The countdown has begun for owners of fenced forests, ponds and hunting estates. Law no. 2023-54 of 2 February 2023, known as the "loi engrillagement" (fencing law), requires that fences erected in natural areas allow the free movement of wild animals at all times. Existing fences must be brought into compliance before 1 January 2027, i.e. in less than six months. The stakes are far from trivial: in Sologne, the epicentre of the phenomenon, the total length of fencing is estimated to have risen from around 600 km in 2011 to nearly 4,000 km in 2019, according to a report by the CGEDD and the CGAAER cited by the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB). Who is affected? Which technical standards must be met? What are the exemptions? And what are the consequences for the value of rural properties? This article provides a complete overview of your obligations in 2026.
Since 1804, the French Civil Code has recognised the right of every owner to enclose their land. But the proliferation of impermeable fences in natural environments, particularly around hunting enclosures, ultimately created three major problems identified by lawmakers.
The first is ecological: red deer, roe deer and wild boar need vast territories to feed, reproduce and maintain their genetic diversity. Fencing fragments habitats and degrades the health of wild animal populations. The second is forestry-related: the concentration of game in enclosed areas causes browsing damage and trampling that compromise the natural regeneration of forest stands. The third concerns safety: in the event of a forest fire, fences hinder access for emergency services and the containment of the fire's spread, a growing risk with climate change.
The law of 2 February 2023 created Articles L. 372-1 et seq. of the French Environmental Code to restore these ecological continuities. Challenged by some owners and by the National Federation of Professional Hunts, it was upheld by the Constitutional Council in October 2024. The legal framework is therefore now settled and the 2027 deadline will indeed apply.
The law targets fences erected in natural or forest zones delimited by the regulations of the local urban planning scheme (N zones of the PLU). In the absence of a PLU, it applies to fences located in natural areas, i.e. areas with little human development (forests, moorland, hedgerow landscapes, meadows). Urban and peri-urban areas are not affected.
An important exception protects privacy and buildings: dwellings and the headquarters of agricultural or forestry operations located in natural environments may remain surrounded by an impermeable fence, provided it is erected within 150 metres of the boundaries of the dwelling or the operational headquarters. Beyond this 150-metre perimeter, the new standards apply.
A compliant fence in a natural area must meet all 4 of the following criteria
1. Be positioned 30 centimetres above ground level, to let small wildlife through (hedgehogs, hares, amphibians).
2. Have a maximum height of 1.20 metres, so that large game can cross it.
3. Be made of natural or traditional materials, as defined by the regional planning scheme (SRADDET) of your region.
4. Be neither harmful nor act as a trap for wildlife (no aggressive barbed wire, no injurious devices).
These criteria are cumulative: a 1.10 m fence installed flush with the ground, or an open fence that can injure animals, is not compliant.
The law distinguishes three situations depending on the date the fence was installed. This timetable explains the current urgency for many forest owners.
Date of fence installation |
Applicable obligation |
From 4 February 2023 onwards |
Immediate compliance required from installation |
Between 4 February 1993 and 4 February 2023 |
Compliance required before 1 January 2027 |
Before 4 February 1993 |
No compliance required, except in the event of renovation or repair |
Implementation timetable for the fencing law — Source: Law no. 2023-54 of 2 February 2023, OFB leaflet
Two points require particular attention. First, the age of a fence does not exempt it permanently: any renovation or repair of a fence predating 1993 must be carried out in accordance with the new rules. Second, it is up to the owner to prove the prior existence of their fence, by any means: invoices for works, dated aerial photographs from the IGN, notarial deeds, certificates or witness statements. Without proof, the fence is presumed to be recent and must be brought into compliance.
Lawmakers have provided for nine cases in which an impermeable fence, or one that does not meet the requirements, may be retained. The main ones directly concern rural property owners:
Before undertaking any works, it is therefore essential to check whether your situation falls under one of these exceptions, drawing on the OFB leaflet or the departmental directorate for territories (DDT) of your department.
The law introduced two distinct declaratory formalities. To erect a new fence in a natural area or a natural or forest zone of the PLU, a prior declaration must be filed with the municipality's urban planning department. To remove or bring into compliance the fence of an enclosure, particularly a hunting enclosure, a prior declaration must be submitted to the prefecture (via the DDT). The administration then checks that the return to free movement of animals that have lived in enclosures does not present a health risk for wild fauna, a risk of damage to neighbouring agricultural operations or a danger to road safety.
Enforcement of the scheme is entrusted to OFB agents and environmental inspectors, who have extensive rights of access to properties to verify the compliance of fences. Several prefectures have already announced inspection campaigns from 2027 onwards.
The enforcement arsenal is graduated but dissuasive. On the administrative side, the owner first faces a formal notice from the mayor or the prefect. In the absence of regularisation, the administration may have the works to remove or modify the fence carried out ex officio, at the owner's expense, together with a daily penalty payment where applicable.
On the criminal side, erecting a fence or failing to bring one into compliance in breach of Article L. 372-1 of the Environmental Code is punishable by penalties of up to 3 years' imprisonment and a €150,000 fine. In addition, the hunting licence may be suspended by the judicial authority in the event of established non-compliance. Finally, civil actions may be brought by municipalities, approved environmental protection associations or private individuals to put an end to the irregular situation, subject to a penalty payment.
Beyond the fences themselves, the law overhauls the regime governing hunting enclosures and game parks. These territories must now comply with the hunting season opening and closing dates set by prefectoral order, submit to a management plan and a hunting plan for large game, and give up supplementary feeding except where the departmental game management scheme (SDGC) provides for it. The historical advantage of the enclosure — hunting all year round on a closed territory — therefore largely disappears. Some territories that were previously enclosed could, moreover, be reintegrated into the perimeter of approved municipal hunting associations (ACCA).
For the rural property market, the consequences are tangible. The value of a hunting estate rested partly on its enclosed character: bringing it into compliance alters the economic balance of these properties and may weigh on their market value, while the cost of removing or replacing fences (several thousand euros per kilometre depending on the configuration) must be factored into any negotiation. Conversely, the law strengthens the legal protection of owners: entering a private rural or forest property without authorisation, where its private character is physically marked, now constitutes a 4th-class offence (Article 226-4-3 of the French Criminal Code), without any fencing being necessary. A simple sign or a compliant fence is sufficient to mark the property.
In practice, if you are considering acquiring a fenced forest, pond or hunting estate, a fence compliance audit should now be part of your due diligence, in the same way as the sustainable management document or easements. Check the installation date of the fences, the available proof of prior existence, eligibility for an exemption and the estimated cost of bringing them into compliance. On the seller's side, anticipating these questions secures the transaction and avoids last-minute renegotiation at the notary's office. To explore the other points to watch, see our buying guide for a forest for sale.
The fencing law marks a turning point for the management of fenced rural properties: strict technical standards (1.20 m maximum height, 30 cm above the ground, natural materials, no injurious devices), a compliance deadline of 1 January 2027 for fences installed after February 1993, an exhaustive list of exemptions and heavy penalties of up to a €150,000 fine. With less than six months to go before the deadline, affected owners have every interest in assessing their fences, gathering proof of prior existence and filing the necessary declarations before starting works. Buyers, for their part, must factor this new regulatory landscape into the analysis of any forest or hunting property. The full text of the law is available on Légifrance.
