Civil Code of France

CIVIL CODE (France)
MISE A JOUR LEGIFRANCE 21 February 2004
Dernier texte modificateur : ordonnance n° 2004-164 du 20 Feb. 2004
Translated by Georges Rouhette, Professor of Law, with the assistance of
Anne Berton, Research Assistant in English.
CIVIL CODE
English Version (Links to Legifrance)


PRELIMINARY TITLE
OF THE PUBLICATION, OPERATION AND APPLICATION OF STATUTES IN GENERAL
(Art. 1 to 6)

BOOK ONE
OF PERSONS

TITLE ONE
OF CIVIL RIGHTS (7 to 16-12)

Chapter I - Of the Enjoyment of Civil Rights (7 to 15)
Chapter II - Of the Respect of the Human Body (16 to 16-9)
Chapter III - Of the Genetic Study of the Particulars of a Person and of
the Identification of a Person owing to his Genetic Prints (16-10 to 16-12)

TITLE ONE bis
OF FRENCH NATIONALITY (17 to 33-2)

Chapter I - General Provisions (17 to 17-12)
Chapter II - Of French Nationality by Birth (18 to 20-5)

Section I - Of French Persons by Parentage (18 to 18-1)

Section II - Of French Persons by Birth in France (19 to 19-4)

Section III - Common Provisions (20 to 20-5)

Chapter III - Of the Acquisition of French Nationality (21 to 22-3)

Section I - Of the Modes of Acquiring French Nationality (21
to 21-27)
§ 1 - Of the Acquisition of French Nationality by
Reason of Parentage (21)
§ 2 - Of the Acquisition of French Nationality by
Reason of Marriage (21-1 to 21-6)
§ 3 - Of the Acquisition of French Nationality by Reason of
Birth and Residence in France: (21-7 to 21-11)
§ 4 - Of the Acquisition of French Nationality by
Reason of a Declaration of Nationality (21-12 to
21-14)
§ 5 - Of the Acquisition of French Nationality by a
Decision of the Government (21-14-1 to 21-25-1)
§ 6 - Provisions Common to some Modes of Acquiring French
Nationality (21-26 to 21-27)

Section II - Of the Effects of Acquiring French Nationality (22
to 22-3)

Chapter IV - Of Loss and Forfeiture of, and of Reinstatement in French
Nationality (23 to 25-1)

Section I - Of Loss of French Nationality (23 to 23-9)
Section II - Of Reinstatement in French Nationality (24 to 24-
3)
Section III - Of Forfeiture of French Nationality (25 to 25-1)

Chapter V - Of Acts related to Acquisition or Loss of French Nationality
(26 to 28-1)

Section I - Of Declarations of Nationality (26 to 26-5)
Section II - Of Administrative Decisions (27 to 27-3)
Section III - Of Mentions on the Registers of Civil Registry
(28 and 28-1)

Chapter VI - Of Disputes in Matters of Nationality (29 to 31-3)

Section I - Of the Jurisdiction of Judicial Courts and the
Proceedings therein (29 to 29-5)
Section II - Of the Proof of Nationality before Judicial Courts
(30 to 34)
Section III - Of Certificates of French Nationality (31 to 31-
3)

Chapter VII - Of the Effects on French Nationality of Transfers of
Sovereignty relating to Certain Territories (32 to 32-5)

Chapter VIII - Special Provisions regarding Overseas Territories (33 to 33-
2)

TITLE II
OF RECORDS OF CIVIL STATUS (34 to 101)

Chapter I - General Provisions (34 to 54)
Chapter II - Of Records of Birth (55 to 62)

Section I - Of Declarations of Birth (55 to 59)
Section II - Of Changes of First Names and Name (60 to 61-4)
Section III - Of Record of Acknowledgement of an Illegitimate
Child (62 to 62-1)

Chapter III - Of Records of Marriage (63 to 76)
Chapter IV - Of Records of Death (77 to 92)
Chapter V - Of Records of Civil Status concerning Soldiers and Mariners in
some Special Circumstances (93 to 97)
Chapter VI - Of the Civil Status of Persons Born Abroad Who Acquire or
Recover French Nationality (98 to 98-4)
Chapter VII - Of the Rectification of Records of Civil Status (99 to 101)

TITLE III
OF DOMICILE (102 to 111)


TITLE IV
OF ABSENTEES (112 to 143)

Chapter I - Of Presumption of Absence (112 to 121)
Chapter II - Of Declaration of Absence (122 to 143)

TITLE V
OF MARRIAGE (144 to 228)

Chapter I - Of the Qualifications and Conditions Required for Contracting a
Marriage (144 to 164)
Chapter II - Of the Formalities Relating to the Celebration of Marriage
(165 to 171)
Chapter III - Of Formal Objections to Marriage (172 to 179)
Chapter IV - Of Applications for the Annulment of a Marriage (180 to 202)
Chapter V - Of the Obligations Arising from Marriage (203 to 211)
Chapter VI - Of the Respective Rights and Duties of the Spouses (212 to
226)
Chapter VII - Of the Dissolution of Marriage (227)
Chapter VIII - Of Second Marriages (228)

TITLE VI
OF DIVORCE (229 to 310)

Chapter I - Of Cases for Divorce (229 to 246)

Section I - Of Divorce by Mutual Consent (230 to 236)
§ 1 - Of Divorce on Joint Petition by the Spouses
(230 to 232)
§ 2 - Of Divorce Petitioned by one Spouse and
Accepted by the Other (233 to 236)
Section II - Of Divorce for Breakdown of Community Life (237 to
241)
Section III - Of Divorce for Fault (242 to 246)

Chapter II - Of Divorce Proceedings (247 to 259-3)

Section I - General Provisions (247 to 250)
Section II - Of Conciliation (251 to 252-3)
Section III - Of Interim Orders (253 to 258)
Section IV - Of Evidence (259 to 259-3)

Chapter III - Of the Consequences of Divorce (260 to 295)

Section I - Of the Date at which Divorce takes Effect (260 to
262-2)
Section II - Of the Consequences of Divorce for the Spouses
(263 to 285-1)
§ 1 - General Provisions (263 to 264-1)
§ 2 - Of the Consequences Peculiar to the Various
Cases for Divorce (265 to 269)
§ 3 - Of Compensatory Benefits (270 to 280-1)
§ 4 - Of the Duty of Support after Divorce (282 to
285)
§ 5 - Of Lodging (285-1)
Section III - Of the Consequences of Divorce for the Children
(286 to 295)

Chapter IV - Of Judicial Separation (296 to 309)

Section I - Of Cases and Proceedings for Judicial Separation
(296 to 298)
Section II - Of the Consequences of Judicial Separation (299 to
304)
Section III - Of the End of Judicial Separation (305 to 309)

Chapter V - Of the Conflict of Laws in Matters of Divorce and Judicial
Separation (310)

TITLE VII
OF PARENT AND CHILD (I) (311 to 342-8)

Chapter I - Provisions Common to Legitimate and Illegitimate Children (311
to 311-22)

Section I - Of Presumptions Relating to Parentage (311 to 311-
3)
Section II - Of Actions Relating to Parentage (311-4 to 311-13)
Section III - Of the Conflict of Laws Relating to Parentage
(311-14 to 311-18)
Section IV - Of Medically Assisted Procreation (311-19 and 311-
20)
Section V - Of the Rules of Devolution of Family Name (311-21
and 311-22)

Chapter II - Of Legitimate Children (312 to 333-6)

Section I - Of the Presumption of Paternity (312 to 318-2)
Section II - Of Proofs of Legitimacy (319 to 328)
Section III - Of Legitimation (329 to 333-6)
§ 1 - Of Legitimation by Marriage (331 to 332-1)
§ 2 - Of Legitimation on the Authority of the Court
(333 to 333-6)

Chapter III - Of Illegitimate Children (334 to 342-8)

Section I - Of the Effects of Illegitimacy and of the Modes of
Establishing Illegitimate Kinship in General (334 to 334-10)
Section II - Of the Acknowledgement of Illegitimate Children
(335 to 339)
Section III - Of Paternity or Maternity Suits (340 to 341-1)
Section IV - Of the Action for Purpose of Subsidies (342 to 342-
8)

TITLE VIII
OF ADOPTION (343 to 370-5)

Chapter I - Of Plenary Adoption (343 to 359)

Section I - Of the Requisites for Plenary Adoption (343 to 350)
Section II - Of the Placing for Purpose of Plenary Adoption and of the
Judgment of Plenary Adoption (351 to 354)
Section III - Of the Effects of Plenary Adoption (355 to 359)

Chapter II - Of Ordinary Adoption (360 to 370-2)

Section I - Of Requisites and Judgment (360 to 362)
Section II - Of the Effects of Ordinary Adoption (363 to 370-2)

Chapter III - Of the Conflict of Laws relating to Adoption and of the
Effects in France of Adoptions Ordered Abroad (370-3 to 370-5)

TITLE IX
OF PARENT AND CHILD (II : OF PARENTAL AUTHORITY) (371 to 387)

Chapter I - Of Parental Authority with regard to the Person of a Child (371
to 381)

Section I : Of the Exercise of Parental Authority (372 to 374-
2)
§ 1 - Ge