All single-occupancy restrooms in any place of public accommodation, government agency, or business establishment must be identified as “all-gender” as of March 1, 2017. And, the new law authorizes building and local officials responsible for code enforcement to inspect your premises for compliance. Fortunately, All Star Signs is well-versed on the requirements and can help you out with the new rules for California restroom signage. Below, we will take a closer look at the specifics.

What You Need to Know to Be in Compliance

new rules for California restroom signageFirst of all, the restroom signage requirement for California businesses has been in the works for years and is unrelated to the recent White House action to rollback transgender student restroom protections.

The new code gives a specific name and definition for single-occupancy restrooms. They are called “single-user toilet facilities” and are defined as “a toilet facility with no more than one water closet and one urinal with a locking mechanism controlled by the user.” If you have lavatories that fit this description, you will need to check your markers for compliance. There are basically two signs that you are required to use to identify a bathroom:

new rules for California restroom signageGeometric Symbol Signs – These signs need to feature geometric symbols that are used to identify the restroom as female, male, or unisex. For women, a circle is used. Men’s rooms are identified with a triangle, and unisex bathrooms have a triangle superimposed on a circle. The only specific indicator required by the California Building Code is the unisex symbol of the triangle superimposed onto a circle.

Wall-Mounted Signs – Every room or space that has a permanent use is required to have a wall-mounted designation sign. This includes your toilet facilities. The sign must indicate that the room is a bathroom and whether it is for women, men, or unisex. The marker must also be tactile. You are not required to use pictograms, but they may be useful. Not every situation requires wall signs at restroom doorways, but there have been hundreds of lawsuits filed because these signs were lacking. We can help you determine if you need these markers

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Do You Need to Take Action?

new rules for California restroom signageIn all likelihood, you do not need to do anything if your establishment has a single-occupancy bathroom that already has the unisex geometric sign. However, you need to replace female and male geometric signs on single-use toilet facilities with unisex geometric signs. The tactile signs also must indicate that the restroom is unisex, all-gender, or a restroom without reference to gender.

If your signs do not meet the requirements or if you are not sure, you may be tempted to look online for new markers. We caution against doing this because many of the online retailers are unaware of the new rules for California restroom signage, and their markers are not in compliance.

Instead, we recommend giving All Star Signs a call. Our friendly professionals will perform a site evaluation and let you know if you need to update your signs. We can also provide you with standard markers or custom solutions.

If you want to be in compliance, contact us today for a free consultation!

new rules for California restroom signage