Gender Neutral Restrooms – Is Your Business Affected?

Restrooms across California are in for a big change starting March 1, 2017. The groundbreaking gender-neutral restroom law passed by Governor Brown late last year is finally going into effect, and time is up for California businesses to get their restroom signage in check.

The new law requires all single-user toilet facilities in any business establishment, place of public accommodation or state or local government agency to be identified as “all-gender.” The restrooms must be designated for use by no more than one occupant at a time, or for family or assisted use. Signage must comply with Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations.

What is a “single-user toilet facility”? The restroom facilities encompassed by the law are only those toilet facilities with no more than one water closet and/or one urinal with a locking mechanism controlled by the user. In other words, restrooms designed to provide the user the ability to use the restroom with complete privacy, and without interruption. Restrooms with multiple stalls are not affected, and may still be labeled as men’s and women’s restrooms, respectively. Also, businesses are not required to add or remove existing restroom facilities, or to alter the structure of restroom facilities.

Signage is regulated under the California Building Standards Code (“CBC”), and requires only the use of geometric symbols to identify public restrooms. Additional terms (i.e. the words, “all-gender”) and pictures (i.e. a picture of a man and/or woman) that are often seen on restroom doors are not required. A circle indicates a women’s restroom, a triangle indicates a men’s restroom, and a triangle superimposed on a circle indicates a unisex or all-gender restroom