Day 3398 (Monday) 28th September 2026

This photo was taken from Castle Hill in Nice

and this is the fort in Mont Boron.

I found this article about strange laws in France, it’s very entertaining and I’ll post it over two days… 

19 Weird French Laws Thought bizarre even in France by Leyla Alyanak

Weird French laws range from outdated Napoleonic rules to local regulations that still raise eyebrows today. This article looks at which ones still exist, which are misunderstood or unenforced, and what they reveal about the French.

Every country has its collection of strange laws but some weird French laws really should be struck off the books: they’re too ancient, too old-fashioned, or simply too stupid.

Some weird laws in France actually still make sense, despite their age, and it’s easy to see how or why their application might make life a little easier.

Others can be frustrating, like the one about frogs (#10 below).

And yet others will simply make you laugh at their implausibility.

But they're all... very French.

Napoleonic Code presented by Napoleon to Empress Josephine, the origin of many weird French laws.

Emperor Napoleon shows off his brand new code to Empress Josephine.

Many laws contained in the Civil Code, also known as the Napoleonic Code, date back to Napoleon Bonaparte, who died more than 200 years ago.

I’m not a lawyer and I can’t vouch for the existence or validity of these laws beyond the references I’ve added, should you doubt my word. Beware, though, these references are from French government websites and are, of course, in French. Sorry about that, but in this case, it’s French or nothing… I don’t expect you to read them, but they’re there to prove my point.

Weird French laws that time forgot

Time may have forgotten these laws, but perhaps it should make an effort to remember: they can be stuffy, antiquated, ridiculous, or simply useless.

Are they valid or are they just stupid French laws? Whatever we think, I’m sure some lawyer or bureaucrat somewhere would be quick to tell us just how essential these might be.

1. It is forbidden to speak anything other than French in France

This refers to the oldest law in France, the Edict of Villers-Cotterêts, issued by King François I in 1539. The law was wide-ranging, dealing with everything from justice to centralisation. All its provisions have been superseded – except Articles 110-111, which replace the then lingua franca, Latin, with French.

However well-meaning the law, it only applied to the elite in France, especially useful in disseminating administrative documents. As for the general population, it would take a while longer to abandon their Occitan or their Provençal…

These two articles remain in effect today and still used by the Cour de Cassation (France's highest court). French habits die hard.

2. You can marry your first cousin

In many countries, first cousin marriages would be considered incestuous. Not in France.

Here’s who you CAN’T marry in France:

Your father, mother, child, grand-parent, grand-child

Your brother or sister

Your half-brother or half-sister

Your uncle, aunt, niece or nephew

Do you see “first cousin” anywhere? No you don’t. It’s not there.

But what if you desperately want to marry your aunt or grand-father?

You can, under certain circumstances, but the President of France must first authorise it. What I haven’t been able to find out are what those “certain circumstances” are… (Article 164 of the Civil Code)

3. No kissing in train stations

It would appear (I haven’t been able to find this one) that a 1910 law forbids you from French kissing in a French train station.

Why?

It might delay the train.

4. You must always have hay at home

Of course, should the King come by… he’ll need some for his horses. I haven’t found a legal reference for this outdated law either, but others swear it exists. I could easily believe it existed, once upon a time.

Weird French laws that are just… weird

5. You don’t have to be alive to get married

This is truly one of those strange French laws and seems to apply only if the dead person had the intention of marrying you in the first place.

There’s a hitch, though: the President of France has to give his OK.

Here’s how Article 171 of the Civil Code lays it out. Say you were about to get married but your future spouse died before you had a chance to tie the knot. What then?

Well, if the President agrees, the surviving spouse can still get married, and the marriage will be dated the day before his or her death. I’m not quite sure how the ceremony would unfold… In truth, you can count a handful of posthumous marriages in recent years.

6. Go ahead and steal from your family

Here's some unexpected legal ground: you won’t be punished for your theft, because they cannot file a complaint against you.

Sounds ridiculous, right? I have no idea what’s behind this one, but it’s true. According to Article 311-12 of the French Penal Code, you can’t press charges against family members for theft.

But of course, there are exceptions, for example, if those documents are essential, like a passport or identity papers. Your brother steals those? Head straight for the police station.

7. You cannot disinherit your kids

If you’ve had a fight and haven’t spoken to your child for years, no matter, the law is clear: your son or daughter still inherits (the amounts are fixed by law).

A number of articles in the Civil Code deal with this and French inheritance law is complex. Bottom line – everyone gets an equal share.

There is a major exception: if your child commits murder or manslaughter, or criminally contributes to someone’s death, he or she can be categorised as “indigne”, or unworthy, and excluded from your will. The remaining assets are then redistributed equally.

Family ties are strong here.

No matter how many children you have or how well you get along with them, in France they will inherit their share

8. Want to throw your clothes off when you get home? Don’t!

Careful. You could be fined up to 15,000€ and spend up to a year in jail − at least that’s the case if there’s a chance someone might see you. And double it if a minor might see you.

Article 222-32 of the Penal Code deals with exhibitionism and sexual harassment, and prohibits you from being naked inside your own home if there’s a chance someone might see you.

There are plenty of shades of grey surrounding this law and heaps of exceptions, nonetheless, you can be stepping naked out of your shower and if someone sees you, they could press charges. 

Talk about time to buy those blackout curtains.

9. You cannot name your pig Napoleon

This funny law is a classic, and is often the first quoted of the strange French laws still in existence. It would have been designed to respect the Emperor’s image, way back when.

Except for one thing.

No one can find any legal source for it. It may have existed. It may not have.

So if you really really want to name your cochon Napoléon, you might just get away with it.

10. The frogs in your pond must be quiet

This is an intriguing one, as I have a pond full of loud frogs for several weeks in summer.

According to what has got to be one of the weirdest French laws, if the frogs make too much noise, the neighbours can complain. If they win, they can have your pond sealed or destroyed.

But this creates a bit of a legal conundrum. What happens to the frogs?

You see, in France, frogs are a protected species

According to Article L415-3 of the Environmental Code, anyone who damages these protected species or their environment can be fined up to € 150,000 (USD 162,000) and punished with three years in jail.