Gender-Neutral Restroom Signs Required Throughout New York
A new law for New York Restroom Signs took effect on March 23, 2021. Single-occupant restroom facilities in New York now must be designated as gender-neutral, rather than identified for use by men or women. The new law applies to public places including restaurants, bars, mercantile establishments and factories. It also includes school districts and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), certain higher education institutions, non-public schools and charter schools.
Single-Occupant New York Restroom Signs
Under the “gender-neutral bathroom” law or A.5240/ S.6479, all public spaces are required to remove sex-segregated signs like “male” and “female” from single-occupancy restrooms. The law does not address multi-occupant facilities.
The law does not require businesses or schools to build new gender-neutral, single-occupancy restrooms. Instead, signage on existing single-occupancy bathrooms can no longer designate a bathroom as “male” or “female.” Facilities must replace such signs with new signs indicating the restrooms are open to people of all genders.
Designating Accessible Restrooms
Employers in New York should ensure all single-occupancy restrooms are clearly designated as gender-neutral, while also ensuring signage complies with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and other applicable state and local laws.
For example, accessible restroom facilities in New York are required to use the “dynamic accessibility” symbol, rather than the traditional wheelchair symbol. In 2014, accessibility legislation A.8193 and S.6846 required the International Symbol of Accessibility to be changed to a new image showing a person seated in a wheelchair while appearing to be in motion. A.8193 and S.6846 are two separate laws both stating the same requirements for the new icon. These laws also require the removal of the word “Handicapped” on any signs, and will replace it with the word “Accessible.”
As a result, any new signs for gender-neutral accessible restrooms are required to use the Dynamic Accessibility Symbol.
New York Gender Neutral Restroom Signs
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ComplianceSigns.com has prepared information on the Dynamic Accessibility symbol and New York City restroom sign laws, as well as a wide variety of gender neutral restroom signs that meet city and state requirements.