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Form a Business

Exit Signs and Other Markings

NYC Admin. Code tit. 27, ch. 1, subch. 6, art. 7
in effect

NYC Admin. Code § 27-383 Requirements.

§ 27-383 Requirements. (a) Exit signs. Except in occupancy groups J-2 and J-3, the location of every exit on every floor and every opening from a room classified in occupancy group J-1 and containing cubicles shall be clearly indicated by exit signs. Such signs shall be placed at an angle with the exit opening if such placement is required for the signs to serve their purpose. In long corridors, in open floor areas, and in all other situations where the location of the exit may not be readily visible or understood, directional signs shall be provided to serve as guides from all portions of the corridor or floor. (b) Exit path markings in high rise office buildings and in occupancy group E high rise buildings. On and after July 1, 2006 all high rise office buildings and all high rise buildings classified in occupancy group E shall have exit path markings conforming to this subdivision. This provision shall be retroactive and shall apply to buildings constructed on and after such date and to buildings in existence on such date. All exit path markings required herein shall be of an approved photoluminescent material. The markings shall be washable, non-toxic, non-radioactive, and if subjected to fire must be self extinguishing when the flame is removed. (1) All doors opening to corridors, to an exit, or to an exit passageway, shall be marked with the word "exit". (2) Within exit stairs, horizontal extensions in exit stairs, horizontal exits, supplemental vertical exits and exit passageways, except within street level lobbies, there shall be directional markings. (3) Required markings for exit paths shall comply with the technical standards for installation and placement to be set forth in a reference standard. Such reference standard shall be designated RS 6-1 and shall be adopted on or before January 1, 2006.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-383.1 Additional requirements for high rise office buildings and occupancy group E high rise buildings.

§ 27-383.1 Additional requirements for high rise office buildings and occupancy group E high rise buildings. In high rise office buildings and in occupancy group E high rise buildings: (a) Illuminated exit signs complying with section 27-386 of this subchapter shall be placed in stairwells with horizontal extensions to indicate the transition from vertical to horizontal direction and at turns along the horizontal path. (b) A supplementary sign complying with sections 27-394 and 27-395 of this subchapter, except that the lettering and numerals shall be at least one inch high, indicating the location of a recessed re-entry door, shall be securely attached on the wall of the landing that faces the evacuee on the stairs. (c) In stairs where there is no entry or exiting from such stair for more than four floors, a sign complying with sections 27-394 and 27-395, except that the lettering and numerals shall be at least one inch high, shall be securely attached at the beginning of the descent into such portion of the stair on the wall of the landing that faces the evacuee on the stairs stating the location of the next re-entry or exiting floor. On each floor within such portion of the stair a sign complying with sections 27-392 and 27-395 shall be securely attached to the wall of the landing that faces the evacuee on the stairs approximately five feet above the floor indicating the floor number. (d) Signs shall be readily visible from the egress direction. (e) High rise office buildings and high rise buildings classified in occupancy group E in existence on the effective date of this section shall comply with this section on or before July 1, 2007. For the purpose of this section, a high rise building shall be deemed to be in existence on the effective date of this section if on such effective date it is complete or under construction or where an application for approval of plans was filed with the department prior to such effective date and construction commenced within two years after such effective date.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-384 Power source.

§ 27-384 Power source. (a) Where a total of more than four exit and/or directional signs is required, the signs shall be connected to an emergency power source or to storage battery equipment meeting the requirements of the commissioner, provided, however, that in existing buildings, the signs may be on circuits that are separate from the general lighting and power circuits, taken off ahead of the main switch. (b) Existing high rise buildings classified in occupancy group C, D or H and existing buildings classified in occupancy group E, G or J-1 (except for "residential hotels," as such term is defined by the commissioner pursuant to rules and regulations) shall comply with the requirements of this section on or before April first, nineteen hundred eighty-seven. (c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the existing buildings required to comply with subdivision (b) of this section, all such existing exit and/or directional signs on circuits taken off ahead of the main switch shall be connected to an emergency power source or to storage battery equipment meeting the requirements of the commissioner on or before July 1, 2007. Editor's note: For related unconsolidated provisions, see Appendix A at L.L. 1996/059.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-385 Exit sign design.

§ 27-385 Exit sign design. Exit signs shall read only "exit" and shall be of the externally lighted, internally lighted, or electroluminescent type, except that they may be nonilluminated in buildings not provided with artificial lighting. (a) The artificial light source on externally lighted signs shall provide a red light, either by the use of an incandescent colored bulb or other visible red light source, so as to provide at least twenty-five foot candles on the exposed face of the sign. Visibility of the sign shall not be obscured by the location of the light source. (b) For internally lighted signs, the average initial brightness of the letters shall be at least twenty-five ft. lamberts, and where an illuminated background is used, its average initial brightness shall be at least two hundred fifty ft. lamberts. The light source shall not be modified or changed nor shall lamp life multipliers be used so as to reduce these brightness levels. (c) The letters of exit signs shall be red. The background of externally lighted signs shall be white. The background of internally lighted signs shall be either stenciled metal with a light gray or white color, or translucent frosted, opal glass, slow-burning plastic, or the plastic edge-glow type with white plastic separators. The letters for internally lighted signs shall be translucent red. (d) The letters shall be block lettering at least four and one-half inches high with nine-sixteenths inch strokes, except in buildings and spaces classified in occupancy group F and J-1, where they shall be at least eight inches high with the strokes at least three-quarters of an inch wide. (e) In locations where breakage may occur, exit signs shall be of shock resistant materials, or shall otherwise be protected against breakage. (f) Except for buildings not provided with artificial lighting and buildings which maintain one or more auxiliary systems for emergency exit lighting in the event of a public utility failure, there shall be either (1) an illuminated exit sign with the background thereon made of an approved phosphorescent material or (2) a supplemental exit sign made of an approved phosphorescent material with an opaque text and placed adjacent to or as close as possible to such illuminated sign. The phosphorescent material after exposure to normal lighting conditions shall be capable of remaining visible in total darkness for a period of at least eight hours. The signs shall be washable, non-toxic, nonradioactive and if subjected to fire must be self-extinguishing when the flame is removed.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-386 Directional sign design.

§ 27-386 Directional sign design. Directional exit signs shall comply with all of the requirements for exit signs in section 27-385 of this article, and shall read "EXIT" with a horizontal arrow or arrows indicating the direction to the exit or exits. However, when the arrow is below the letters, the letters may be three and three-eighths inches high and nine-sixteenths inch strokes, except in buildings and spaces classified in occupancy group F where they shall be at least five inches high with nine-sixteenths inch strokes. The arrow or arrows shall be red.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-387 False exits.

§ 27-387 False exits. Any door, passageway, stair, or other means of communication that is not an exit or that is not a way to an exit, but is so located as to be mistaken for an exit, shall be identified with a sign reading "NOT AN EXIT", shall be identified by a sign indicating its use or purpose or shall be provided with a directional exit sign.
Source: City of New York, Charter, Administrative Code and Rules (American Legal Publishing XML export, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/newyorkcity/latest/NYCadmin/0-0-0-216139Fetched: 10/24/2026

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