Legal ages in France
In France: age of majority 18, voting age 18, minimum age to marry 18, age of consent 15, age of criminal responsibility 13, alcohol purchase age 18.
Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Age of majority
18 years
The age at which a person becomes an adult in civil law: able to sign contracts, own and manage property in their own name, and leave parental authority.
Minimum age to marry
18 years
The public prosecutor can allow a marriage below 18 for serious reasons.
The lowest age at which the law allows a marriage, in the general rule.
Age of consent
15 years
A higher age (18) applies to a relationship of authority, and a close-in-age rule applies.
The age at which the law treats a person as able to consent to sexual activity.
Age of criminal responsibility
13 years
Presumed responsible from 13; responsibility is judged individually, with a separate juvenile justice code.
The lowest age at which a child can be held criminally responsible.
Voting age
18 years
The age at which a citizen may vote in national elections.
Alcohol purchase age
18 years
The lowest age at which a person may legally buy alcohol, in the general rule.
More about France
Sources
- Inter-Parliamentary Union: Parline, the global data hub on parliaments
- UNICEF: child marriage data and legal minimum ages
- UN Committee on the Rights of the Child: minimum ages of criminal responsibility
- WHO Global Information System on Alcohol and Health
For the exact rule and its text, use France’s own legislation, which is the authority.
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TheLawToKnow Tools’s legal ages guide is an educational overview of general rules. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace the country’s own law or a lawyer in the country. Report a mistake.
