Hunting insurance - civil liability of the hunter
Verified 14 August 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)
What insurance is mandatory for the hunting ? What documents present in case of control ? What to do in case of termination of your contract ? We tell you the main rules to know concerning insurance for hunting.
You must subscribe to a insurance that guarantees your civil liability as a hunter.
This insurance covers you for bodily injury, materials and intangible that you can cause to another person. For example, when shooting, if you injure another hunter.
This insurance must meet the following conditions:
- Guarantee your civil liability for an unlimited amount
- Do not plan to forfeiture enforceable against victims or their rights holders
- Cover your civil liability because of your dogs. You are responsible for damage caused by your dogs.
A victim of a hunting accident can claim compensation from the Guarantee Fund for Compulsory Damage Insurance (FGAO) when no insurance can intervene.
Consult the compensation booklet to know the steps to be taken.
During a control in hunting action, you must submit the following documents:
- The certificate of insurance
- Your hunting permit
- The validation of your hunting license with a departmental hunting federation.
In case of termination or suspension your hunting insurance policy, your hunting license ceases to be valid and you is temporarily withdrawn.
This is the case, for example, if your insurance contract is suspended for non-payment of contributions.
Your insurer will inform theOFB: titleContent in the event of termination or suspension of your hunting insurance contract.
You must submit the validation of your hunting license to theOFB: titleContent.
Who shall I contact
By post
French Office for Biodiversity
Hunting Permit Service
BP 20
78612 LE PERRAY EN YVELINES CEDEX
To recover the validation of your hunting license, you must justify being covered again by insurance civil liability for hunting.
You risk a fine of €30,000 and 2 years in prison.
Individual accident insurance
Individual accident insurance indemnifies you if you suffer bodily harm during an accident, whether or not you are responsible. For example, if you fall and injure yourself with your weapon.
The coverage varies according to the contracts: medical expenses, material goods (weapon, clothing, financial,…), damage in case of work stoppage or invalidity, intervention of a home help, etc.
FYI
Insurers offer different guarantees. For example to cover your dogs against the damage they may suffer during hunting. Check with your insurer to find the formula best suited to your profile.
Guarantee legal protection
The guarantee legal protection is an insurance that allows you to benefit from a legal advice or the assistance of a lawyer in a legal proceedings.
This guarantee may be useful in particular in 2 types of situations :
- You ask for repair to another person for harm you feel you have suffered
- You you have to defend yourself, because another person believes that he or she has suffered damage for which you are responsible.
Special provisions for hunting accidents in mainland France
Obligation to take out insurance (Articles L423-16 to L423-18)
Obligation to take out insurance (Articles R423-15 to L423-18)
Fighter Civil Liability Insurance
Search tools
FAQ
Service Public
Service Public
Insurance Bank Savings Info Service
French Office for Biodiversity (OFB)
French Office for Biodiversity (OFB)
Guarantee Fund for Compulsory Insurance (FGAO)
National Federation of Hunters
Legifrance