Law on the Protection of the Russian Language: what has changed for businesses since March 1, 2026.

Key Requirements Introduced by the Law on the Protection of the Russian Language

The Law on the Protection of the Russian Language applies to information displayed for public viewing in public places using signs and other means (inscriptions, pointers, plaques, symbols, structures, etc.), but it does not apply to advertising structures (rules regarding "protection of the Russian language" for these were introduced earlier). Thus, the Law on the Protection of the Russian Language establishes the following requirements:

• Texts on signs, logos, and key elements of website interfaces (menus, buttons, explanations) must be in Russian. The use of "Anglicisms" not included in normative Russian dictionaries (e.g., "brainstorm," "longread") is not permitted;
• Displaying text in other languages is permitted only if identical information is simultaneously provided in Russian. When duplicated, the Russian text must convey the same meaning as the foreign language text and be comparable in presentation (size, color, font, etc.). The use of foreign words alongside Russian words is not permitted if they are mentioned within the same sentence on a website/logo, rather than as a translation.

Exceptions to the mandatory duplication rule: mention of a company name, trademark, or service mark registered by an organization, on signs/logos/websites.

Such elements may be presented in a foreign language on signs/logos/websites without the need for duplication in the state language of the Russian Federation, provided they are not part of the descriptive information about the services provided (Clause 2, Article 1 of the Law on the Protection of the Russian Language).

Liability for Non-Compliance with the Law on the Protection of the Russian Language

Violation of the Law on the Protection of the Russian Language incurs administrative fines ranging from 500 rubles to 1,000 rubles (for individual entrepreneurs) and from 5,000 rubles to 10,000 rubles (for legal entities) (Part 1, Article 14.8 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation).

Please note that such sanctions apply only to the public display of information not related to advertising. For advertising goods/services/other activities in violation of the law, different liability applies: an administrative fine ranging from 2,000 rubles to 2,500 rubles (for individuals), from 4,000 rubles to 20,000 rubles (for individual entrepreneurs), and from 100,000 rubles to 500,000 rubles (for legal entities) (Part 1, Article 14.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation).

Conclusion

Organizations and individual entrepreneurs must now ensure the priority use of the Russian language for public information: all information on signs/websites must be presented in Russian.

The use of English is still permitted, but only when an equivalent version in Russian, identical in meaning and presentation, is also provided. This requirement can be waived only if such a foreign name is registered in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities (EGRYUL) / or if a registered trademark or company name exists.

C Cases Recommendations

To minimize risks, the C Cases team recommends that legal entities and individual entrepreneurs:

• conduct an audit of all logos/signs/websites for compliance with the Law on the Protection of the Russian Language;
• bring non-compliant elements into conformity with new requirements, including ensuring the completeness of the Russian version, correctly implementing language switching, and duplicating English-language elements in Russian (if necessary);
• register a foreign corporate name in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities (if not already registered), if you do not plan to change all signs/logos/other elements.

The corporate name of a legal entity is registered in the following order:

• Preparation of an amended version of the legal entity's charter, containing the corporate name (in Russian and foreign languages);
• Adoption and signing of a resolution by the sole participant of the legal entity on amending the charter and the Unified State Register of Legal Entities;
• Payment of state duty;
• Filling out and submitting an application to the Federal Tax Service of Russia.

The corporate name of a legal entity in a foreign language may differ from the name in Russian, but must not be misleading, contradict the name in Russian, or infringe on the rights of third parties. Specifically, the corporate name in a foreign language may contain foreign borrowings in Russian transcription / be a literal translation of the legal entity's name in Russian, but in any case, it must correspond to the corporate name in Russian;

• register a trademark.

Please note: the process requires significant time (the maximum period is 18 months and 2 weeks, not including the preliminary stage of preparing all necessary documents) and considerable expenses (from 35,000 rubles): the cost depends on the number of Nice Classification classes and includes expenses for application registration, examination, and the trademark registration itself.

If you wish to check websites/signs and other information intended for public consumption for compliance with the Law on the Protection of the Russian Language, or if you plan to change your corporate name or register a trademark, the C Cases team is ready to conduct a comprehensive audit and propose optimal measures to minimize the risks of liability, taking into account your goals.

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Sources

• Civil Code of the Russian Federation;
• Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation;
• Federal Law No. 168-FZ of June 24, 2025 "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation."