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HomeHealth and Safety CodeDiv. 104Pt. 15Ch. 2Art. 1§ 118505 Public Restroom Requirements

§ 118505 Public Restroom Requirements

Health and Safety Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 118505 Public Restroom Requirements

Key Takeaways

  • •Places like stadiums, amusement parks, and event centers must have enough bathrooms for everyone when it's busiest.
  • •The rules for how many bathrooms are needed are in the State Building Standards Code.
  • •These rules only apply to new buildings or big renovations started after January 1, 1989.
  • •Hotels, restaurants, schools, and historic buildings don’t have to follow these rules.

Example

A new amusement park is being built and will open next year.

The park must have enough bathrooms for all visitors, even on the busiest days. If they don’t, they could get in trouble for breaking the law.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 118505 Public Restroom Requirements

(a)  Publicly and privately owned facilities where the public congregates shall be equipped with sufficient temporary or permanent restrooms to meet the needs of the public at peak hours. (b)  In conformity with the State Plumbing Code, and except as otherwise provided in this section, standards shall be adopted in order to enforce this section, as follows: (1)  The State Building Standards Commission shall adopt standards with respect to all state-owned or state-occupied facilities where the public congregates and over which it has jurisdiction pursuant to Section 18934.5. (2)  The Office of the State Architect shall adopt standards with respect to all facilities where the public congregates and that are not covered by paragraph (1), unless exempt from coverage pursuant to this section. (c)  The standards adopted pursuant to subdivision (b) shall be published in the State Building Standards Code contained in Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations. (d)  This section shall apply to facilities where the public congregates that commence construction, or that undertake structural alterations, repairs, or improvements exceeding 50 percent of the entire facility, on or after January 1, 1989. (e)  For the purposes of this section, “facilities where the public congregates” means sports and entertainment arenas, stadiums, community and convention halls, specialty event centers, amusement facilities, and ski resorts. For purposes of this section, “facilities where the public congregates” also means specialty event centers in public parks. (f)  This section shall not apply to the following: (1)  Any hotel. For purposes of this section, “hotel” means an establishment in which there exists the relationship of guests and innkeeper between the occupants and the owner or operator of the establishment. The existence of some other legal relationship between the occupants and owner or operator shall be immaterial. (2)  Any restaurant or food facility, as defined in Section 113785. (3)  Any public or private elementary or secondary school facility. (4)  Any qualified historic building, defined as qualifying under provisions in the State Historical Building Code contained in Part 8 (commencing with Section 8-100) of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations. (g)  It is the intent of the Legislature that, in order to ensure that standards are both viable and efficacious, the Office of the State Architect and the State Building Standards Commission hold a series of public meetings with representatives of affected industries and state and local agencies prior to adopting standards under this section. (Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 1996.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

finecoveragecommissionregulationportschoolstate building standardsstate architect

Related Statutes

  • § 108044 Unsafe Product Sales Ban
  • § 13029 Firefighter Equipment Pfas Ban
  • § 13110 Fire Marshal Building Regulations
  • § 1343 Health Plan Regulation Exemptions
  • § 33333.3 Redevelopment Environmental Notice Requirements

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Health and Safety Code. Section 118505.
View Official Source