DREETS inspection of a training organization: process, evidence, sanctions

Updated 7 October 2026

Training OrganizationsRegulation

inspectionDREETSSRCsanctionsfraudQualiopi

Any organization that delivers training can undergo an administrative and financial inspection by the regional control service (SRC) of the DREETS, the French regional labour and employment directorate, under articles L6361-1 et seq. of the Labour Code. The inspection checks that the training actually took place and that funds were properly used, especially public or pooled funds: CPF, OPCOs, France Travail, regional councils. The law of 25 June 2026 on combating social and tax fraud broadened inspectors' powers and extended the period during which sums can be reclaimed.

What the authorities check

That training actually took place: for the declared trainees, with the planned duration and content.
Compliance with agreements, contracts and programmes, and with the legal framework for training.
Expenses: their justification, their link to the training delivered and the use of the funds received.
The provider's obligations: activity declaration, annual training activity report (BPF), internal rules, trainee information, subcontracting conditions.

The inspection can cover all or part of the activity, of a training action or of the expenses.

How an inspection runs

The inspection is carried out on documents or on site. The organization must substantiate the training and expenses it declared: agreements, programmes, attendance sheets or connection logs for distance learning, assessments, invoices, accounts. Anything not substantiated can be rejected.

The results are then notified to the organization. It has at least thirty days to submit written observations and may ask to be heard. No rejection or repayment decision can be taken without this adversarial procedure (article L6362-10).

Possible sanctions

Rejection of expenses that are not substantiated or not linked to a training action (article L6362-5).
Repayment of sums unduly received to the funders or clients concerned.
Payment to the Treasury of an equivalent sum when repayment is not made (article L6362-7).
Cancellation of the activity declaration in the cases provided by law (article L6351-4), with its consequences: no more training agreements and loss of funding.

Fraudulent practices are also subject to criminal penalties.

What changes with the law of 25 June 2026

Law no. 2026-534 of 25 June 2026, in force since 27 June, strengthens inspections:

inspectors may use an assumed identity to check distance learning and online enrolment (new article L6362-8-1, procedures set by decree);
inspections may use sampling, extrapolating the amounts to recover to the whole activity inspected (article L6361-3);
sums can be reclaimed over three years, extended to ten years for repeated breaches or fraud (new article L6362-8-2);
new grounds for refusing the activity declaration: no premises suited to apprenticeship, a director previously subject to a cancellation or to an unpaid rejection decision (article L6351-3).

Sampling changes the stakes: an error repeated across a few files can be extended to the whole volume inspected.

Getting ready

An organization prepares for inspection as for an audit, continuously:

a complete evidence file for each training action: agreement or contract, programme, notice to attend, attendance sheets or connection logs, assessments, certificates, invoice;
an annual training activity report consistent with the accounts;
written procedures for subcontracting, dropouts and complaints;
accessible archives, to answer document requests quickly.

This is largely what Qualiopi requires: an organization well prepared for its certification audit is also prepared for a DREETS inspection.

Key takeaways

Administrative and financial inspections are run by the DREETS regional control service (Labour Code, articles L6361-1 et seq.).
They check that training took place, its compliance and the use of funds, on documents or on site.
Results are notified; the organization has at least thirty days to respond before any decision.
Sanctions: rejection of expenses, repayment, payment to the Treasury, cancellation of the activity declaration.
Since June 2026: assumed identity, sampling, recovery period of three to ten years.
The best preparation is an evidence file kept up to date for each training action.

Sources

Mentivis keeps your evidence files and annual training report up to date through administrative outsourcing, and prepares your audits with Qualiopi support.

Further reading: Training activity report (BPF) · How to manage training subcontracting legally · VAT and training organizations: the exemption

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Advisory: Outsource training-organization admin