Stairwell sign requirements
A stair gets up to three kinds of sign. At the stair door, on the corridor side, a tactile EXIT sign with braille at the latch side, 48 to 60 inches up (ADA 216.4.1). Inside the stair, in stairs connecting more than three stories, a stairway identification sign at each landing: 18 × 12 in min, floor number 5 in high, bottom 5 ft above the landing (IBC 1023.9). And a tactile floor-level sign beside the door at each landing where floor-level signs are provided (IBC 1023.11).
The three stair signs
| Sign | Where | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Tactile EXIT sign (raised text, braille, visual) | corridor side of the stair door, latch side, 48–60 in | ADA 216.4.1; IBC 1013.4 |
| Stairway identification sign | inside the stair at each floor landing, bottom 5 ft min above the landing | IBC 1023.9, 1023.9.1 |
| Tactile floor-level sign (raised text, braille, visual) | inside the stair at each landing, next to the door to the corridor | IBC 1023.11 |
| "Elevator Lobby" sign | stair doors that open into an enclosed elevator lobby, where a landing has two or more doors | IBC 1023.10 |
The ADA covers the tactile sign at the stair door: doors at exit stairways are identified by tactile signs (216.4.1), which means raised characters, braille and visual characters, mounted like any tactile sign (48 to 60 inches, latch side). The International Building Code adds the rest, and most states and cities adopt it. Section numbers below are from the 2021 edition; check the edition your project is permitted under.
The stairway identification sign (IBC 1023.9)
Every interior exit stairway or ramp that connects more than three stories needs one at each floor landing. It has to show:
- the floor level;
- the top and bottom terminus of the stair;
- the stair's identification (for example "STAIR B");
- the story of the exit discharge and the direction to it;
- whether there is roof access from the stair, for the fire department.
| Requirement (IBC 1023.9.1) | Minimum | Item |
|---|---|---|
| Sign size | 18 × 12 in | item 1 |
| Stair identification letters | 1 1/2 in | item 2 |
| Floor number, in the center of the sign | 5 in | item 3 |
| All other letters and numbers | 1 in | item 4 |
| Finish and contrast | non-glare; light/dark | item 5 |
| In high-rises with egress path markings (1025) | same luminous materials | item 6 |
| Mounting | bottom 5 ft above landing | 1023.9 text |
Mount it so the bottom is at least 5 feet above the landing, where it can be read with the door open or closed. This sign is for firefighters and people already in the stair; it is visual only and needs no braille.
Tactile floor-level signs (IBC 1023.11)
Where floor-level signs are provided in an exit stair, the IBC calls for a floor-level sign in visual characters, raised characters and braille, complying with ICC A117.1, at each landing next to the door that leads from the stair into the corridor. It lets someone who cannot see the large sign tell which floor they are on before leaving the stair. Treat it like any tactile sign: raised uppercase characters, Grade 2 braille below, 48 to 60 inches to the baselines.
High-rise buildings: luminous materials
High-rise buildings in Groups A, B, E, I-1, M and R-1 need luminous egress path markings in their exit stairs (IBC 1025). There, stair identification signs have to be made of the same luminous material (1023.9.1, item 6): self-luminous or photoluminescent, listed to UL 1994 or tested to ASTM E2072 with the IBC's charging and brightness figures (1025.4). The doors in the exit path also get a low-mounted luminous exit symbol at least 4 inches high, centered on the door with its top no more than 18 inches above the floor (1025.2.6.1).
Stair packages are sold as a set per landing: the stair ID sign inside, the tactile floor sign beside the door inside, and the tactile EXIT sign outside on the corridor wall. Proof all three together from the floor list, and confirm which floor is the exit discharge level and whether the stair has roof access before anything is made; those two lines are where stair signs go wrong.
NFPA 101 and California
Where a jurisdiction enforces NFPA 101, the Life Safety Code (common in healthcare and some states), it has its own stair marking requirement for enclosed stairs; check the adopted edition for its dimensions. California's version of the building code adds tactile floor identification signs in every enclosed stairway of buildings two or more stories, with a raised star at the exit discharge level; see the California page.
Questions
What are the requirements for stairwell signs?
There are three signs. At the stair door, on the corridor side, a tactile EXIT sign with braille, 48 to 60 inches up at the latch side (ADA 216.4.1). Inside the stair, where it connects more than three stories, a stairway identification sign at each floor landing, at least 18 by 12 inches, with the floor number at least 5 inches high and the bottom at least 5 feet above the landing (IBC 1023.9). And, where floor-level signs are provided, a tactile floor-level sign at each landing next to the door (IBC 1023.11).
Do stairwell signs need braille?
The stairway identification sign inside the stair does not. The tactile floor-level sign beside the door at each landing does, and so does the EXIT sign on the corridor side of the stair door.
How high is a stairwell identification sign mounted?
The bottom of the sign at least 5 feet above the floor landing, where it can be seen with the door open or closed (IBC 1023.9). Tactile signs at the stair doors follow the ADA height instead: 48 to 60 inches to the character baselines.
How big is a stairwell identification sign?
At least 18 by 12 inches, with the stair name in letters at least 1 1/2 inches high, the floor number at least 5 inches high in the center, and other text at least 1 inch high (IBC 1023.9.1).
When is a stairway identification sign required?
In interior exit stairways and ramps that connect more than three stories (IBC 1023.9). California requires tactile floor identification signs in enclosed stairways of buildings two or more stories.
- International Building Code 2021, Chapter 10 (as adopted in Texas, via UpCodes)
- Access Board guide, Chapter 7: Signs
- 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.