Beach Safety Rules in Italy 2026: What Blue Flag Beaches Must Guarantee

Every summer the same question comes up on the beaches: who must provide lifeguard cover, with what equipment, and during which hours? People looking for an answer often mix up two different things: the Blue Flag award, granted by the FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education), and the beach safety ordinance, issued by the Coast Guard. Telling these two instruments apart is the starting point for understanding what beach operators and municipalities are actually required to provide. In October 2026, with the season winding down and Liguria's award tally in the news (35 municipalities, 72 beaches and 18 marinas, according to La Voce di Genova, 1 October 2026), it is a good moment to ask what the Blue Flag really certifies and what remains governed by safety rules.

Two different instruments: the Blue Flag does not replace the ordinance

The Blue Flag is a FEE programme that recognises coastal municipalities and marinas meeting environmental and management criteria. The beach safety ordinance, by contrast, is an administrative act issued by the Coast Guard that regulates lifeguard service, signage and mandatory equipment on beaches. A FEE award does not exempt a municipality or a beach operator from complying with the local ordinance. They are separate acts, with different authorities and different inspections. Anyone choosing a beach based on its flag should also read the ordinance for that stretch of coast.

Who issues it: local Coast Guard offices and municipalities

There is no single national text. The beach safety ordinance is adopted every year by individual Maritime Circuit Offices, so it varies by territory. As an example, ordinance no. 9/2026 of the Soverato Maritime Circuit Office was digitally signed on 15 May 2026. For coastal municipalities, the text sets out two distinct roles. On free beaches, they must either provide a lifeguard service or post warning signs ("BATHING NOT SAFE DUE TO LACK OF LIFEGUARD SERVICE"), marking both the limit of the waters reserved for bathing and the limit of safe waters. Municipalities must also check that signage remains in place throughout the season and restore it when necessary.

What beach establishments must provide

The concessionaire or operator of a beach establishment must run a lifeguard and rescue service during the season and during public opening hours. In the Soverato text, Article 7 sets precise requirements: at least one certified lifeguard for every 80 metres of sea frontage or fraction, holding a valid M.I.P. certificate; one rescue station every 80 metres; a rescue boat or equivalent unit; a 200-metre floating line; two ring buoys with lines; binoculars, a flagpole flying the green, yellow and red flags, a megaphone and a baywatch. Article 9 also requires a table of emergency numbers, a table explaining the meaning of the flags, a telephone line registered with the authorities, fire-fighting equipment, and a first-aid room with specific supplies. A semi-automatic defibrillator is strongly recommended but not mandatory. Before opening, the establishment must send an information sheet to the Maritime Circuit Office and keep a self-check list to show during inspections.

Opening hours and flags: what the text says, and what to verify

The Soverato text establishes that the lifeguard's presence cannot be interrupted by breaks or shift changes between 8.00 and 20.00, and that the red flag cannot be used as a simple justification for sending the lifeguard away. Minimum hours are not uniform, however: each ordinance sets them for its own territory, and secondary reports about the 2026 season cite different time slots (9.00 to 19.00 in some cases). For this reason, it is not correct to state a single standard schedule that applies everywhere. Before publishing or recommending a time slot, read the ordinance of the Harbour Master's Office responsible for that stretch of coast, published on the Coast Guard website in the Ordinanze section.