Where to put ADA signs at doors
On the wall beside the door, at the latch side. At double doors with one active leaf, on the inactive leaf; with two active leaves, to the right of the right-hand door. Where there is no wall there, on the nearest adjacent wall (703.4.2).
An 18 × 18 in clear floor space, centered on the tactile characters, has to sit beyond the arc of the door from closed to 45° open.
The placement rules, one door type at a time
| Door | Where the tactile sign goes | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Single door | wall at the latch side | 703.4.2 |
| Double doors, one active leaf | on the inactive leaf | 703.4.2 |
| Double doors, two active leaves | right of the right-hand door | 703.4.2 |
| No wall space where required | nearest adjacent wall | 703.4.2 |
| Door with closer, no hold-open | push side of the door allowed | 703.4.2 |
| Doorway with no door | not specified; treat as double active | Access Board guide |
Why the clear floor space matters
Someone reading a sign by touch has to stand in front of it. The 18 by 18 inch space gives them somewhere to stand that a door opening toward them will not hit. It has to be clear of the door's swing from the closed position to 45 degrees open, and the Access Board adds that nothing may protrude into it up to 80 inches. The square is centered on the tactile characters, not on the sign plate, so a wide sign with its text off to one side moves the square with the text.
For a door that swings toward the reader, the geometry puts the center of the characters at least about 9 inches past the door's latch edge. The rule sets a minimum, not an exact spot; the sign can sit farther along the wall. For a door that swings away from the reader, the arc is on the other side of the wall and the square only has to be clear of anything else.
Base molding does not break the rule: the Access Board allows the square to be offset from the wall enough to clear small protrusions like trim. Larger obstructions, like a drinking fountain or a fire extinguisher cabinet under the sign, do.
Check the door hardware before the proof goes out. A sign drawn "on door" for a door with a magnetic hold-open fails, and so does a latch-side sign where the door has been re-handed in the field. On site, stand in the doorway, swing the door to 45 degrees and look at where your feet go.
Signs on doors
The exception in 703.4.2 lets tactile signs go on the push side of doors that have closers and no hold-open devices. The Access Board treats hold-open devices as hardware fixed to the door or wall that keeps it open: door-mounted stops, wall hooks, magnetic holders. A movable wedge is not one. If a door is later fitted with a hold-open, the sign on it stops complying, which is one reason many shops default to the wall.
The height rule still applies on a door: braille baseline at least 48 inches, top raised baseline at most 60 (mounting height).
Questions
Which side of the door does an ADA sign go on?
The latch side, the side with the handle, on the wall beside the door (703.4.2). At double doors with one active leaf it goes on the inactive leaf; with two active leaves, to the right of the right-hand door.
Can a tactile sign be mounted on the door?
Only on the push side of a door that has a closer and no hold-open device. The Access Board counts door stops fixed to the door, wall hooks and magnetic hold-opens as hold-open devices; a loose wedge does not count.
What if there is no wall space on the latch side?
Put the sign on the nearest adjacent wall (703.4.2). The 18 by 18 inch clear floor space still has to be centered on the tactile characters and clear of the door swing.
Where does the sign go at an opening with no door?
The Standards do not say. The Access Board suggests treating it like a pair of doors with two active leaves: to the right of the opening, or the nearest adjacent wall, and consistent throughout the building.
Can a tactile sign go on a sidelight or glass partition?
Yes. The Access Board allows mounting beside or on a vision panel or sidelight on the latch side, as long as the clear floor space is provided outside the 45 degree swing. In a glass partition the sign goes on the glass unless it is allowed on the door.
- Access Board guide, Chapter 7: Signs (common questions)
- 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design (U.S. Access Board)
Last checked against the source text 2026-09-25. Section numbers refer to the 2010 ADA Standards unless marked otherwise.