Overview

The adresse.data.gouv.fr API provides a public service for managing and accessing French address data. It offers functionalities for geocoding, reverse geocoding, and address search, specifically tailored for locations within France. The service is developed and maintained by the French government, ensuring data quality and comprehensive coverage for both metropolitan France and its overseas territories. Its primary purpose is to serve French public sector initiatives, but it is also available for use by developers, businesses, and individuals who require accurate French address resolution.

The platform aggregates address data from various official sources, including the National Base of Local Addresses (Base Nationale des Adresses Locales – BANO) and the OpenStreetMap project, to create a unified and regularly updated reference. This aggregation aims to provide a reliable and consistent address dataset across the country. Developers can integrate the API into applications for tasks such as validating postal addresses, locating points of interest, or visualizing geographical data on maps. The API is designed for ease of use, requiring no API key for access, which simplifies the integration process for developers. This approach supports widespread adoption, particularly for public services and open data initiatives where accessibility is a priority.

The API is particularly well-suited for projects that demand high precision in French geographical data. For example, logistics companies can use it to optimize delivery routes, urban planning departments can analyze population distribution, and emergency services can locate callers accurately. Unlike general-purpose geocoding APIs that cover multiple countries, adresse.data.gouv.fr focuses exclusively on France, allowing for deeper integration with local data standards and nuances. This specialization often results in higher accuracy for French addresses when compared to broader international geocoding services. Organizations seeking to build applications with a strong French geographical component, from public services to commercial applications, can benefit from its dedicated focus and free availability.

The API's commitment to open data principles means that the underlying datasets are also accessible, allowing for offline processing or custom data analysis for advanced use cases. This transparency and openness align with broader European Union directives on public sector information and open government data. The service supports various query types, from simple address strings to more structured queries incorporating postal codes and city names, offering flexibility in how developers interact with the address database. Its robust infrastructure is built to handle a high volume of requests, making it suitable for scalable applications without incurring usage costs.

Key features

  • Geocoding API: Converts a textual address into geographical coordinates (latitude and longitude) for locations across France. This is essential for mapping and location-based services.
  • Reverse Geocoding API: Transforms geographical coordinates back into a human-readable address, providing contextual information for a given point on a map.
  • Address Search API: Provides an autocomplete or suggestion service for French addresses, helping users find specific locations quickly and accurately by typing partial addresses.
  • Address Normalization API: Standardizes and cleanses address data, correcting common errors and formatting inconsistencies to ensure uniformity and accuracy.
  • Comprehensive French Coverage: Offers detailed and up-to-date address data for all of metropolitan France and its overseas territories, sourced from official government databases.
  • No API Key Required: Simplifies integration by allowing direct access to the API endpoints without the need for authentication credentials, facilitating rapid development and deployment.
  • Free Unlimited Usage: Provides access to all API functionalities without any cost or request limits, making it suitable for projects of any scale, from small prototypes to large-scale public applications.

Pricing

As of 2026-05-28, the adresse.data.gouv.fr API is available free of charge for all users, with no usage limits on requests.

Service Tier Monthly Cost Request Limits Features
Free €0 Unlimited Geocoding, Reverse Geocoding, Address Search, Address Normalization for France

For detailed information on usage terms, refer to the official adresse.data.gouv.fr API documentation.

Common integrations

  • Web Mapping Applications: Integrate with JavaScript mapping libraries like Leaflet or OpenLayers to display geocoded addresses on interactive maps.
  • Logistics and Delivery Platforms: Use geocoding to determine precise delivery locations and optimize routing algorithms for French addresses.
  • CRM Systems: Enhance customer records by validating and standardizing French addresses, improving data quality and segmentation.
  • Emergency Services Dispatch: Quickly geocode incoming calls to pinpoint incident locations for faster response times within France.
  • Urban Planning and GIS Tools: Incorporate accurate address data into geographical information systems for analysis and visualization of urban development and infrastructure.
  • E-commerce Checkout Processes: Validate shipping addresses in real-time during online purchases to reduce delivery errors for French customers.

Alternatives

  • Google Geocoding API: A global geocoding service offering comprehensive address lookup, reverse geocoding, and place search, with a free tier and pay-as-you-go pricing for higher volumes.
  • OpenCage Geocoder: Provides global geocoding and reverse geocoding based on open data sources, with a focus on ease of use and developer-friendly features.
  • Mapbox Geocoding API: Offers customizable geocoding solutions for global addresses, with strong integration into Mapbox's mapping and location platform.
  • ArcGIS Geocoding Service: An enterprise-grade geocoding solution from Esri, providing high-accuracy address matching and batch geocoding capabilities for global datasets, detailed in the ArcGIS Geocoding Service overview.

Getting started

To begin using the adresse.data.gouv.fr API, no authentication is required. You can make direct HTTP requests to the API endpoints. The following example demonstrates how to geocode a French address using curl to obtain its coordinates.

First, specify the address you want to geocode. For instance, let's use "10 rue de la Paix, Paris".

curl "https://api-adresse.data.gouv.fr/search/?q=10%20rue%20de%20la%20Paix%2C%20Paris"

The API will return a JSON object containing a list of features, each representing a potential match for the address. The most relevant result will typically be the first item in the features array. The geographical coordinates are found within the geometry object.

A successful response will include details such as:

{
  "type": "FeatureCollection",
  "version": "draft",
  "features": [
    {
      "type": "Feature",
      "geometry": {
        "type": "Point",
        "coordinates": [
          2.33123,
          48.86987
        ]
      },
      "properties": {
        "label": "10 Rue de la Paix 75002 Paris",
        "score": 0.99,
        "housenumber": "10",
        "id": "75102_6885_00010",
        "name": "10 Rue de la Paix",
        "postcode": "75002",
        "citycode": "75102",
        "x": 652583.51,
        "y": 6863116.73,
        "city": "Paris",
        "district": "Arrondissement de Paris",
        "context": "75, Paris, Île-de-France",
        "importance": 0.675,
        "street": "Rue de la Paix"
      }
    }
  ],
  "attribution": "BAN",
  "licence": "ETALAB-2.0"
}

In this example, the coordinates for "10 Rue de la Paix, Paris" are [2.33123, 48.86987] (longitude, latitude). For more advanced usage, including reverse geocoding or batch processing, consult the adresse.data.gouv.fr API documentation.