12 Strange French Laws You Probably Haven’t Heard Of

Do you know that there are some incredibly strange and funny laws in France?

France may be among the top of practically everyone’s travel bucket list for countless reasons, but it is no different from other countries when it comes to quirks.

Yes, France has its fair share of weirdness – and some of its laws are no exception.

Come and take a look at these 12 strange French laws you probably haven’t heard of before.

12 Strange French Laws You Probably Haven’t Heard Of

1. You can marry the dead in France

The former French President Charles de Gaulle made posthumous marriage legal in France by Article 171 of the civil code. This law was created to legitimize children that a woman might have.

However, it does not bestow the living spouse the right to inherit the deceased spouse’s money or properties.

After the posthumous marriage, the living spouse automatically becomes a widow or widower.

2. Adult children can sue their parents for financial support in France

This is one of those laws that are more outrageous than weird.

In France, there are cases of adult children suing their parents for financial support – and winning, too. In 2007, a mother was sued by her 21-year-old daughter and was ordered by a court to pay a monthly sum to help cover her daughter’s school costs overseas.

The obligation of French parents to “nourish, maintain, and raise” their children dates back to 1804, in the article 203 of the Napoleonic law. This is imposed after – and, in some cases, long after – a child reaches the age of 18.

3. French parents can prevent their adult children from getting married.

This is another strange Napoleonic law that still exists today. In France, parents can legally oppose their children’s marriage for any reason.

A case took place in 2010 when the parents of a Frenchman kept him from marrying a foreigner in their belief that she was only using their son in order to protect her immigration status.

4. You cannot disinherit your children in France.

Yes, under French inheritance laws, you cannot disinherit your children. You are even required to leave specific minimum amounts to your children. The strict law is yet again derived from the Napoleonic Code. French inheritance law (or estate law) essentially dictates “forced heirship.”

A case took place in 2007, when a French musician who had six decades of career in France moved to the United States and had two children there, leaving two grown children in his homeland. He died a Frenchman, giving his older children the right to his estate as per French inheritance law.

The same law also states that a child may willingly renounce his or her inheritance through a legal process. This means that if a parent wishes to disinherit a child, the legal consent of the said child is required.

5. You can marry your cousin in France.

Perhaps this is not quite as bizarre to some other nationalities, especially since it’s rather common in Europe. Yes, in this age there are still a number of countries where first-cousin marriages are as legal as breathing.

While this practice may not be deemed taboo by the French and their fellow European neighbors, it is discouraged due to genetic disorders caused by inbreeding.

6. It’s illegal to kiss in train stations in France

And moreso when the train is at the platform!

Couples kissing hello or good-bye in train stations cause delays to the service and this is costly. This law was introduced by the Société national du Chemin de fer to avoid these delays and overcrowding in train stations. It came into effect in 1910.

Since becoming a law, however, no formal penalty has been imposed to this day.

7. The French law dictates bakers how to make and sell bread.

The French bread law states that traditional baguettes should only be made with 4 ingredients: wheat flour, water, salt, and yeast. Baguettes also have to be made on the premises they’re sold and can’t be frozen at any stage. This is to ensure the bread is always fresh and does not contain additives or preservatives.

Yes, the French take their bread very seriously.

8. French bakers can be fined for opening too often.

As already mentioned, the French do take their bread very seriously.

The law governs when and how often bakers can keep their stores open. Bakeries must close for at least a day of rest per week. So when a baker in the French department of Aube in the Grand Est region of northeastern France stayed open 7 days of the week in the busy summer of 2017, he was fined by the government with €3000.

Four other French bakers in the southwest of the country have been fined as well for selling baguettes every day of the week.

9. Ketchup is banned in schools in France.

In October 2011, France passed a law that banned the use of ketchup in all school and college cafeterias in France – except on French fries!

The law is said to be created “in order to protect the integrity of the traditional Gallic [French] cuisine.”

However, the law actually states that all sauces – including mayonnaise and vinaigrette – must not be in free access. They should be served according to the dish. The goal was to keep kids from smothering their plate with these demonic sauces loaded with fat.

10. In France, it is especially bad to die at home on a weekend.

France’s state role in regulating the daily lives – and even death! – of its citizens remains strong. By law, a dead body can’t be moved until medical doctor verifies that the death is natural and notes its cause.

This becomes a growing problem for most citizens in “medical deserts” or areas where there is no adequate access to healthcare. If a person dies on a weekend, his or her grieving family will be forced to keep the dead body at home for hours or for days until an MD is available. Sometimes they have to wait until Monday, when normal business days resume.

11. Snails must pay for a ticket to travel on a French train.

According to regulations imposed by the SNCF (Société nationale des chemins de fer français), France’s national state-owned railway company, all domesticated animals must have their own tickets to ride the train. Snails are no exemption, as in the case that occured in 2008, when a TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse or “high-speed train”) passenger was fined for traveling with live snails in his luggage.

Ticket price depends on the animal’s weight, usually 50% of a regular second-class ticket if the animal is over 6kg. Guide dogs, however, can ride trains for free.

12. You can’t sell photos of Eiffel Tower taken at night.

Without getting prior permission, at least.

The Eiffel Tower is now in the public domain, having its copyright expired in 1993. This means you can legally take, share, publish, or sell as many photos (or videos) of the tower as you want. However, this right to these photos is limited to daytime.

It appears that the tower’s nighttime light feature was only added in 1985, making it still protected under the French copyright law as an artistic work.

Hence, you can’t sell photos and videos of the Eiffel Tower taken at night without first securing permit from the Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel.