How to comply with CA's new "Gender Neutral Restroom" regulations
Posted by Sam Hooshmand on
Since March 1, 2017, California law has required every single-user restroom in a business, place of public accommodation, or state or local government building to be identified as all-gender. This comes from Health and Safety Code §118600 (AB 1732). A single-user restroom labeled “Men” or “Women” is no longer compliant.
The signage rules come from the California Building Code, Chapter 11B (Title 24, Part 2). The 2025 edition applies to projects submitted on or after January 1, 2026.
What counts as a single-user restroom?
A single-user restroom has no more than one toilet and one urinal, and a door that locks from the inside. Multi-user restrooms can still be designated for men or women.
Required: the door symbol (CBC 11B-216.8.1)
Every restroom door in California must have a geometric symbol. For all-gender restrooms, it is a 12-inch equilateral triangle superimposed on a 12-inch diameter circle. The symbol must:
- Be 1/4 inch thick, with eased edges.
- Contrast in color with the door.
- Be centered on the door, 58 to 60 inches above the floor to the center of the symbol.
Optional but common: the wall sign
The CBC does not require a wall sign beside a single-user restroom. Most building owners install one anyway, and once you do, it must comply with the tactile sign rules:
- Raised uppercase sans-serif letters, 5/8 inch to 2 inches tall.
- Grade 2 braille directly below the text.
- Matte, non-glare finish with high contrast.
- Mounted on the latch (handle) side of the door, with tactile text between 48 and 60 inches above the floor.
- An 18 x 18 inch clear floor space in front of the sign, outside the door swing.
- If a pictogram is used, a 6-inch minimum field with a raised-text descriptor below it, such as “ALL GENDER RESTROOM.”
When is the wheelchair symbol required?
The International Symbol of Accessibility (ISA) is required when some restrooms at a location are not accessible. In that case, the accessible ones must be marked with the ISA, and directional signs must point to them. If every restroom is accessible, the ISA isn’t required on the sign.
All-gender multi-user restrooms
Some buildings now have multi-user all-gender restrooms. Under CBC 11B-216.8.2, these need both the geometric door symbol and a tactile sign reading “ALL-GENDER MULTI-USER.”
How to comply
- List every single-user restroom in your building.
- Replace gendered door symbols with the all-gender circle-and-triangle symbol.
- Replace any gendered wall signs with all-gender tactile signs.
- Check mounting heights and locations against the rules above.
Incorrect restroom signage is one of the most common findings in California accessibility inspections and ADA lawsuits, so it’s worth getting right.
We can help
SignOptima has manufactured ADA and California Title 24 compliant signs in Anaheim, California for over 10 years. We stock all-gender door symbols and matching tactile wall signs in acrylic, plastic and aluminum. We make custom signs to match any building. Shop our online store or contact us for a quote.
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