relevant, descriptive accessible name. Generic links like 'click here' or 'read more' must be disambiguated by context or aria-label.
Official spec →WCAG 2.4.4
7.1
Scripts — Keyboard accessibility
All scripts that trigger actions on focus or keyboard events must not cause unexpected context changes. All interactive components must be keyboard-operable.
Official spec →WCAG 2.1.1
4.1
Multimedia — Transcripts and captions
Pre-recorded audio/video must have synchronized captions (video) and a text transcript. Live video must have real-time captions.
Official spec →WCAG 1.2.1
10.7
Presentation — Focus visibility
The keyboard focus outline must remain visible and must not be removed via CSS. RGAA requires the focus to be clearly perceivable by sighted keyboard users.
Official spec →WCAG 2.4.7

scan-access.com coverage

scan-access.com covers 30+ RGAA 4.1.2 criteria automatically

scan-access.com maps axe-core 4.11 rules against the 106 RGAA 4.1.2 criteria. Automated detection covers the highest-risk categories: image alternatives (theme 1), contrast ratios (theme 3), form labels (theme 11), structural elements (theme 9), link purposes (theme 6), and ARIA scripting errors (theme 7). Findings are directly linked to the relevant RGAA criterion ID, making it easy to cross-reference your formal audit. The legal-defense PDF export formats results per RGAA theme, ready to attach to your official accessibility statement (déclaration d'accessibilité). The remaining ~70% of criteria require manual human testing, particularly multimedia, navigation consistency, and document accessibility.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the RGAA?

RGAA (Référentiel Général d'Amélioration de l'Accessibilité) is France's official web accessibility standard. Maintained by DINUM, it provides a French-language operational transposition of WCAG 2.1 AA with 106 criteria and detailed test procedures. RGAA 4.1.2 is the current version as of 2023. Unlike WCAG, RGAA includes prescriptive test conditions that make auditor judgments more consistent across French public sector projects.

Who must comply with RGAA in 2026?

In 2026, RGAA compliance is mandatory for: (1) all French public sector bodies without exception; (2) private companies generating more than €250 million annual revenue from French operations, following the 2023 ordinance. Online platforms and apps targeting French users from any country must also comply if they fall in scope. Arcom (formerly CSA) is the supervisory authority since 2023 and can impose fines of up to €20,000 per non-compliant service per year.

How do I publish an RGAA accessibility statement (déclaration d'accessibilité)?

The RGAA accessibility statement must: declare the conformance level (fully / partially / non-conformant) based on a formal audit; list non-accessible content with justification; provide contact information for reporting issues; mention recourse mechanisms (Défenseur des droits). It must be publicly accessible from every page, typically via the footer. DINUM provides a statement generator on accessibilite.numerique.gouv.fr. The statement must be updated at least annually or after significant site changes.

What penalties apply for RGAA non-compliance?

Arcom can issue: (1) a formal notice (mise en demeure) requiring remediation within a set deadline; (2) fines of up to €20,000 per non-compliant online service per year for operators who fail to comply with the notice. Public bodies face reputational sanctions and ministerial oversight in addition to fines. Private sector sanctions have been in effect since the 2023 ordinance came into force.

When will RGAA 5 be released?

DINUM announced RGAA 5 for late 2026. It will integrate WCAG 2.2 criteria (adding the 6 new Level AA criteria from WCAG 2.2), extend scope to mobile applications and office documents, and maintain Arcom as the enforcement authority. Existing accessibility statements remain valid for 18 months after the RGAA 5 publication date. scan-access.com will support RGAA 5 as soon as the official criteres.json is published by DINUM.

Is RGAA the same as WCAG?

RGAA is a French operational transposition of WCAG, not a replacement. Every RGAA 4.1.2 criterion maps to one or more WCAG 2.1 success criteria. However, RGAA adds prescriptive test conditions and French-specific requirements (mandatory skip links, specific focus visibility rules) that go slightly beyond the WCAG baseline. A site that passes RGAA 4.1.2 is effectively WCAG 2.1 AA compliant, but the reverse is not strictly true.