French Beach Flags: What Green, Yellow, Red and Purple Mean

On a supervised beach, the flag at the top of the lifeguard post’s mast tells you whether swimming is allowed, whether it calls for extra care, or whether it is banned. In France, a decree has set its shape and colors since March 1, 2022 [1].

What does French law say about beach flags?

Decree no. 2022-105 of January 31, 2022 created article D. 322-11-1 of the Sports Code, which lists the signaling equipment for supervised public bathing areas [1]. It took effect on March 1, 2022 and repealed the decree of January 8, 1962 on beach signaling [1].

That 1962 decree provided for red, orange and green pennants, among other things [2]. The 2022 text provides for rectangular flags in red, yellow and green. Yellow takes the place of orange [1] [2].

The mayor decides. Under article L. 2213-23 of the General Code of Local Authorities, the mayor is responsible for policing bathing and non-motorized activities launched from the shore, up to 300 meters (about 980 feet) from the water’s edge. The mayor sets the supervised zones and the supervision periods, and must inform the public, at town hall and on site [3].

In 2020, the French standards body AFNOR also published a document, AFNOR Spec X50-001, proposing harmonized beach signage. It is not a standard in the strict sense. The international standard ISO 20712 on beach flags is voluntary and had not been adopted in France, which had preferred regulation [2, 4]. According to a law firm, the AFNOR document takes over part of it, adapted to French particularities, and the 2022 decree came to back it up [5].

What do the colors on the mast mean?

The mast must make the signals visible from every point of the bathing area. It may carry only signals about bathing conditions, and the flags may carry no symbol or inscription [1]. Each flag measures at least 1,250 mm by 1,500 mm (about 4 ft by 5 ft) [1].

Yellow forbids nothing: bathing stays supervised, but the danger is “limited or marked” [1]. In the recommendations of the International Life Saving Federation (ILS), yellow means medium hazard, with moderate surf or currents: weak swimmers are discouraged from entering the water, and everyone else is asked to take extra care [6].

In France, red means “bathing prohibited” [1]. The ILS describes red as a high hazard and discourages swimmers from entering the water [6]: the French rule is stricter than the international recommendation.

Where does the supervised zone start and end?

Two identical two-color flags, red above yellow, are fixed on a mast or pole at least 2 meters (about 6.6 feet) high, close to the water. They measure at least 750 mm by 900 mm and mark out the supervised bathing zone [1]. The ILS describes the same principle: red and yellow shows the area protected by lifeguards [6].

Outside the zones and periods the mayor has defined, bathing and water activities are carried out “at the risk of those concerned” [3]. The SNSM puts it simply: no flag means that bathing is not supervised [7].

The 2025 beach regulation order of Les Sables-d’Olonne gives an example. It repeats the three mast signals (red, “bathing prohibited”; yellow, “supervised bathing with limited or marked danger”; green, “supervised bathing with no apparent danger”), and states that outside supervision hours, and also when no flag is flying, the public swims at its own risk [8].

What other signals are there on the beach?

The black-and-white flag marks, according to the SNSM, a water-sports zone where bathing is risky but allowed [7]. For the ILS, it is the zone for surfboards and non-powered craft [6].

The orange windsock, which the ILS also recommends, shows an offshore wind, and warns that inflatable objects are unsafe in the water [6].

Are the colors the same abroad?

Not always. The ILS stresses that its recommendations are not compulsory for its members [6]. Its scheme includes a double red flag, meaning the water is closed to public use, which the French decree does not mention [1] [6]. In Germany, the DLRG says that a green flag is not official and means nothing, and that the black-and-white flag bans swimming in the zone it marks [9]. In France, the SNSM describes the same zone as one where bathing is risky but allowed [7]: the same flag does not mean the same thing from one country to another. In the UK, the RNLI’s list has four signals and no green or yellow flag [10]. If you are used to flags at home, read the board at the lifeguard post before you swim.

Chloé Schmidt

Reviewer for the American and German editions

A German American who has lived in France for more than ten years, Chloé reviews our American and German editions in her two native languages, and writes the occasional piece. She enjoys horseback riding, surf and snow sports, mountain biking, and mountain hiking.

All their articles