What are the rules for drinking in public in France?
From a glass of chilled rosé in the park to a beer while watching sports - here's what France's laws say about drinking in public.
Public drinking is relatively common in France - you'll see people sipping wine and beer in public parks and on the banks of rivers - but even so, you might be wondering what is technically allowed by the law.
Public spaces
Overall, the sale and consumption of alcohol in public spaces is not prohibited in France. That being said, there are some places in France where public drinking is more regulated than others, and this often boils down to local rules.
For example, if a certain area has had an outstanding issue with public drunkenness, local authorities may ban the purchase or sale of alcohol in that area for a specific period of time or between certain hours.
Most local authorities ban drinking and selling alcohol near schools.
Parks are governed by local rules, it's rare for those to ban drinking so taking along a chilled bottle of wine or a few beers with your picnic is usually OK, unless you see signs saying otherwise.
A public space that is not a park - such as a street or river bank - will usually be OK to drink in unless there is a police order in place. In the summer in Paris it's common to see people heading to the banks of the Seine or the Canal Saint-Martin with some friends and a bottle of wine, and this is perfectly legal.
READ MORE: What are the rules on smoking and vaping in France?
Unsurprisingly, private establishments usually have their own rules about the consumption of alcohol on their premises. As for restaurants, some may not have a licence to sell alcohol on its own, so you may be asked to purchase food alongside your drink.
Work environments
In offices and workplaces, it is technically illegal to serve alcohol at staff social events. However, there is an exception for wine, beer and cider. As such, the ban on alcohol refers to spirits - so you would not be able to offer gin and tonics at afterwork drinks in the office, for example (although any kind of inspection on that would be exceedingly rare, so plenty of people ignore the rule).
For many foreigners, it may be particularly surprising to see alcohol in school staff rooms - but seeing as schools are workplaces, they follow the same rules as other places of work (for the teachers that is, wine has not been served to pupils in French schools since 1956).
Sports
Technically alcohol is banned in all sports grounds but there are a number of exceptions that can be used - for example clubs that also serve food can get a catering licence while local authorities can offer up to 10 exemptions per year for sports grounds.
In practice, a lot depends on the sport you want to watch.
If you wanted to enjoy a beer while watching a football game in France, you will likely be disappointed. Football clubs are tightly regulated when it comes to the sale of alcohol during matches. As such, most professional domestic games - and international ones - are dry.
Alcohol is usually served outside the ground - along with hot dogs and frites - for big matches, though.
For lower league football, the approach to alcohol can be more flexible, either because there is less likely to be an inspection by regulatory authorities or because local officials have given authorisation.
For other sports things are a little more flexible and beer, wine and cider is typically on sale at all rugby games including internationals. The sale of alcohol was allowed for the first time this year during the French Open at Roland Garros.
Other sports it depends on the club as to whether they choose to try and get a full-time licence or rely on temporary exceptions for certain matches, but it’s usually possible to get a drink if you’re watching basketball or handball.
Paris Olympics
Organisers of the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics have announced that alcohol will not be on sale at any of the Games venues.
The only exception is for VIPS, where 'free' wine or Champagne is included in the price of their very expensive ticket.
In contrast, alcohol was available at all matches during the Rugby World Cup, hosted by France in September and October 2023. Jacques Rivoal, Chairman of the World Rugby Organising Committee, said in the run-up to the competition: "We can't imagine a Rugby World Cup without beer in the stadiums.”
In fact Scottish and Irish fans broke the record for the most beer ever sold at Stade de France during their pool stage game there (137,000 pints of beer between 78,459 spectators).
Public drunkenness
While the sale and consumption of alcohol might be allowed, being drunk in public is a criminal offence in France, and can be punishable by a fine of up to €150. French law does not have a defined blood-alcohol level to define public intoxication - it is assessed by law enforcement officers according to the situation.
While motorway service station restaurants usually sell wine and beer, this is unsurprisingly intended for passengers not drivers. Anyone operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol level equal to or greater than 0.5 grams per litre of blood is considered to be drunk driving, which is a crime in France.
READ MORE: 'Don't mess with French cops' - Top tips for dealing with police in France
Foreigners in France should keep in mind that French police can stop you at any time for an ID check or traffic stop, and for many minor offences they can issue a fine and under certain circumstances they can arrest you.
In a previous interview, The Local spoke with Maître Matthieu Chirez, who specialises in French criminal law at the J.P. Karsenty & Associates law firm. He said that: "Foreigners often interact with French police in situations of drunkenness and traffic stops."
A representative from the US Embassy in France, Jay Epping, also told The Local that public drunkenness is a common scenario for when foreigners might be arrested or detained.
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Public drinking is relatively common in France - you'll see people sipping wine and beer in public parks and on the banks of rivers - but even so, you might be wondering what is technically allowed by the law.
Public spaces
Overall, the sale and consumption of alcohol in public spaces is not prohibited in France. That being said, there are some places in France where public drinking is more regulated than others, and this often boils down to local rules.
For example, if a certain area has had an outstanding issue with public drunkenness, local authorities may ban the purchase or sale of alcohol in that area for a specific period of time or between certain hours.
Most local authorities ban drinking and selling alcohol near schools.
Parks are governed by local rules, it's rare for those to ban drinking so taking along a chilled bottle of wine or a few beers with your picnic is usually OK, unless you see signs saying otherwise.
A public space that is not a park - such as a street or river bank - will usually be OK to drink in unless there is a police order in place. In the summer in Paris it's common to see people heading to the banks of the Seine or the Canal Saint-Martin with some friends and a bottle of wine, and this is perfectly legal.
READ MORE: What are the rules on smoking and vaping in France?
Unsurprisingly, private establishments usually have their own rules about the consumption of alcohol on their premises. As for restaurants, some may not have a licence to sell alcohol on its own, so you may be asked to purchase food alongside your drink.
Work environments
In offices and workplaces, it is technically illegal to serve alcohol at staff social events. However, there is an exception for wine, beer and cider. As such, the ban on alcohol refers to spirits - so you would not be able to offer gin and tonics at afterwork drinks in the office, for example (although any kind of inspection on that would be exceedingly rare, so plenty of people ignore the rule).
For many foreigners, it may be particularly surprising to see alcohol in school staff rooms - but seeing as schools are workplaces, they follow the same rules as other places of work (for the teachers that is, wine has not been served to pupils in French schools since 1956).
Sports
Technically alcohol is banned in all sports grounds but there are a number of exceptions that can be used - for example clubs that also serve food can get a catering licence while local authorities can offer up to 10 exemptions per year for sports grounds.
In practice, a lot depends on the sport you want to watch.
If you wanted to enjoy a beer while watching a football game in France, you will likely be disappointed. Football clubs are tightly regulated when it comes to the sale of alcohol during matches. As such, most professional domestic games - and international ones - are dry.
Alcohol is usually served outside the ground - along with hot dogs and frites - for big matches, though.
For lower league football, the approach to alcohol can be more flexible, either because there is less likely to be an inspection by regulatory authorities or because local officials have given authorisation.
For other sports things are a little more flexible and beer, wine and cider is typically on sale at all rugby games including internationals. The sale of alcohol was allowed for the first time this year during the French Open at Roland Garros.
Other sports it depends on the club as to whether they choose to try and get a full-time licence or rely on temporary exceptions for certain matches, but it’s usually possible to get a drink if you’re watching basketball or handball.
Paris Olympics
Organisers of the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics have announced that alcohol will not be on sale at any of the Games venues.
The only exception is for VIPS, where 'free' wine or Champagne is included in the price of their very expensive ticket.
In contrast, alcohol was available at all matches during the Rugby World Cup, hosted by France in September and October 2023. Jacques Rivoal, Chairman of the World Rugby Organising Committee, said in the run-up to the competition: "We can't imagine a Rugby World Cup without beer in the stadiums.”
In fact Scottish and Irish fans broke the record for the most beer ever sold at Stade de France during their pool stage game there (137,000 pints of beer between 78,459 spectators).
Public drunkenness
While the sale and consumption of alcohol might be allowed, being drunk in public is a criminal offence in France, and can be punishable by a fine of up to €150. French law does not have a defined blood-alcohol level to define public intoxication - it is assessed by law enforcement officers according to the situation.
While motorway service station restaurants usually sell wine and beer, this is unsurprisingly intended for passengers not drivers. Anyone operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol level equal to or greater than 0.5 grams per litre of blood is considered to be drunk driving, which is a crime in France.
READ MORE: 'Don't mess with French cops' - Top tips for dealing with police in France
Foreigners in France should keep in mind that French police can stop you at any time for an ID check or traffic stop, and for many minor offences they can issue a fine and under certain circumstances they can arrest you.
In a previous interview, The Local spoke with Maître Matthieu Chirez, who specialises in French criminal law at the J.P. Karsenty & Associates law firm. He said that: "Foreigners often interact with French police in situations of drunkenness and traffic stops."
A representative from the US Embassy in France, Jay Epping, also told The Local that public drunkenness is a common scenario for when foreigners might be arrested or detained.
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