New York Evacuation Maps & Fire Safety Signs
New York requires posted evacuation diagrams under the Fire Code of New York State, with hotels and motels needing a two-route diagram at every guest room egress door. New York City is carved out and runs its own codes, where the required sign wording depends on whether the building predates 2008.
One state, two sets of rules
New York is not a single jurisdiction for fire code purposes. Buildings outside New York City follow the Fire Code of New York State, part of the statewide Uniform Code. New York City is expressly carved out and runs its own Construction Codes and its own Fire Code - a separate body of law, not a local layer on top of the state one.
So the first question is where in the state your building sits. If it is in the five boroughs, there is a second question: how old is the building. New York City runs two code generations in parallel, and they do not require the same sign.
How New York’s fire codes fit together
Five layers, and they stack rather than compete. Which one governs your building depends on where it is and when it was built - so it is worth establishing before reading anything below.
A model code published by the International Code Council. It serves as a standard framework, not an enforceable law, until formally adopted by state or local governments. Jurisdictions typically enact the IFC with local amendments, making it the foundational basis for local fire codes.
New York’s adoption of the model code, with its own amendments. Chapter 4 carries the emergency planning and signage provisions. It governs the entire state - with one exception.
The city is expressly carved out of the state code and runs its own. Not a local overlay on the state rules - a separate body of law. And within it, two generations run in parallel: the current Construction Codes, and the 1968 Building Code for buildings that predate 2008.
A third layer that sits on top of the code itself and is the one most often missed. Bulletins also rescind older guidance over time, so an exemption a building has relied on for years may no longer stand.
The fifth layer is not a document. Everything above is written down; what gets signed off is one person’s reading of it. More on that at the end of this page.
Outside New York City: the Fire Code of New York State
Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, Syracuse, Westchester, Long Island and everywhere else in the state follow the Uniform Code. Its emergency planning provisions sit in Chapter 4 of the Fire Code of New York State.
What the state code requires
- Hotels and motels: A diagram showing two evacuation routes must be posted on or immediately adjacent to every required egress door from each sleeping unit. This is the clearest signage mandate in the state code.
- Evacuation plans: An approved fire safety and evacuation plan is required for a broad list of occupancies, including assembly, educational, institutional, high-hazard, residential and high-rise buildings.
- Availability: Plans must be kept available in the workplace for staff reference, distributed by the owner to tenants and building service employees, and furnished to the fire department.
- Common-area posting: Local fire officials commonly expect floor plans posted in each elevator lobby, outside each exit stairwell and in common areas on every floor. Confirm what your fire marshal requires.
- Local variation: Individual municipalities and fire districts apply local code with their own expectations on content, size and approval.
The sign and the plan are different requirements
- The sign: The diagram posted where occupants will see it - guest room doors, elevator landings, stairwells, common areas. A physical thing on a wall, and what we produce.
- The plan: The written fire safety and evacuation plan required by Chapter 4: procedures, staff duties, alarm response, and the occupancies that must have one. A document, often submitted for approval.
- Both, usually: Most facilities require both. An approved plan in a binder does not satisfy a signage requirement, and a posted diagram does not fulfill a plan requirement. If a building requires one, it almost certainly requires the other.
Which code applies to your building?
The dividing line is 1 July 2008. Establish which side of it your building falls on before specifying any signage - ordering the wrong wording is the most common and most expensive mistake in New York City egress signage.
Prior code buildings (pre-2008)
- Which buildings: Any building in existence before 1 July 2008, or permitted for erection before that date. In New York City that is most of the building stock.
- Governing code: 1968 Building Code, Title 27, Article 9 - sections 27-390 through 27-396.
- Still enforced: Buildings constructed under the 1968 code must continue to comply with its provisions. It is not a historical document.
- Who it covers: Buildings with at least one elevator subject to periodic inspection, and existing office buildings with more than 100 occupants above or below street level, or more than 500 in total.
Current code buildings (2008 onward)
- Which buildings: Buildings erected under the NYC Construction Codes, effective 1 July 2008 and revised on a three-year cycle.
- Governing code: NYC Building Code, Chapter 30 - Section BC 3002.3, Emergency Signs, and the related stair and elevator identification provisions.
- Different wording: The mandated sign text is not the same as the 1968 wording. See the comparison below.
- Exceptions exist: The emergency sign is not required at elevators forming part of an accessible means of egress, or at occupant self-evacuation elevators.
The elevator landing sign: what it must say
“IN CASE OF FIRE, USE STAIRS UNLESS OTHERWISE INSTRUCTED”
Half-inch block letters, red on a white background, spaced for legibility.
“IN FIRE EMERGENCY, DO NOT USE ELEVATOR. USE THE EXIT STAIRS.”
Different wording from the 1968 code. Establish which code generation governs your building before ordering.
The required signs, section by section
Article 9 of the 1968 Building Code sets out six requirements. A qualifying building needs all of them, not just the evacuation diagram. The Construction Codes carry equivalent provisions forward for newer buildings.
Elevator landing signs
Posted and maintained on every floor at the elevator landing, carrying the required wording plus a diagram showing where it is posted and the location and letter identification of the stairs on that floor.
- Size: At least 10 inches by 12 inches.
- Placement: Directly above a call button, securely attached, with the top no more than 6 feet from floor level.
- Lettering: Half-inch block letters, red on white, unless otherwise approved by the commissioner.
- Split option: The diagram may be omitted where diagram signs are posted conspicuously on the floor. The landing sign then drops to 2½ by 10 inches and the diagram signs must be at least 8 by 12 inches.
Floor numbering signs
Posted within each stair enclosure on every floor, indicating the floor number.
- Numerals: Bold type, at least 3 inches high.
- Contrast: Numerals and background in contrasting colours.
- Placement: Securely attached to the stair side of the door.
Stair and elevator identification
Each stair and each bank of elevators is identified by an alphabetic letter.
- Elevator bank: The identification letter is posted at each elevator landing, directly above or as part of the §27-391 sign.
- Stairs: The stair identification sign goes on the occupancy side of the stair door.
- Lettering: At least 3 inches high, bold type, contrasting with the background, securely attached.
Stair re-entry signs (office buildings)
Required on the stair door at each floor in qualifying office buildings, stating whether re-entry into the building is provided and on which floor. The code prescribes three different wordings depending on the answer.
- No re-entry anywhere: The sign reads NO RE-ENTRY FROM THIS STAIR, on the occupancy side of the door at each floor.
- Re-entry on this floor: On the stair side of the door, the sign reads RE-ENTRY ON THIS FLOOR.
- Re-entry elsewhere: The stair-side sign names the nearest re-entry floors above and below, with the floor numbers filled in.
- Lettering: At least half an inch high, bold, contrasting, mounted roughly 5 feet above the floor. May be combined with the §27-392 and §27-393 signs.
Materials
Signs required by Article 9 must be of metal or other durable material. Paper inserts and temporary substrates do not satisfy this requirement.
- What qualifies: Metal, or another material of comparable durability. Our aluminium and acrylic placards are specified with this in mind.
Existing buildings
The code makes allowances for signage predating the article, and for buildings where strict compliance would cause practical difficulty.
- Pre-existing signs: Signs installed before the article took effect may be accepted where they adequately accomplish the intended purpose.
- Hardship: For buildings existing before 18 January 1973, the commissioner may modify location requirements where compliance would cause practical difficulty or undue hardship.
Residential buildings, and the layer most people miss
Residential buildings carry a second set of requirements under the New York City Fire Code, separate from the Building Code signage. And the code itself is not the only source - Department of Buildings rules and bulletins sit on top of it, and they change.
Residential: guides and notices
- Fire Safety Guide: Informs occupants, building staff and visitors about the building’s construction, fire safety systems, means of egress and evacuation procedures. Posted in common areas at 8½ by 11 inches.
- Fire Safety Notices: The large format, 8½ by 11 inches, goes in common areas. The small format, 5½ by 8½ inches, goes on dwelling unit doors.
- Hotels and motels: Guest-room egress door diagrams are required in the city as well as statewide, alongside an accepted fire safety and evacuation plan.
Exceptions and Department rules
- Accessible means of egress: Under the current code, the emergency sign is not required at elevators forming part of an accessible means of egress.
- Self-evacuation elevators: Nor at occupant evacuation elevators, which carry their own requirements and an approved emergency action plan.
- Department rules: Beyond the code, the Rules of the City of New York carry Department of Buildings provisions covering elevator landings, floor numbering, and stairs and elevators. Check these alongside the code.
- Superseded guidance: Older Department directives have been rescinded over time, including a long-standing exemption for the street entrance floor. Guidance your building has relied on for years may no longer stand.
The final word belongs to your inspector
Everything above is written down. What gets signed off is the Authority Having Jurisdiction’s reading of it - and in New York City, with two code generations running in parallel and a Department of Buildings rules layer on top, there is genuine room for two inspectors to reach different conclusions about the same building.
Where readings differ most
- Which code generation applies: A building altered over decades may not fall as neatly on one side of the 2008 line as its construction date suggests.
- Whether an exception is read as applying: Accessible means of egress and occupant evacuation elevators both carry carve-outs, and both depend on how the building is classified.
- What counts as an existing sign: Signage predating the article may be accepted where it accomplishes the intended purpose - a judgement, not a measurement.
- How much detail a diagram carries: The code sets minimums. Inspectors differ on what is legible, what is cluttered, and what a floor plan should show.
Ask before you print
Where there is any doubt, a short conversation with your fire prevention bureau or the Department of Buildings costs nothing. Reprinting every floor of a building does not.
If your inspector wants to review a diagram before you commit, we will produce a proof for them. It is far easier to adjust artwork than to remake a set of installed signs.
Common questions about New York requirements
Are evacuation maps required in New York?
Yes, but which rules apply depends on where the building is. Outside New York City the Fire Code of New York State governs, and its clearest signage mandate is for hotels and motels: a diagram showing two evacuation routes on or immediately adjacent to every required egress door from each sleeping unit. New York City is carved out of the state code entirely and runs its own, where the requirement extends well beyond the evacuation diagram to a schedule of six sign types.
What fire safety signs are required in NYC buildings?
A qualifying New York City building needs more than the evacuation diagram. Article 9 of the 1968 Building Code requires elevator landing signs carrying the mandated wording and a floor diagram, floor numbering signs inside each stair enclosure, alphabetic identification for each stair and elevator bank, and stair re-entry signs in qualifying office buildings. All of them must be metal or another durable material. The Construction Codes carry equivalent provisions forward for buildings erected from July 2008 onward.
What wording is required on NYC elevator landing signs?
It depends on which code generation governs the building, and the two are not interchangeable. Buildings in existence or permitted before 1 July 2008 fall under §27-391 of the 1968 code, where the sign reads "IN CASE OF FIRE, USE STAIRS UNLESS OTHERWISE INSTRUCTED". Buildings erected under the Construction Codes from that date onward fall under BC 3002.3, where it reads "IN FIRE EMERGENCY, DO NOT USE ELEVATOR. USE THE EXIT STAIRS." Establish which side of the 2008 line your building falls on before ordering: the wrong wording is the most common and most expensive mistake in New York City egress signage.
Does New York City use the same fire code as the rest of the state?
No. New York City is expressly carved out of the state code and runs its own Construction Codes and its own Fire Code, a separate body of law rather than a local overlay, so the city code replaces the state code rather than supplementing it. Everywhere else in the state, from Buffalo and Rochester to Westchester and Long Island, follows the Uniform Code and the Fire Code of New York State.
What size must NYC elevator landing signs be?
Under §27-391 you have two options. A combined sign carrying both the required wording and the floor plan must be at least 10 inches by 12 inches. Alternatively, where the floor plan is posted conspicuously elsewhere on the floor, the landing sign can carry the wording alone and drops to 2½ by 10 inches, with the separate plan at least 8 by 12 inches. Confirm which specification applies against the code generation that governs your building before ordering.
Do New York hotels need evacuation diagrams in guest rooms?
Yes, and the requirement applies across the state. The Fire Code of New York State requires a diagram showing two evacuation routes, posted on or immediately adjacent to every required egress door from each sleeping unit. New York City requires the same guest-room diagrams. Separately, hotels also need an accepted fire safety and evacuation plan, which is a written document rather than a posted sign.
Does my building need floor numbering and stair identification signs?
In New York City, very likely. Article 9 requires floor numbering signs posted within each stair enclosure on every floor, with numerals at least 3 inches high in contrasting colours, attached to the stair side of the door. It also requires each stair and each bank of elevators to be identified by an alphabetic letter: the elevator bank letter goes at each landing, and the stair identification goes on the occupancy side of the stair door, in lettering at least 3 inches high. Qualifying office buildings additionally need stair re-entry signs stating whether re-entry is available and on which floor. What a specific building needs depends on how many stairs and elevator banks it has, on which floors allow re-entry, and on what is already installed and still acceptable.
Can I use paper or printed inserts for NYC egress signs?
No. Article 9 requires signs to be of metal or another material of comparable durability, so paper inserts and temporary substrates do not satisfy the requirement. A diagram can be entirely correct in content and still fail on material alone. Aluminium and acrylic placards meet the standard.
Your path to compliance in New York
Outside New York City, start with the Fire Code of New York State and then confirm what your local fire marshal expects - the Uniform Code sets the floor, and municipalities apply it with their own expectations on content, size and approval. Hotels and motels have the clearest obligation: a two-route diagram at every guest-room egress door.
In New York City, establish your building’s code generation first, because it determines the wording on every elevator landing sign you order. Then work through the full Article 9 schedule rather than the evacuation diagram alone - floor numbering, stair and elevator identification, and re-entry signage are separately enforceable and commonly missed. Signs must be metal or another durable material, and residential buildings need fire safety guides and notices on top.
We design and produce the full set, sized and worded to the code that applies to your building.
Unfamiliar terms? means of egress, accessible means of egress, prior code building, occupancy classification, stairway identification sign
Last reviewed against the code: August 2026
* The information provided here is based on our understanding of the Fire Code of New York State, the New York City Building Code, the 1968 Building Code and the New York City Fire Code, and is for general guidance only. We are expert map designers, not fire safety consultants or legal professionals. The Authority Having Jurisdiction has the final say on what your building requires. Always confirm specific requirements with your local Fire Department or the Department of Buildings before ordering.