Changing an association’s board: declaring the new officers to the registry

by Antoine El Khawand | 8/10/2026 | Association

Key takeaways:

Any change to an association’s board must be declared within three months, under Article 5 of the 1901 law. The file goes to the associations registry of the département where the head office is located.
The declaration is the responsibility of the newly appointed officers or a representative. It can be filed via e-modification, by post or in person with Cerfa form no. 13971*03.
The file includes the consolidated, up-to-date list of officers and a copy of the resolution. A signed mandate is added if a third party files the declaration.
Without a declaration, the change cannot be enforced against third parties. The officers also face a 5th-class fine: up to €1,500, or €3,000 for a repeat offense.
In Alsace-Moselle, the declaration goes through the court registry, even if the officers are re-elected. Failing to do so exposes them to a fine of up to €10,000.

A new president, a replaced treasurer, a departing secretary: renewing the board does not end with the vote. For a declared association, every board change triggers formalities with the prefecture. Deadline, procedure, documents, cost and penalties: the texts govern each step. The change also affects management tools, such as a CRM for associations holding member records.

Changing an association’s board: what the law says

The change follows an election, resignation or dismissal, according to the rules set by the articles of association. The composition and election of an association’s board is covered in a dedicated article. Here, the question concerns what happens after the vote and the formalities that follow.

A three-month deadline

Article 5 of the law of July 1, 1901 requires any change in management to be declared within three months. The arrival of a new president, treasurer or secretary falls within this scope.

The decree of August 16, 1901 covers anyone who administers, supervises or manages the association. A new member of the board of directors must therefore also be declared. The file goes to the prefecture, to the associations registry of the département where the head office is located. In Paris, the police prefecture receives declarations.

A procedure for the newly elected officers

The formality falls to the newly appointed officers, not to those leaving office. An outside person can also take care of it. They then attach a power of attorney signed by an officer.

How to complete the board change formalities?

There are three ways to complete these procedures: online, by post or in person at the counter. The choice mainly depends on whether the association is registered in the national register of associations (RNA).

Online with the e-modification service

The e-modification online service, accessible from Service-Public.fr, makes it possible to report changes in an association’s management. It requires the organization’s RNA number and is accessed with FranceConnect. Without an RNA number, the procedure uses the paper form. This online service does not cover Alsace-Moselle.

By post or in person with Cerfa form no. 13971*03

Offline, the file relies on Cerfa form no. 13971*03. Its title: “Declaration of the list of persons responsible for the administration of an association”. This PDF form is filled in on screen, then sent to the relevant department. Filing at the counter remains possible during opening hours.

What about Le Compte Asso?

Le Compte Asso, the public portal for the non-profit sector, is used notably for grant applications. For now, it does not allow any declaration of change of situation. Associations.gouv.fr mentions an integration in preparation and refers to e-modification or the paper form.

Documents to attach to the declaration

The file remains light. It relies on two documents, plus additional items depending on the filing method.

Document	Content	When to provide it
List of officers	Consolidated, final and up-to-date list of the entire management team	In all cases
Resolution	Copy of the decision appointing the new officers	In all cases
Cerfa no. 13971*03	Official declaration form	Filing by post or in person
Stamped envelope	Envelope stamped at the 20-gram rate, addressed to the association’s management address	Filing by post or in person, according to the Cerfa guide
Mandate	Power of attorney signed by an officer	Procedure entrusted to a third party

The list covers all officers, not just the newly elected ones. For each person, Service-Public.fr mentions the surname, first names, profession, home address, nationality and position. Since July 2024, Article 3 of the 1901 decree adds the date of birth and country of residence. Cerfa form no. 13971*03 does not include these two fields.

The resolution often takes the form of minutes. Drafting them follows the rules described in the article on voting, quorum and general meeting minutes.

Cost, receipt and effects on third parties

The official pages of Service-Public.fr and associations.gouv.fr indicate no fees for the declaration. By post, only the mailing has a cost, including the stamped envelope requested by the Cerfa guide. These formalities are not published in the Official Journal of associations and corporate foundations (JOAFE) either.

Proof of the new positions

After the declaration, the administration issues a receipt. The officers in office can show it to third parties to prove their positions.

Enforceability against third parties and the bank

Under Article 5, changes are only enforceable against third parties from the day they are declared. Before that date, a third party can ignore the new team and deal with the old one.

The prefecture formalities do not, on their own, change the signatories of the bank accounts. The handover with the bank, including powers of attorney and means of payment, is a separate procedure. The treasurer’s role with banks and funders sheds light on this step. On the INSEE side, no procedure is required for this type of change.

What an association risks if it does not declare its new board

Failing to declare has two effects. The first is legal: as long as the change is not declared, it cannot be enforced against third parties. The second is criminal.

Article 8 of the 1901 law punishes non-compliance with Article 5 with a 5th-class fine. Under Article 131-13 of the Criminal Code, the fine is at most €1,500. For a repeat offense, the ceiling rises to €3,000.

Special cases

Two situations fall outside the general framework: Alsace-Moselle and changes that also affect the articles of association.

Associations in Alsace-Moselle

In the Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin and Moselle, organizations fall under local law. Any change in management is declared to the court registry of the head office, for entry in the register of associations. The formality remains mandatory even if the members of the management are re-elected.

An officer files it online or on plain paper. The paper file includes the general meeting minutes and the list of management members. This list states surname, first names, home address, nationality, date and place of birth, and position. The registry issues the receipt within five days once the file is complete. Failure to declare exposes those responsible to a fine of up to €10,000.

Board change and amending the articles of association

A simple change of people does not amend the articles of association. However, a reform of the board can affect them: creating a position, the length of terms, the appointment method. This statutory amendment is subject to a separate declaration, with Cerfa form no. 13972*03 or the e-modification service. The clauses to include in an association’s articles set this framework.

Complete renewal of the team

When the whole board changes, the new team declares the complete list within three months. Organizing the election beforehand, from the call for candidates to renew the board to the vote, is a separate step.