Codes
What New York City requires for photoluminescent egress marking, in plain words. Use it to check a job, write a submittal, or ask us to check yours.
Which rule is which
New York City has three separate sets of rules for this work. They have different scope, exceptions, mounting rules and tests, so check each one on its own.
- Local Law 141 of 2013 and Building Code section BC 1025 (new construction). Local Law 141 updated NYC's construction codes. Luminous egress path markings were addressed in 2014 BC 1024; the current section is BC 1025, Luminous Egress Path Markings. Use the code edition that applies to the project. BC 1025 covers high-rise buildings subject to BC 403.5 with occupied floors more than 75 feet above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access. Egress paths serving Group R-2 (apartments) are excepted, along with qualifying exit discharge lobbies and qualifying open parking garage paths.
- Local Law 26 of 2004 and Reference Standard RS 6-1 (existing buildings). Photoluminescent exit path marking requirements for high-rise office buildings and high-rise buildings in the 1968 code's Group E (Business), including existing buildings. The installation deadline was July 1, 2006.
- FDNY rules 3 RCNY 505-01 and 505-02 (apartments and hotels). These are City rules, not Local Laws. They help firefighters and other emergency responders identify units and stairs. 505-01 covers unit number signs and corridor and lobby directional signs. 505-02 covers the low door jamb marking, star and triangle, multi-floor units and stairwell door markings. 505-01 does not require its signs to be photoluminescent.
- Outside New York City. Other jurisdictions use their adopted IBC/IFC edition and local amendments. The same section number does not mean the same text. Confirm the code edition, applicable section and product documentation for each project.
Does your building need this?
- 1. How tall is it? BC 1025 applies to high-rise buildings subject to BC 403.5 with occupied floors more than 75 feet above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access.
- 2. What is it used for? Local Law 26 covers existing high-rise office buildings and high-rise buildings in the 1968 code's Group E (Business). Under BC 1025, egress paths serving Group R-2 apartments are excepted. Apartment and hotel identification is checked separately under FDNY 505. Group R-1 hotels may also need BC 1025 exit path markings.
- 3. When were the plans approved? Under RS 6-1, plans approved before July 1, 2006 have some options: alternate step marking layouts, door signs up to 26 in high where molding or baseboards require, and no handrail marking, stair entry signs (except below grade) or NOT AN EXIT signs. Landing edges and transfer level signs are still required. BC 1025 has none of these age exemptions.
Check the code edition, filing history, building use and height, the specific exit path and its exceptions. Not sure? Send us your drawings. We will tell you what applies.
Send us your drawingsWhat each rule needs, by location
General summary. Check the code edition, scope and exceptions for the project. RS 6-1 rows apply to Local Law 26 buildings; BC 1025 rows apply under the Building Code. Follow the governing text and its figures for submittal layouts.
| Where | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Door signs, BC 1025 | On the door. Top of the sign no higher than 18 in above the floor, symbol at least 4 in, in the center or latch-side half of the door. Both leaves of a double door are marked. There is no 26 in allowance. | BC 1025.2.6 |
| Door signs, RS 6-1 | On the door, the wall, or both. A wall sign goes on the latch side, no more than 6 in from the door, with an arrow. Intermediate and final exits need wall signs. Special rules apply to double doors and perpendicular walls. Top no higher than 18 in, or up to 26 in on plans approved before July 1, 2006 where molding, baseboards or similar features require. | RS 6-1 2.1.1 |
| Exit discharge | The exit sign carries supplemental text such as FINAL EXIT, EXIT THROUGH LOBBY or EXIT TO STREET, in the smaller lettering size the rule specifies. | RS 6-1 2.2.9.1; BC 1025.2.6 |
| Steps | A solid stripe on the full leading edge of each step, 1 in minimum and 2 in maximum wide, no more than 1/2 in from the step edge, overlapping the down face no more than 1/2 in. BC accepts UL 1994 listed stripes narrower than 1 in. RS 6-1 allows alternate layouts, including side edge returns, on plans approved before July 1, 2006. | BC 1025.2.1; RS 6-1 2.2.1 |
| Landings | Leading edge marked the same way as steps, in covered buildings. Under RS 6-1, landing edges are marked whatever the plan date, with the RS length rules. | BC 1025.2.2; RS 6-1 2.2.2 |
| Handrails, BC 1025 | A continuous stripe, at least 1 in wide, on the top of the rail, its extensions and newel caps. Gaps no more than 4 in at bends. UL listed products may be narrower than 1 in. No exemption by building age. | BC 1025.2.3 |
| Handrails, RS 6-1 | Same stripe and gap rules. Not required on plans approved before July 1, 2006. | RS 6-1 2.2.3 |
| Floor lines, BC 1025 | 1 to 2 in wide, on the floor within 4 in of the wall, or on the wall with the bottom edge no more than 4 in above the floor. Continuous, with interruptions no more than 4 in, and connected to the landing leading edge marking within 2 in. Qualifying exit discharge doors are excepted. UL listed products may be narrower than 1 in. | BC 1025.2.4 |
| Floor lines, RS 6-1 | On the floor as close to the wall as practicable, or on the wall with the bottom edge no more than 4 in above the floor. Doors with frame markings under RS 6-1 2.2.9.3 are excepted. | RS 6-1 2.2.4 |
| Obstacles | Anything at or below 6 ft 6 in that sticks out more than 4 in (102 mm) is outlined with markings at least 1 in wide, in equal alternating luminous and black bands no more than 2 in thick, at 45 degrees. Do not cover required information, such as standpipe instructions. | BC 1025.2.5; RS 6-1 2.2.5 |
| Stair entry signs, BC 1025 | Inside each stair at the entrance, visible with the door open and closed. Top edge no higher than 18 in above the floor. Arrow required; the word EXIT is optional. No exemption by plan date. | BC 1025.2 |
| Stair entry signs, RS 6-1 | Inside each stair entrance, visible with the door open, top edge within 18 in of the floor. Not required on plans approved before July 1, 2006, except below grade. | RS 6-1 2.2.6 |
| Transfer levels and unclear routes | Directional signs at transfer levels and wherever the way to the exit is not clear. No exemption by plan date. | RS 6-1 2.2.7 |
| Dead-end doors, BC 1025 | NO EXIT, with NO centered above EXIT, letters at least 1 in high. The non-luminous part is not green. No exemption by plan date. | BC 1025.2 |
| Dead-end doors, RS 6-1 | NOT AN EXIT, sans serif letters at least 1 in high. Not required on plans approved before July 1, 2006. | RS 6-1 2.2.8 |
| Door hardware | At least 16 sq in of luminous material behind, next to or on the handle or escutcheon. On a panic bar, at least 1 in wide for the whole bar. RS 6-1 covers intermediate and final exit doors; BC covers the doors in 1025.2.6, including horizontal exits. | RS 6-1 2.2.9.2; BC 1025.2.6 |
| Door frames | A solid, continuous 1 to 2 in stripe on the top and sides of the frame, on the same doors as hardware marking. Where the molding has no flat surface, the stripe can go on the surrounding wall. RS 6-1: gaps at corners and bends no more than 1 in. | RS 6-1 2.2.9.3; BC 1025.2.6 |
| Material, BC 1025 | UL 1994, or ASTM E2072 with 30 mcd/m² at 10 minutes and 5 mcd/m² at 90 minutes, after charging with fluorescent light at 1 foot-candle for 60 minutes. | BC 1025.4 |
| Material, RS 6-1 | 30, 7 and 5 mcd/m² at 10, 60 and 90 minutes, after 2 hours at 2 foot-candles of the specified fluorescent light, plus other tests, approval and labeling. | RS 6-1, RS 6-1A |
| Inspection | Required markings are kept in good repair, visually inspected at least every 12 months, and recorded in an on-site inspection log. | BC 1025.9 |
These are summaries of the rules. They do not show that any particular product meets them.
Apartments and hotels: 505-01 and 505-02
Both are FDNY City rules, not Local Laws. They help emergency responders find units and stairs. Both require markings to be kept in good repair, inspected at least once a year, with inspection and repair records kept. They apply to covered occupancies whatever the construction date.
505-01, unit number signs. On at least one entrance to each dwelling unit (the main entrance where there are several), on or next to the door, public corridor side. Sans serif Arabic numerals and English capital letters at least 1/2 in high, contrasting with the background, 48 to 60 in above the floor. Punctuation is allowed. This applies however many units are on the floor. The signs do not have to be photoluminescent.
505-01, directional signs. Required in Group R-1 and R-2 buildings on floors with more than 8 dwelling units: in the elevator lobby or public entry, and on the wall opposite each stair door. Not required where, from that entry or stair entrance, all the units are along a single corridor in one direction. With more than one corridor, signs also go at each intersection of the corridor from the stairwell with another corridor. If there is no suitable opposite wall, use the nearest suitable wall location opposite the non-hinged side of the door. Arrows and unit numbers or letters, at least 1/2 in, sans serif, contrasting, 48 to 60 in above the floor. There is no fixed panel size.
505-02, door jamb marking. On the hinged-side door jamb, public corridor side. The top edge of the uppermost character or symbol is at 12 in above the floor, with the rest below it. Arabic numerals and English capital letters at least 3/4 in high, sans serif, read top to bottom, no punctuation. Spacing at least 1/8 in and no more than four times the stroke width. Contrasting, durable, water-resistant and securely attached, with the same material, typeface, size and color throughout the building.
505-02, units with more than one entrance. A star immediately above the identification marks the main entrance, and a triangle immediately above marks each secondary entrance. A multi-floor unit has one designated main entrance; all other entrances use triangles. Where entrances on one floor carry different numbers, use that floor's main entrance number. A single-entrance apartment does not need a star under this provision.
505-02, multi-floor units. Arrows immediately below the entrance identification show the connected floors, with the other floor's entrance number or letter above an upward arrow or below a downward arrow. These markings are at least 3 in high. An entry floor with no living space gets a horizontal mark across the arrow.
505-02, exemptions for unit markings. Dwelling unit markings are not required on floors with 8 or fewer units, or in buildings sprinklered throughout, except for multi-floor units.
505-02, stairwell doors. Where required by FC 505.4.3 and 505-02(f), a vertical EXIT plus the stair letter on the hinged-side corridor jamb, with the same design rules and 12 in placement. Separate exemptions apply where stair entrance doors have compliant BC photoluminescent markings, and in buildings sprinklered throughout. The 8-unit exemption does not apply to stair markings.
505-02, material. Photoluminescent, retroreflective or other approved material. Photoluminescent material must meet the BC exit path material requirements, but these markings do not need DOB approval.
We will check your building against all of this.
Send us your drawings, or just the address and stair count. A person on our team will tell you what your building needs and what it already has. Or call (212) 842-5833.