Appeal to the Administrative Court of Appeal (CAA)
Verified 24 September 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
You have received a judgment of the administrative court and you consider that the solution given to your dispute is not in accordance with the facts of your case or the applicable legal rules? You can appeal the judgment to an Administrative Court of Appeal (ACA). We present you the information to know.
In principle, you can appeal to an Administrative Court of Appeal against all decisions made by the Administrative Court.
The letter accompanying the notification the decision of the administrative tribunal shall indicate whether an appeal to an administrative court of appeal is possible.
The appeal is used to request the annulment or amendment of the decision of the administrative tribunal.
The query appeal must not be limited to repeating the arguments developed before the administrative tribunal and must include critical of the contested decision.
The appeal is not suspensive.
La decision which is the subject of appeal must therefore apply, except as otherwise provided by law (for example, for a interim relief-suspension).
However, you can apply to the Administrative Court of Appeal for a stay of execution of the decision which is the subject of the appeal, pending its judgment.
To do this, you must present a query distinct the appeal, accompanied by a copy of this appeal.
FYI
In order for the stay of execution of the decision to be accepted, you must submit means serious enough to justify your request.
The time limit for appeal is set out in notification of the contested decision.
The deadline varies depending on your place of residence and the nature of the decision:
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You live in metropolitan France
The time frame varies depending on the nature of your call:
General case
You have 2 months to appeal after notification of the decision of the Administrative Court.
For an emergency referral
You have 15 days to appeal after notification of the decision of the Administrative Court.
You live overseas
The time frame varies depending on the nature of your call:
General case
You have 3 months to appeal after notification of the decision of the Administrative Court.
For an emergency referral
You have 1 month and 15 days to appeal after notification of the decision of the Administrative Court.
You reside abroad
The time frame varies depending on the nature of your call:
General case
You have 4 months to appeal after notification of the decision of the Administrative Court.
For an emergency referral
You have 2 months and 15 days to appeal after notification of the decision of the Administrative Court.
FYI
If the appeal period is less than 2 months, it must be mentioned in the notification of the decision. Otherwise, the applicable deadline is 2 months.
The way to deposit the query varies depending on whether it is filed by yourself or by a lawyer :
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By yourself
You can file your request to several ways :
Online
You can submit your request via the teleservice Citizens' telemedicine :
Citizens' telemedicine (appeal to the administrative judge)
The request must be signed and includes the following items :
- Your surname, first names and address
- The purpose of the request
- The precise statement of the facts and means
- The legal arguments that seem to you to show that the court's decision is irregular or does not give the right solution to the dispute before it
- The statement of conclusions submitted to the judge (e.g. full or partial annulment of the decision).
You must also attach to your request a copy of the decision which you are challenging.
On site
The request may be filed with the graft of the administrative court of appeal concerned.
The request must be signed and includes the following items :
- Your surname, first names and address
- The purpose of the request
- The precise statement of the facts and means
- The legal arguments that seem to you to show that the court's decision is irregular or does not give the right solution to the dispute before it
- The statement of conclusions submitted to the judge (e.g. full or partial annulment of the decision).
You must also attach to your request a copy of the decision which you are challenging.
By post
The request may be addressed to graft of the administrative court of appeal concerned by post, preferably by RAR: titleContent.
The request must be signed and includes the following items :
- Your surname, first names and address
- The purpose of the request
- The precise statement of the facts and means
- The legal arguments that seem to you to show that the court's decision is irregular or does not give the right solution to the dispute before it
- The statement of conclusions submitted to the judge (e.g. full or partial annulment of the decision).
You must also attach to your request a copy of the decision which you are challenging.
By a lawyer
Your lawyer must transmit your query signed via teleservice Removal.
But if the lawyer is not yet registered in the teleservice Removal, it may send the request by any means.
In principleappeal to the Administrative Court of Appeal is free of charge.
However, you must take a lawyer and pay his fees (except for disputes relating to highway traffic ticket).
Reminder
Depending on your income and the value of your assets, you can apply for legal aid.
You can also ask the Administrative Court of Appeal to order the other party to reimburse you for your legal fees. You must make a written request. You must also attach all documents justifying the amount of the advanced fees (quote, invoice, etc.).
Instruction
Instruction begins as soon as the graft has recorded the query.
One rapporteur is appointed by the president of the court to follow the instruction.
The rapporteur shall fix the time limit for parties to produce their briefs.
The rapporteur may also ask the parties to attach any documents relevant to the resolution of the dispute.
The investigation is based on written submissions presenting the arguments of the two parties.
In addition to the written instruction, a oral instruction session can be organized.
The oral instruction session allows to have a adversarial debate on the factors relevant to the determination of the dispute.
When the investigation is completed, the case is placed on a judgment session.
The chairman of the panel of judges shall prescription the date from which the statement is closed.
This order is not motivated and may not be appealed against.
Summons to the hearing
The date of hearing shall be communicated to each part by registered letter with AR: titleContent (or via teleservice Citizens' telemedicine) at least 7 days before the hearing.
Warning
In urgent cases, the time limit may be reduced to 2 days by an express decision of the presiding judge.
This decision has the effect of changing the closure of the investigation, which is now taking place during the hearing. It constitutes an exceptional measure, justified by urgency and supervised in order to ensure compliance with the contradictory.
Conduct of the hearing
The chairman of the panel shall open the hearing and give the floor to the rapporteur, to present the case.
The rapporteur recalled the content of the query and presents the arguments of each of the parties.
Then the floor is given to the public rapporteur which shall deliver its conclusions.
Please note
For some disputes, the public rapporteur does not pronounce no conclusions. These are the following disputes :
- Driving license
- Refusal of assistance from the police to execute a court decision
- Naturalization
- Entry, stay and removal of aliens, except expulsion
- Housing tax and property tax on built properties relating to residential and business premises
- Benefit, allowance or entitlement granted in respect of social assistance or social action, housing or in favor of workers deprived of employment
- Designation of Senatorial Voters
- Injunctions withdrawals taken on the basis of Articles 3 and 4 of Regulation (EU) 2021/784 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2021
- Requests to remove illegal content (apology for terrorism, dissemination of pornographic images or representations of minors or supply of narcotics) to internet service providers.
The parties may then make oral submissions, either in person or by their counsel, in support of their conclusions written.
Exceptionally, the presiding judge may request clarification from any person present whose hearing one of the parties would like.
At the end of the hearing, the case is deliberate.
Deliberation and decision
Judges deliberate without the presence of the parties and the public rapporteur. Deliberation is secret.
Unless the decision is rendered directly at the end of the hearing, the parties may consult it with the registry of the Administrative Court of Appeal. The decision is then sent to them by registered letter AR: titleContent to their home.
The decision is motivated, that is to say, it indicates the reasons on which the judges' decision is based.
Yes, you can make a appeal in cassation or form a third party opposition against the decision of the administrative court of appeal.
It is also possible to make a action for correction of material error where the decision given contains a clerical error which may have influenced the judgment of the case.
Ways and deadlines of appeal are indicated in the letter of notification of the judge's decision.
Increased appeal time in overseas and abroad (Article R421-7)
Representation of the parties before the Administrative Court of Appeal
Closing the statement
Notification of decision
Appeals procedure
Execution of the decision
FAQ
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Administrative Court of Paris