LOS ANGELES COUNTY

DEPARTMENT OF BEACHES AND HARBORS

FACT SHEET:

Beach Reopening Information – Period #1

On Wednesday, May 13, 2020, the Los Angeles County Safer at Home order was amended to allow

beaches to reopen in a phased approach amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The following reopening

guidelines were approved by the Department of Public Health.

The short version

During the initial reopening period, beaches are open for active recreational use by

individuals and households. Beachgoers must wear a face covering when they are on

the sand and around others, as well as maintain at least 6 feet of physical distance

between themselves and individuals outside their household.

The long version

Period #1 Framework Beaches are open during normal operating hours for individual/family active recreation

including swimming, surfing, running and walking; no chairs, canopies, coolers, grills, or

sunbathing allowed.

No gatherings of any size; no events, athletic competitions, youth camps or recreational

programming is allowed

Beach restrooms are open, adhering to distancing and infection control protocols

Some beach parking lots, piers, concessions, food vending, bike paths, volleyball courts and

boardwalks remain closed (Note: Some beach parking lots and bike paths were reopened with

the Health Officer’s Order issued May 22, 2020.)

What’s allowed? Only active recreational use by individuals and households are permitted on the beaches. Active

recreational use includes, but is not limited to:

Biking

Swimming

Surfing

Running

Jogging

Walking

Paddleboarding/SUP

Kayaking

Body Surfing

SCUBA diving

FACT SHEET – BEACH REOPENINGS – PERIOD #1

Last updated May 22, 2020. 2 | P a g e

Basic rule of thumb: Keep moving. When you’re done, go home.

All beachgoers aged 2 and up must wear a face covering when not in the water and around other

people. (Both conditions must be met, so someone who is out of the water but on an empty beach

would not have to wear a face covering.) Children under the age of 2, as well as individuals with

breathing problems, are exempt from wearing face coverings. Beachgoers must also maintain a

minimum of 6 feet of physical distance between individuals outside of the same household.

What’s not allowed? Leisure use of the beach is not permitted. This includes, but is not limited to:

Sunbathing, sitting or lying on the sand

Picnicking or “hanging out”

Shore fishing

Beach volleyball and other group activities

Gatherings or events

Items that facilitate leisure use of the beach are also not permitted, including, but not limited to:

Coolers

Canopies/shade apparatus

Chairs

Violators face a maximum fine of $1,000 or jail time.

Closed until further notice Some beach parking lots*

Boardwalks

Piers

*The parking lots at Torrance Beach, Dockweiler State Beach (Grand Avenue and Imperial Highway), Will

Rogers State Beach, Malibu Surfrider Beach and Zuma Beach will be open at partial capacity Memorial

Day weekend to discourage unsafe and illegal street parking.

Miscellaneous Stay home if you or someone in your household is sick.

Refer people to detailed beach reopening rules at http://beaches.lacounty.gov/rules.

Follow the rules so the beaches can stay open.

Frequently Asked Questions This FAQ is also available online at https://beaches.lacounty.gov/la-county-beach-rules-frequently-

asked-questions/.

Are the bathrooms open? Beach restrooms are open, but please note that due to COVID-19 precautions, the restrooms are

required to be cleaned more frequently, which may result in some restrooms being taken offline or

FACT SHEET – BEACH REOPENINGS – PERIOD #1

Last updated May 22, 2020. 3 | P a g e

temporarily unavailable because of servicing constraints. Also, please remember to maintain a

minimum of 6 feet physical distance even in the restrooms.

Can families/kids play in the water/sand? Families may engage in active recreation in the ocean or on the sand, as long as all members of the

family, including kids and adults, are engaged in sports, exercise and similar physical pursuits.

Can we have a beach day? During the current period, only active recreation is permitted—that means no sunbathing or sitting on

the sand for long periods. To encourage people to keep moving, canopies and coolers are not permitted

on the beach. When you’re done with your activity, go home.

Why can’t I use an umbrella to protect me from the sun? You may walk with an umbrella for shade; however, umbrellas, canopies, or tents staked into the sand

are not permitted.

Why can’t I go fishing? At this point, the State of California considers shore fishing to be a leisure pursuit and not active

recreation. Shore fishing will be permitted in a future reopening period.

Is biking allowed? Bicycling is permitted on the beach bike path. On May 22, 2020, the Department of Public Health OK’d

the reopening of beach bike paths that traverse the sand, including the Marvin Braude Bike Trail.

Do I have to wear a face covering while running? Not if you are running alone or with a member of your household and away from other people. But, it is

recommended that you have a face covering around your neck or elsewhere on your person in case you

find yourself near others (6 feet or less).

I’m a surfer. Do I have to wear a face covering? Face coverings are not required when you’re in the water; they are only required when you are on the

sand and around others. If there are no other people around, you do not have to wear a face covering

on the sand.

Do I really have to wear a face covering? Face coverings are only required when you are not in the water and around other people. If you’re not

in the water and the beach is empty, you do not have to wear a face covering. Please keep a face

covering with you that you can put on in case you find yourself near others.

Can I launch my watercraft from Marina “Mother’s” Beach in Marina del Rey? Marina “Mother's” Beach is open to active recreation, including paddleboard launches. The Mother’s

Beach parking lot, Lot 10, will remain closed; however, the adjacent lots, Lot 9 and Lot 11, remain open.

Are parking lots open? Some beach parking lots are open at a limited capacity to discourage illegal and dangerous parking on

neighborhood streets. Open parking lots include those at Torrance Beach, Dockweiler State Beach

FACT SHEET – BEACH REOPENINGS – PERIOD #1

Last updated May 22, 2020. 4 | P a g e

(Grand Avenue and Imperial Highway), Will Rogers State Beach, Malibu Surfrider Beach and Zuma

Beach. Other parking lots may remain closed as part of the effort to discourage crowds at the beaches.

Are piers open? The County’s Safer at Home order dictates that piers must remain closed at this time.

Is street parking allowed? Please check with the local city or municipality that has jurisdiction over the specific beach you plan to

visit, as each community may have different guidelines regarding their respective street parking. If you

find street parking, remember to follow any posted parking restrictions.

Why are accessways maintained by the Department of Beaches and Harbors in Malibu

closed? Department of Beaches and Harbors crews who previously opened and maintained the beach

accessways in Malibu were redeployed to clean and sanitize restrooms. As part of the framework to

reopen beaches, beach restrooms must be open, as well as cleaned and sanitized more often and to a

higher standard.

How long will this last? At least 6 weeks. The length of the period will be determined by the County’s COVID-19 recovery status,

as well as the behavior of beachgoers. Once this period is over, the recovery framework provides for at

least two more periods before normal beach operations resume.

Why all the rules? Large crowds and group gatherings are not permitted under the County’s Safer at Home order; however,

we recognize that our beaches provide members of the public an opportunity for active recreation that

is still in compliance with the order. The restrictions in this period of beach reopenings—such as the

closure of parking lots and prohibition on sunbathing—are in place to discourage too many people from

going to the beach at once and staying for long periods of time. The beaches were closed due to crowds,

but these restrictions allow people to still enjoy our beaches while minimizing the risk of COVID-19.

Why were the beaches closed? The first weekend of the Safer at Home order, tens of thousands of people flocked to L.A. County

beaches. These crowds and group gatherings were in violation of the order. As a result, the Department

of Public Health elected on March 27 to amend the order to close all the beaches in its jurisdiction. The

beaches reopened with another amendment to the Safer at Home order on May 13.

Why can’t I sunbathe even if I keep 6 feet away from everyone? Right now, we’re trying to balance the need to avoid crowding with the public’s desire to go to the

beach. If sunbathing were permitted, beachgoers would spend more time at the beach, contributing to

crowds. Additionally, if every beachgoer rolled out a towel, it would be very difficult to maintain the

required 6 feet of social distancing.

Are the fire pits at Dockweiler State Beach open? If not, may I bring my own? No and no. The fire pits at Dockweiler State Beach were removed because gatherings of any size are

prohibited under the beach reopening restrictions, and people tend to gather around the fire pits. We

FACT SHEET – BEACH REOPENINGS – PERIOD #1

Last updated May 22, 2020. 5 | P a g e

do not know when the fire pits will return to the beach. Personal fire pits are never permitted at Los

Angeles County beaches.

Additional Resources

Links Revised Safer at Home Order:

http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/docs/HOO/HOO_Order_20200522_F

inal.pdf

Beach reopening protocol from DPH:

http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/docs/protocols/Reopening_Beaches.

pdf

Detailed beach rules: https://beaches.lacounty.gov/rules

L.A. County COVID-19 resources: http://covid19.lacounty.gov

Media Please credit LA County.

Photos of closed signs being removed and new beach signs going up:

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmNbByAQ

Beach Reopening PSA (English): https://vimeo.com/417827870

Beach Reopening PSA (Spanish): https://vimeo.com/417828268

Beach B-Roll:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/c5s11eb1i7ony7h/LA36%20COVID19%20BEACHES%20PHASE1%20

OPENING_BROLL.mp4?dl=0

New beach rules signs and graphics:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/je3zl01idx70kkr/AACvgNbjGSwbWo-WukzqeXTma?dl=0

Beach reopening periods These periods are based on the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health draft reopening

framework for the beaches sector. Restrictions may be adjusted based on the behavior of beachgoers,

orders from the Department of Public Health, and the current status of the County’s COVID-19 recovery

framework.

Period #1 (May 13, 2020 - present)

Beaches are open during normal operating hours for individual/family active recreation

including swimming, surfing, running and walking; no chairs, canopies, coolers, grills, or

sunbathing allowed.

No gatherings of any size; no events, athletic competitions, youth camps or recreational

programming is allowed

Beach restrooms are open adhering to distancing and infection control protocols

Beach parking lots remain closed, piers, concessions, food vending, bike paths, volleyball courts

and boardwalks remain closed.

o On May 21, 2020, the Department of Public Health released amended guidance allowing

the bike path to reopen. It also permitted the reopening of some beach parking lots to

discourage unsafe and illegal street parking.

FACT SHEET – BEACH REOPENINGS – PERIOD #1

Last updated May 22, 2020. 6 | P a g e

Period #2

Beaches are open during normal operating hours for family groups of 10 or less people for

swimming, surfing, running, walking, and sitting; chairs, canopies and coolers are allowed;

adherence to distancing and infection control protocols is required

Beach restrooms are open adhering to distancing and infection control protocols

Beach bike paths are open with restricted capacity and controlled access

No gatherings of any size; no events, athletic competitions, youth camps or recreational

programming are allowed

Volleyball courts are closed

Parking lots are opened at limited capacity to ensure no overcrowding on the beach

Boardwalks and piers are open with occupancy limits and controlled access

Food concessions are closed

Period #3

Beaches are open during normal operating hours for small groups of 30 or less people for

swimming, surfing, running, walking, and sitting; chairs, canopies and coolers are allowed;

adherence to distancing and infection control protocols is required

All recreational activities are permitted; adherence to distancing and infection control protocols

is required

Parking lots and food concession stands are open at limited capacity to ensure no overcrowding

Large events and athletic competitions are prohibited.

Film permitting will be available.

Period #4

Normal beach operations resume with large gatherings and large events allowed; adherence to

distancing and infection control protocols is required