11B-216 Signs — 2025 California Building Code

11B- 216.1 General. New or altered signs shall be provided in accordance with Section 11B- 216 and shall comply with Section 11B- 703 . The addition of or replacement of signs shall not trigger any additional path of travel requirements.

Exceptions:

1. Building directories, menus, seat and row designations in assembly areas, occupant names, building addresses, and company names and logos shall not be required to comply with Section 11B-216.

11B-20 2025 CALIFORNIA BUILDING CODE

ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS, COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS AND PUBLIC HOUSING

2. Reserved.

3. Temporary, 7 days or less, signs shall not be required to comply with Section 11B- 216 .

4. In detention and correctional facilities, signs not located in public use areas shall not be required to comply with Section 11B- 216 .

11B- 216.2 Designations. Interior and exterior signs identifying permanent rooms and spaces shall comply with Sections 11B- 703.1, 11B- 703.2, 11B-703.3 and 11B- 703.5. Where pictograms are provided as designations of permanent rooms and spaces, the pictograms shall comply with Section 11B- 703.6 and shall have text descriptors complying with Sections 11B- 703.2 and 11B- 703.5.

Exception: Exterior signs that are not located at the door to the space they serve shall not be required to comply with Section 11B- 703.2 .

11B- 216.3 Directional and informational signs. Signs that provide direction to or information about interior and exterior spaces and facilities of the site shall comply with Section 11B- 703.5.

11B- 216.4 Means of egress. Signs for means of egress shall comply with Section 11B- 216.4.

11B- 216.4.1 Exit doors. Signs required by Chapter 10, Section 1013.4 at doors to exit passageways, exit discharge and exit stairways shall comply with Sections 11B- 703.1, 11B- 703.2 , 11B-703.3 and 11B- 703.5.

11B- 216.4.2 Areas of refuge and exterior areas for assisted rescue. Signs required by Chapter 10, Section 1009.11 to provide instructions in areas of refuge shall comply with Section 11B- 703.5 . Signs required by Chapter 10, Section 1009.9 at doors to areas of refuge and exterior areas for assisted rescue shall comply with Sections 11B-703.1, 11B-703.2, 11B-703.3 and 11B-703.5 and include an International Symbol of Accessibility complying with Section 11B-703.7.2.1.

11B- 216.4.3 Directional signs. Signs required by Chapter 10, Section 1009.10 to provide directions to accessible means of egress shall comply with Section 11B- 703.5.

11B-216.4.4 Delayed egress locks. Signs required by Chapter 10, Section 1010.2.13.1, Item 6.4 at doors with delayed egress locks shall comply with Sections 11B-703.1, 11B-703.2, 11B-703.3 and 11B-703.5.

11B- 216.5 Parking and electric vehicle charging facilities. Signs identifying parking spaces and signs within parking facilities shall comply with Section 11B-216.5. Signs identifying electric vehicle charging spaces and signs within electric vehicle charging facilities shall comply with Section 11B-216.5.

11B-216.5.1 Parking spaces. Parking spaces complying with Section 11B- 502 shall be identified by signs complying with Sections 11B- 502.6 and 11B-502.8.

Exceptions:

1. Reserved.

2. In residential facilities, where parking spaces are assigned to specific residential dwelling units, identification of accessible parking spaces shall not be required.

11B-216.5.2 Electric vehicle charging spaces. Signs identifying electric vehicle charging spaces shall comply with Section 11B-812.8.

11B-216.5.3 Parking and electric vehicle charging facilities. Signs within parking and charging facilities shall comply with Section 11B-216.5.3.

11B-216.5.3.1 Signs intended for use by pedestrians. Signs intended for use by pedestrians within parking and charging facili- ties, including directional or informational signs indicating parking sections or levels, shall comply with the requirements of Section 11B-216.

11B-216.5.3.2 Additional signs. Signs within parking facilities containing parking spaces complying with Section 11B-502 shall comply with Section 11B-502.8.

11B- 216.6 Entrances. In existing buildings and facilities where not all entrances comply with Section 11B- 404, entrances complying with Section 11B -404 shall be identified by the International Symbol of Accessibility complying with Section 11B- 703.7.2.1. Directional signs complying with Section 11B-703.5 that indicate the location of the nearest entrance complying with Section 11B-404 shall be provided at entrances that do not comply with Section 11B-404. Directional signs complying with Section 11B-703.5, including the International Symbol of Accessibility complying with Section 11B-703.7.2.1, indicating the accessible route to the nearest accessible entrance shall be provided at junctions when the accessible route diverges from the regular circulation path.

11B- 216.7 Elevators. Where existing elevators do not comply with Section 11B- 407, elevators complying with Section 11B- 407 shall be clearly identified with the International Symbol of Accessibility complying with Section 11B- 703.7.2.1. Existing buildings that have been remodeled to provide specific elevators for public use that comply with these building standards shall have the location of and the direc- tions to these elevators posted in the building lobby on a sign complying with Section 11B-703.5, including the International Symbol of Accessibility complying with Section 11B-703.7.2.1.

11B- 216.8 Toilet rooms and bathing rooms. Where existing toilet rooms or bathing rooms do not comply with Section 11B- 603, directional signs indicating the location of the nearest toilet room or bathing room complying with Section 11B- 603 within the facility shall be provided. Signs shall comply with Section 11B- 703.5 and shall include the International Symbol of Accessibility complying with Section 11B -703.7.2.1. Where existing toilet rooms or bathing rooms do not comply with Section 11B- 603, the toilet rooms or bathing rooms complying with Section 11B- 603 shall be identified by the International Symbol of Accessibility complying with Section 11B- 703.7.2.1. Where clustered single user toilet rooms or bathing facilities are permitted to use exceptions to Section 11B -213.2, toilet rooms or bathing facilities complying with Section 11B- 603 shall be identified by the International Symbol of Accessibility complying with Section 11B- 703.7.2.1 unless all toilet rooms and bathing facilities comply with Section 11B- 603 . Existing buildings

ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS, COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS AND PUBLIC HOUSING

that have been remodeled to provide specific toilet rooms or bathing rooms for public use that comply with these building standards shall have the location of and the directions to these rooms posted in or near the building lobby or entrance on a sign complying with Section 11B-703.5, including the International Symbol of Accessibility complying with Section 11B-703.7.2.1.

11B-216.8.1 Geometric symbols. Geometric symbols complying with Section 11B-703.7.2.6 shall be provided at entrances to toilet and bathing rooms.

Exceptions:

1. Geometric symbols shall not be required at entrances to toilet and bathing rooms located within private or semi-private rooms or spaces. Such spaces include but are not limited to: patient sleeping rooms, transient lodging guest rooms and residential dwelling units. 2. Geometric symbols shall not be required at entrances to inmate toilet rooms and bathing rooms in detention and correc- tional facilities where only one gender is housed.

11B-216.8.2 Identification for all-gender multi-user toilet facilities. Geometric symbols complying with Section 11B-703.7.2.6.3 shall be provided at the entrance to all-gender multi-user toilet facilities. In addition, a sign complying with Sections 11B-703.1 through 11B-703.5 shall be provided stating “ALL-GENDER MULTI-USER”.

11B-216.8.3 Signs at toilet and urinal compartments. Where both toilet compartments and urinal compartments are provided, each individual compartment shall be identified with a sign complying with Sections 11B-703.1 through 11B-703.5. Signs shall identify the type of fixture within the compartment, either “URINAL” or “TOILET”. A pictogram identifying the fixture type within the compart- ment is not permitted.

Exception: A sign with tactile characters shall be permitted on an in-swinging and self-closing door at compartments not required to comply with Section 11B-604 or Section 11B-605.5.

11B- 216.9 TTYs. Identification and directional signs for public TTYs shall be provided in accordance with Section 11B- 216.9.

11B- 216.9.1 Identification signs. Public TTYs shall be identified by the International Symbol of TTY complying with Section 11B- 703.7.2.2.

11B- 216.9.2 Directional signs. Directional signs indicating the location of the nearest public TTY shall be provided at all banks of public pay telephones not containing a public TTY. In addition, where signs provide direction to public pay telephones, they shall also provide direction to public TTYs. If a facility has no banks of telephones, the directional signs shall be provided at the entrance or in a building directory. Directional signs shall comply with Section 11B- 703.5 and shall include the International Symbol of TTY complying with Section 11B- 703.7.2.2.

11B- 216.10 Assistive listening systems. Each assembly area required by Section 11B- 219 to provide assistive listening systems shall provide signs informing patrons of the availability of the assistive listening system. The sign shall include wording that states “Assis- tive-Listening System Available” and shall be posted in a prominent place at or near the assembly area entrance. Assistive listening signs shall comply with Section 11B- 703.5 and shall include the International Symbol of Access for Hearing Loss complying with Section 11B- 703.7.2.4.

Exception: Where ticket offices or windows are provided, signs shall not be required at each assembly area provided that signs are displayed at each ticket office or window informing patrons of the availability of assistive listening systems.

11B- 216.11 Check-out aisles. Where more than one check-out aisle is provided, check-out aisles complying with Section 11B- 904.3 shall be identified by a sign complying with Section 11B-904.3.4. Where check-out aisles are identified by numbers, letters or functions, signs identifying check-out aisles complying with Section 11B- 904.3 shall be located in the same location as the check-out aisle identification.

Exception: Where all check-out aisles comply with Section 11B- 904.3, signs complying with Section 11B- 703.7.2.1 shall not be required.

11B- 216.12 Amusement rides. Signs identifying the type of access provided on amusement rides shall be provided at entries to queues and waiting lines. In addition, where accessible unload areas also serve as accessible load areas, signs indicating the location of the accessible load and unload areas shall be provided at entries to queues and waiting lines. Signs shall comply with Section 11B- 703.5 and shall include the International Symbol of Accessibility complying with Section 11B-703.7.2.1.

11B-216.13 Variable message signs. Where provided in transportation facilities, variable message signs conveying transportation- related information shall comply with Section 11B-703.8. Where provided in buildings that are designed as emergency shelters, variable message signs conveying emergency-related information shall comply with Section 11B-703.8.