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Everyday formalities such as civil liability insurance
This sheet presents an essential formality to secure your settling in and your residence within the law. It is civil liability insurance.
Key points of the sheet
- Civil liability is everyone's obligation to repair damage caused to other people without meaning to. This damage can be material, physical or moral.
- This damage can happen at different times. For example: at home, while driving a vehicle, in daily life (private activities) or in a professional setting.
- Your civil liability also applies if a minor child, a pet or an object you are responsible for causes damage.
- Civil liability insurance must be paid for and is compulsory. It protects others: it covers, in part or in full, the harm you are responsible for.
- There are different types of insurance, for example home or car insurance. Compare the offers according to your specific needs.
Words to know
- civil liability (responsabilité civile)
- It is the obligation to repair damage caused to other people without meaning to.
- civil liability insurance (assurance responsabilité civile)
- It is a paid and compulsory insurance that guarantees the protection of others.
- damage (dommages)
- It means material, physical or moral harm that one can cause to other people without meaning to.
Test yourself: 3 questions
What is civil liability?
In French, the language of the exam: Qu'est-ce que la responsabilité civile ?
Civil liability is the obligation to repair damage caused to other people without meaning to.
Civil liability insurance is:
In French, the language of the exam: L'assurance responsabilité civile est :
The sheet says that civil liability insurance must be paid for and is compulsory.
Your pet causes damage. What happens?
In French, the language of the exam: Votre animal domestique cause un dommage. Que se passe-t-il ?
If a pet you are responsible for causes damage, your civil liability also applies.
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Questions on the ministry's list that rest on this sheet
More in this topic (Administrative procedures)
- Everyday procedures such as the driving licence (1/2)
- Everyday procedures such as the driving licence (2/2)
- Everyday procedures such as opening a bank account
Source
Sheet “Les démarches du quotidien comme l’assurance responsabilité civile” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.
Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.