Section 1013 — California Fire Code (Title 24, Part 9)

EXIT SIGNS

[BE] 1013.1 Where required. Exits and exit access doors shall be marked by an approved exit sign readily visible from any direction of egress travel. The path of egress travel to exits and within exits shall be marked by readily visible exit signs to clearly indicate the direction of egress travel in cases where the exit or the path of egress travel is not immediately visible to the occupants. Intervening means of egress doors within exits shall be marked by exit signs. Exit sign placement shall be such that any point in an exit access corridor or exit passageway is within 100 feet (30 480 mm) or the listed viewing distance of the sign, whichever is less, from the nearest visible exit sign.

Exceptions:

Exit signs are not required in rooms or areas that require only one exit or exit access.
Main exterior exit doors or gates that are obviously and clearly identifiable as exits need not have exit signs where approved by the fire code official.
Exit signs are not required in occupancies in Group U and individual sleeping units or dwelling units in Group R-1, R-2 or R-3 or R-3.1.
Exit signs are not required where inmates are housed, or held in dayrooms, sleeping rooms or dormitories in occupancies in Group I-3.
In occupancies in Groups A-4 and A-5, exit signs are not required on the seating side of vomitories or openings into seating areas where exit signs are provided in the concourse that are readily apparent from the vomitories. Egress lighting is provided to identify each vomitory or opening within the seating area in an emergency.

[BE] 1013.2 Floor-level exit signs in Group R-1. See Sec- tion 1013.7.

The bottom of the sign shall be not less than 10 inches (254 mm) nor more than 18 inches (455 mm) above the floor level. The sign shall be flush mounted to the door or

wall. Where mounted on the wall, the edge of the sign shall be within 4 inches (102 mm) of the door frame on the latch side.

[BE] 1013.3 Illumination. Exit signs shall be internally or externally illuminated.

Exception: Tactile signs required by Section 1013.4 need not be provided with illumination.

[BE] 1013.4 Raised character and braille exit signs. Tac- tile exit signs shall be required at the following locations:

1. Each grade-level exterior exit door that is required to comply with Section 1013.1 shall be identified by a tac- tile exit sign with the word, “EXIT.”

2. Each exit door that is required to comply with Section 1013.1, and that leads directly to a grade-level exterior exit by means of a stairway or ramp, shall be identified by a tactile exit sign with the following words, as appropriate:

2.1. “EXIT STAIR DOWN”

2.2. “EXIT RAMP DOWN”

2.3. “EXIT STAIR UP”

2.4. “EXIT RAMP UP”

3. Each exit door that is required to comply with Section 1013.1, and that leads directly to a grade-level exterior exit by means of an exit enclosure or an exit passage- way shall be identified by a tactile exit sign with the words, “EXIT ROUTE.”

4. Each exit access door from an interior room or area to a corridor or hallway that is required to comply with Section 1013.1 shall be identified by a tactile exit sign with the words “EXIT ROUTE.”

5. Each exit door through a horizontal exit that is required to comply with Section 1013.1 shall be identi- fied by a sign with the words, “TO EXIT.”

Raised character and Braille exit signs shall comply with Chapter 11B of the California Building Code.

[BE] 1013.5 Internally illuminated exit signs. Electrically powered, self-luminous and photoluminescent exit signs shall be listed and labeled in accordance with UL 924 and shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and Section 1203. Exit signs shall be illuminated at all times.

[BE] 1013.6 Externally illuminated exit signs. Externally illuminated exit signs shall comply with Sections 1013.6.1 through 1013.6.3.

[BE] 1013.6.1 Graphics. Every exit sign and directional exit sign shall have plainly legible letters not less than 6 inches (152 mm) high with the principal strokes of the letters not less than ³ /4 inch (19.1 mm) wide. The word “EXIT” shall have letters having a width not less than 2 inches (51 mm) wide, except the letter “I,” and the minimum spacing between letters shall be not less than ³ /8 inch (9.5 mm). Signs larger than the minimum established in this section shall have letter widths, strokes and spacing in proportion to their height.

254 2019 CALIFORNIA FIRE CODE

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100735044

MEANS OF EGRESS

interior-rated exit corridors of unsprinklered Group A, R-1 and R-2 occupancies.

Such marking shall be continuous, except as interrupted by door-ways, corridors or other such architectural features, in order to provide a visible delineation along the path of travel.

Note: Pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 13143, the California amendments of this section shall apply to all newly constructed buildings or structures, subject to this section, for which a building permit is issued (or con- struction commenced, where no building permit is issued) on or after January 1, 1989.