Is Your Building Compliant with California’s New Gender-Neutral Restroom Signage Law?

As of March 1, it is the law in California that all single-user toilet facilities in any business or public accommodation space or government building must be identified as “all-gender” facilities. According to the law, a single-user toilet facility is a toilet facility with no more than one water closet and one urinal, with a locking mechanism controlled by the user. To read the specific updates to law, review California Assembly Bill 1732.

Requirements for Gender-Neutral Restroom Signage

The new requirements affect the labeling, tactile elements, and imagery of restroom signs for single-user toilet facilities, and should still comply with the existing Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, related to ADA compliance. Title 24 requires that two types of signs be used for identifying restrooms:

  • A sign with geometric symbol that identifies the restroom as male, female, or unisex. A circle denotes a women’s restroom, a triangle denotes a men’s restroom, and a triangle superimposed on a circle indicates an all-gender bathroom.
  • A wall-mounted sign that can be read by touch. These signs often contain pictograms, but these are not necessarily required.

Gender-Neutral Labeling:

While there is no prescribed wording, the bill makes it clear that the phrasing should be gender-neutral. Therefore, text must either not mention gender or identify the persons of any gender can use this restroom. Some acceptable phrasing includes: restroom, all-gender restroom, gender-neutral restroom, or unisex toilets.

Gender-Neutral Tactile Elements

The gender-neutral labeling extends into the tactile elements required by Title 24. In addition to having raised letters for your gender-neutral labeling, you will also need duplicative, gender-neutral phrasing communicated in Braille.

Gender-Neutral Imagery

Any geometric symbol or pictograms use should use unisex or all-gender solutions. For instance, the required geometric symbol to indicate an all-gender bathroom is a triangle superimposed on a circle. 

Is your signage compliant with the latest legal regulations?

This change in California Law also provides an excellent reminder to make sure that your building is in compliance with ADA laws to make your building accessible for everyone. Common fines for ADA compliance come from using the wrong type of lettering, having too large an amount of space between letters, letters that are too large or too small, or Braille that does not comply with shape, size, and spacing.

In these cases, failure to comply with the law can result in significant fines or lawsuits. At Starfish Signs, we are experts in California signage law. We produce nearly all of our signage in-house to verify the standard of quality required by both our customers and California law. We are able to make attractive custom signage that satisfy the legal requirements and suits the ethos of your business.

If you would like to verify that your signage meets the legal requirements, or to learn more about our quality, affordable, custom signage options, contact Starfish Signs today.