ADA Restroom Sign Requirements (Pictogram, Braille, Placement)
A restroom sign identifies a permanent room, so under the 2010 ADA Standards it needs uppercase raised characters 5/8 to 2 inches tall with Grade 2 braille below, mounted 48 to 60 inches above the floor (to the tactile character baselines) on the latch side of the door. If the sign uses a pictogram, the pictogram needs a field at least 6 inches high with the raised text and braille below it, and where some restrooms in an existing building are not accessible, the accessible ones must carry the International Symbol of Accessibility (§216.8).
ADA restroom sign checklist
| Requirement | What the 2010 ADA Standards say | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Which signs | Signs identifying permanent rooms, including restrooms, need raised characters duplicated in braille | §216.2, §703.1, §703.2 |
| Raised character height | 5/8 in minimum to 2 in maximum, measured on the uppercase I | §703.2.5 |
| Raised depth | 1/32 in minimum above the background | §703.2.1 |
| Case and style | Uppercase, sans serif, stroke no more than 15% of character height | §703.2.2, §703.2.3, §703.2.6 |
| Braille | Contracted (Grade 2), placed below the text, at least 3/8 in from other tactile characters and borders | §703.3, §703.3.2 |
| Braille dots | Domed, 0.025 to 0.037 in high, 0.059 to 0.063 in base diameter | Table 703.3.1 |
| Contrast and finish | Non-glare, light characters on a dark background or dark on light | §703.5.1 |
| Pictogram (if used) | Field at least 6 in high, no text or braille inside the field, raised text descriptor directly below | §703.6.1, §703.6.3 |
| Mounting height | 48 in minimum to the baseline of the lowest tactile line, 60 in maximum to the baseline of the highest | §703.4.1 |
| Location | On the wall at the latch side of the door, with an 18 x 18 in clear floor space centered on the tactile characters, beyond the arc of the door swing | §703.4.2 |
| Wheelchair symbol | Required on the accessible restrooms when other existing restrooms are not accessible, plus directional signs to the nearest accessible one | §216.8, §703.7.2.1 |
Sections refer to the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, checked November 2026.
Where exactly does the restroom sign go?
- Single door: on the wall next to the latch side (the handle side).
- Double doors, one active leaf: on the inactive leaf.
- Double doors, both active: to the right of the right-hand door.
- No wall at the latch side: on the nearest adjacent wall.
- On the door itself: allowed only on the push side of a door that has a closer and no hold-open device (§703.4.2 exception).
Do restroom signs need a pictogram?
No. The ADA does not require a men, women, or all-gender pictogram. If you choose to use one, it must follow §703.6: a field at least 6 inches high, with the raised text and braille descriptor directly below the field, not inside it.
Does every restroom sign need the wheelchair symbol?
No. Under §216.8 the International Symbol of Accessibility is required where an existing building has some restrooms that are not accessible: the accessible ones get the symbol, and the others need directional signs to the nearest accessible restroom. It is also required on clustered single-user restrooms that use the §213.2 exceptions, unless all of them are accessible.
Is 70% contrast required on ADA signs?
Not by the 2010 ADA Standards. §703.5.1 requires a non-glare finish and light characters on a dark background or dark on light. The 70% figure often quoted comes from advisory guidance that accompanied the earlier 1991 guidelines. Maximum contrast is still the best choice, and some state or local codes add their own rules.
Do states add their own restroom sign rules?
Some do. California, for example, adds geometric restroom door symbols under its own building code (Chapter 11B). Check your state and local building code along with the federal standards.
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