11B-221 Assembly Areas — 2025 California Building Code

11B- 221.1 General. Assembly areas shall provide wheelchair spaces, companion seats, designated aisle seats and semi-ambulant seats complying with Sections 11B- 221 and 11B- 802. In addition, lawn seating shall comply with Section 11B- 221.5 .

TABLE 11B-221.2.1.1—NUMBER OF WHEELCHAIR SPACES IN ASSEMBLY AREAS

NUMBER OF SEATS	MINIMUM NUMBER OF REQUIRED WHEELCHAIR SPACES
4 to 25	1
26 to 50	2
51 to 150	4
151 to 300	5
301 to 500	6
501 to 5000	6, plus 1 for each_100_, or fraction thereof, between 501 through 5000
5001 and over	46, plus 1 for each 200, or fraction thereof, over 5000

11B- 221.2 Wheelchair spaces. Wheelchair spaces complying with Section 11B- 221.2 shall be provided in assembly areas with fixed seating.

Note: When required wheelchair spaces are not occupied by persons eligible for those spaces, individual, removable seats may be placed in those spaces.

11B- 221.2.1 Number and location. Wheelchair spaces shall be provided complying with Section 11B- 221.2.1.

11B- 221.2.1.1 General seating. Wheelchair spaces complying with Section 11B- 802.1 shall be provided in accordance with Table 11B- 221.2.1.1.

11B- 221.2.1.2 Luxury boxes, club boxes and suites in arenas, stadiums and grandstands. In each luxury box, club box and suite within arenas, stadiums and grandstands, wheelchair spaces complying with Section 11B- 802.1 shall be provided in accordance with Table 11B- 221.2.1.1.

11B- 221.2.1.3 Other boxes. In boxes other than those required to comply with Section 11B- 221.2.1.2, the total number of wheelchair spaces required shall be determined in accordance with Table 11B- 221.2.1.1. Wheelchair spaces shall be located in not less than 20 percent of all boxes provided. Wheelchair spaces shall comply with Section 11B- 802.1.

11B- 221.2.1.4 Team or player seating. At least one wheelchair space complying with Section 11B- 802.1 shall be provided in team or player seating areas serving areas of sport activity.

Exception: Wheelchair spaces shall not be required in team or player seating areas serving bowling lanes not required to comply with Section 11B- 206.2.11.

11B-221.2.1.5 Stadium-style movie theaters. In stadium-style movie theaters, the total number of wheelchair spaces required shall be determined in accordance with Table 11B-221.2.1.1. The required wheelchair spaces shall be located on risers or cross- aisles in the stadium section that satisfy at least one of the following criteria:

1. Located within the rear 60 percent of the seats provided in the theater; or

2. Located within the area of the theater in which the vertical viewing angles (as measured to the top of the screen) are from the 40th to the 100th percentile of vertical viewing angles for all seats as ranked from the seats in the first row (1st percentile) to seats in the back row (100th percentile).

11B-221.2.1.6 Specialty seating areas. In assembly areas, wheelchair spaces shall be provided in each specialty seating area that provides spectators with distinct services or amenities that generally are not available to other spectators. The number of wheelchair spaces provided in specialty seating areas shall be included in, rather than be in addition to, the total number of wheelchair spaces required by Table 11B-221.2.1.1.

Exception: In existing buildings and facilities, if it is not readily achievable for wheelchair spaces to be placed in each specialty seating area, those services or amenities shall be provided to individuals with disabilities, and their companions, at other desig- nated accessible locations at no additional cost.

11B- 221.2.2 Integration. Wheelchair spaces shall be an integral part of the seating plan.

11B- 221.2.3 Lines of sight and dispersion. Wheelchair spaces shall provide lines of sight complying with Section 11B- 802.2 and shall comply with Section 11B- 221.2.3. In providing lines of sight, wheelchair spaces shall be dispersed. Wheelchair spaces shall provide spectators with choices of seating locations and viewing angles that are substantially equivalent to, or better than, the choices of seating locations and viewing angles available to all other spectators. When the number of wheelchair spaces required by Section 11B- 221.2.1 has been met, further dispersion shall not be required. In stadiums, arenas and grandstands, wheelchair spaces shall be dispersed to all levels that include seating served by an accessible route.

Exception: Wheelchair spaces in team or player seating areas serving areas of sport activity shall not be required to comply with Section 11B- 221.2.3.

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

11B- 221.2.3.1 Horizontal dispersion. Wheelchair spaces shall be dispersed horizontally. In assembly areas that have seating encircling, in whole or in part, a field of play or performance, wheelchair spaces shall be dispersed horizontally around the field of play or performance area.

Exceptions:

Horizontal dispersion shall not be required in assembly areas with 300 or fewer seats if the companion seats required by Section 11B- 221.3 and wheelchair spaces are located within the 2nd or 3rd quartile of the total row length. Intermediate aisles shall be included in determining the total row length. If the row length in the 2nd and 3rd quartile of a row is insufficient to accommodate the required number of companion seats and wheelchair spaces, the additional companion seats and wheelchair spaces shall be permitted to be located in the 1st and 4th quartile of the row.
In row seating, two wheelchair spaces shall be permitted to be located side-by-side.

11B- 221.2.3.2 Vertical dispersion. Wheelchair spaces shall be dispersed vertically at varying distances from the screen, performance area or playing field. In addition, wheelchair spaces shall be located in each balcony or mezzanine that is located on an accessible route.

Exceptions:

Vertical dispersion shall not be required in assembly areas with 300 or fewer seats if the wheelchair spaces provide viewing angles that are equivalent to, or better than, the average viewing angle provided in the facility.
In bleachers, wheelchair spaces shall not be required to be provided in rows other than rows at points of entry to bleacher seating.

11B-221.2.4 Temporary structures. Wheelchair spaces shall not be located on, or be obstructed by, temporary platforms or other movable structures.

Exception: When an entire seating section is placed on temporary platforms or other movable structures in an area where fixed seating is not provided, in order to increase seating for an event, wheelchair spaces may be placed in that section.

11B- 221.3 Companion seats. At least one companion seat complying with Section 11B- 802.3 shall be provided immediately adjacent to each wheelchair space required by Section 11B- 221.2.1.

11B- 221.4 Designated aisle seats. At least 5 percent of the total number of aisle seats provided shall comply with Section 11B- 802.4 and shall be the aisle seats located closest to accessible routes.

Exception: Team or player seating areas serving areas of sport activity shall not be required to comply with Section 11B- 221.4.

11B- 221.5 Lawn seating. Lawn seating areas and exterior overflow seating areas, where fixed seats are not provided, shall connect to an accessible route.

11B-221.6 Semi-ambulant seats. At least 1 percent of the total number of seats, and no fewer than two, shall be semi-ambulant seats complying with Section 11B-802.5.