France Clarifies GPS Tracking Rules for Hunting Dogs

France has revised its rules on electronic devices used in hunting, directly affecting tracking devices for hunting dogs. The change appears in an order dated June 25, 2026, published in the Journal officiel de la République française on July 9 and reflected in the consolidated regulations from July 10.

The amendment concerns Article 7 of the French order of August 1, 1986, a key piece of legislation governing hunting methods and equipment. The new wording authorises dog-tracking devices “for the sole purpose” of finding the dogs, ensuring their safety and preventing collisions.

The official text is available through Légifrance, France’s public legal information service.

What changes for hunting dog GPS collars

The main change is a clearer definition of the permitted uses. Rather than linking dog tracking to a rigid point in the timing of a hunting day, the regulation now focuses on the purpose for which the device is used: finding the dog, protecting it and reducing the risk of accidents or collisions.

The practical implications are particularly significant in forms of hunting where dogs may work far from their handlers or range across large areas. In such situations, a GPS collar can show the animal’s position and allow action to be taken if it becomes lost, approaches a road or enters another potentially dangerous area.

The new wording does not, however, make GPS technology an unrestricted hunting tool. The authorisation specifically concerns locating dogs for the purposes set out in the regulation. It should therefore not be interpreted automatically as a general permission to use tracking technology for any purpose connected with locating or pursuing wildlife.

French departments may retain specific restrictions

The regulation also includes an important qualification. The use of these devices remains subject to any specific provisions contained in the schéma départemental de gestion cynégétique, the departmental game-management scheme.

These schemes form part of France’s territorial system of hunting regulation and may impose requirements adapted to conditions in each department. The national rule therefore creates a clearer general framework, but hunters must still check whether additional restrictions apply in the area where they are hunting.

The order also states that dogs must be recovered in accordance with safety rules. When a vehicle is used for recovery, the relevant provisions of French hunting regulations continue to apply, preventing the vehicle from being used improperly as part of the hunting action.

From legal uncertainty to a rule focused on safety and tracking

French publication Chasse Passion has described the change as a simplification of a framework that had created practical uncertainty over when a tracking system could be consulted during a hunting day.

The official text makes the position clearer by expressly listing three permitted purposes — finding the dog, ensuring its safety and preventing collisions — while also removing a previous provision from Article 8 of the same regulation. The result is a simpler framework for using these devices, although hunters must still consider the specific purpose for which they are used and any departmental rules that may apply.

The amendment also reflects the growing role of dog-tracking technology in the day-to-day management of some forms of hunting. Across large hunting areas, forests and landscapes crossed by roads, electronic tracking has become a tool not only for keeping track of a dog but also for protecting its safety.

Since July 2026, France has had a more explicit legal framework for that reality: tracking devices may be used to find hunting dogs, protect them and help prevent accidents, within the limits of the national regulation and any additional conditions imposed at departmental level.