Usually contested by 154 clubs, the Championnat National 3 operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Championnat National 2 and the regional leagues of the Division d'Honneur, the sixth division of French football.

The competition was founded in 1993 as National 3 and lasted for five years before being converted to Championnat de France Amateur 2 in 1998.

In 2017 the FFF reorganised amateur football and the restructured 5th level again became Championnat National 3.

[2] During the course of a season, usually from August to May, each club plays the others in their respective group twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 26 games.

At least the bottom three teams in each group are relegated to the Regional league's top division.

[4][5][6][7] As part of the restructuring of the French football league system by the French Football Federation between 2022 and 2026, the league was gradually restructured over three seasons from the pre-2023 structure of 168 teams (12 groups of 14) to 154 teams (11 groups of 14) in 2023–24.