Can I legally sleep in the street in France?
<p>Can I legally sleep in the street in France? </p>

<p>Assume my location does not perturb traffic circulation, i.e. I am on the pavement, or the road is only used by pedestrians.</p>

<p>If you sleep on the streets, you are considered a "SDF" (<em>Sans Domicile Fixe</em>), a tramp.
Legality depends on where you sleep, and in which city.</p>

<p>It's not illegal to be a SDF (under some conditions), but until the early 1990s it was illegal to be a beggar (<em>mendiant/mendicité</em> -- this reference, <a href="http://www.affaires-publiques.com/point/gp/mend.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Mendicité</a>, is about begging)</p>

<p>For instance, sleeping in a car can be legal, except if you are located in a prohibited place where you could have a fine.</p>

<p>Some cities have voted anti-SDF acts.</p>

<p>See for instance (in French):
<a href="http://dormirenvoiture.jimdo.com/que-dit-la-loi" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Dormir dans sa voiture, est-ce légal?</a>
and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2014/12/26/les-precedents-dispositifs-anti-sdf-qui-ont-fait-polemique-en-fr" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Les précédents dispositifs anti-SDF qui ont fait polémique en France</a></p>

<p>SDF in law acts: <a href="https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichSarde.do?reprise=true&amp;page=1&amp;idSarde=SARDOBJT000007115620" rel="nofollow noreferrer">PERSONNE SANS DOMICILE FIXE (SDF)</a></p>

<p>There's a phone number (<code>115</code>) which you're meant to call if you're homeless (or "<em>sans abris</em>", literally "without shelter").</p>

<p>There are shelters organized by municipalities. It's best to call this number during the day-time. If they can't sort you a shelter you might at least get a visit in the street by a social worker or the Red Cross.</p>

<p>See for example <a href="http://www.madmoizelle.com/comment-aider-sans-abri-428727" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Comment aider une personne sans-abri ?</a> (in French) and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAMU_Social" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SAMU Social</a> (in English).</p>

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