Requesting your medical records in France: 8-day to 2-month deadlines, costs and letter template
How to obtain your medical records from a hospital, clinic or doctor: right of access under article L1111-7 of the Public Health Code, deadlines (8 days, 2 months for older records), free on-site consultation, copy costs, access for the deceased's next of kin. Request letter template for registered mail.
Quick answer
Everyone can access all the information concerning their health (article L1111-7 of the Public Health Code). Send a written request — ideally by registered mail with proof of receipt — to the doctor, hospital or clinic, enclosing proof of identity. After a 48-hour reflection period, the file must be provided within 8 days (or 2 months if it is over 5 years old). On-site consultation is free; copies are at your expense at real cost. The next of kin of a deceased person can access it on three limited grounds.
| Who it's for | Any patient (or their legal representative, or a deceased's next of kin) |
| Legal basis | Art. L1111-7 of the Public Health Code |
| Deadline | 8 days (2 months if over 5 years old), after 48 h reflection |
| Cost | On-site consultation free; copies at real cost |
| Documents | Written request + copy of proof of identity |
| Remedies | Director, users' commission, CADA / medical council, court |
| Common mistakes | Forgetting proof of identity, not stating the ground (next of kin) |
1. What the right of access covers
The file includes everything formalised: consultation, hospitalisation and procedure reports, test results, protocols and prescriptions, monitoring sheets, correspondence between professionals. Excluded are the practitioner's personal notes and information concerning third parties.
You choose the mode of access: on-site consultation (free, with the option to be accompanied by a doctor) or copies sent (at your cost).
2. Who to address the request to
- Public or private establishment: to the director or responsible doctor (often a "user relations" department).
- Private doctor: directly to the practitioner.
- Legal representative: parents for a minor (with special rules), guardian for a protected adult.
- Next of kin of a deceased person: heir, cohabitee or PACS partner, stating one of the three grounds (know the causes of death, defend the memory of the deceased, assert their rights).
Always enclose a copy of proof of identity and, for next of kin, proof of status.
3. Request letter template
Subject: Request for communication of my medical records
Dear Sir or Madam,
Pursuant to article L1111-7 of the Public Health Code, I request communication of the entirety of my medical records [specify: stay of (dates), department of …].
I wish to [obtain a copy, at my expense / consult them on site]. A copy of my proof of identity is enclosed.
Please let me know, where applicable, the reproduction and mailing costs, and proceed with this communication within the legal deadline of 8 days (or 2 months for records over five years old).
Yours faithfully,
[Date — Signature]
To date your request and start the legal deadline, MaisonMail can print and dispatch your letter through an available registered service. Origin market, delivery times, tracking and the proof-of-receipt slip are confirmed before payment. See also: exercising your right to erasure (GDPR).
4. Deadlines and costs
- Reflection period: at least 48 hours after the request.
- Communication deadline: 8 days; 2 months if the information is over 5 years old or for compulsory psychiatric care (a commission's opinion).
- Starting point: receipt of your complete request (identity verified).
- Cost: on-site consultation free; copies and mailing billed at real cost, capped by the establishment — ask for a quote for a large file.
5. If refused or ignored
- Reminder by registered mail to the establishment director or the practitioner.
- Users' commission of the establishment (mediation).
- CADA (Commission on access to administrative documents) for a public hospital; departmental medical council for a private practitioner.
- Court and a report to the CNIL if health data are involved.
6. Common mistakes
- Forgetting proof of identity: the request stays incomplete and the clock does not start.
- Not stating the ground as next of kin (the three cases are exhaustive).
- Confusing free on-site consultation with paid copies.
- Claiming the doctor's personal notes, which are excluded from the right of access.
- Staying oral: without a dated letter, no starting point and no proof for an appeal.
In short: your medical records are yours (article L1111-7). Request them in writing with proof of identity, by registered mail to date the deadline — 8 days, or 2 months for an old file. Free on-site consultation, copies at real cost. If blocked, the users' commission then the CADA or medical council: access is a right, not a favour.
Official sources
References used and links to the rules currently in force.
- Code de la santé publique, art. L1111-7Légifrance
- Accès au dossier médical (F12210)Service-Public.fr
Information current as of the last verification date. This guide is informational and is not legal advice — for a complex situation, consult a qualified professional.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly must my medical records be provided?
A minimum 48-hour reflection period after the request, then within 8 days. That rises to 2 months if the information is over 5 years old or a specialised commission must be consulted (compulsory psychiatric care). The clock starts when your complete request is received.
Is accessing my medical records free?
On-site consultation is free. If you request copies or postal delivery, the reproduction and mailing costs are yours, capped at the real cost (set per establishment). Ask for a quote first if the file is large.
Can I request the records of a deceased relative?
As next of kin (heir), cohabitee or PACS partner, you can access the information needed to know the causes of death, defend the memory of the deceased or assert your rights — unless they objected during their lifetime. The request must state which of these three grounds applies.
Can the doctor refuse to give me my file?
No, access is a right. In case of silence or refusal, contact the establishment's director, the users' commission, then the CADA (public hospital administrative documents) or the medical council for a private practitioner, and the court if necessary.
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