Parking Lot Signs Every Property Needs: No Parking, ADA Accessible, Fire Lane and Tow-Away Rules

Every parking lot open to customers, tenants or visitors needs a core set of signs. At minimum: accessible parking signs at each accessible space (required by the ADA), no parking signs wherever parking is prohibited, fire lane signs or markings where the fire department designates a fire lane, and, if you plan to tow, a tow-away sign at each entrance worded to your state's law. Stop signs at exits and a speed limit sign round out most lots. This guide explains what each sign must say and look like, how many you need, how high to mount them, and what a typical set costs, using the 2010 ADA Standards, the MUTCD 11th Edition and California's Vehicle Code as sources.

The parking lot sign checklist by property type

R7-8 is the MUTCD accessible parking sign. The ADA Standards require a higher share of accessible spaces at hospital outpatient facilities (10 percent, Section 208.2.1) and at rehabilitation and outpatient physical therapy facilities (20 percent, Section 208.2.2).

Accessible (handicap) parking signs: how many and how high

The 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design are the federal rule. Section 216.5 says accessible parking spaces must be identified by signs, and Section 502.6 says what those signs must be:

• Every sign shows the International Symbol of Accessibility (the wheelchair symbol).
• Signs at van spaces must also carry the words "van accessible."
• The bottom of the sign must be at least 60 inches above the ground or floor, so it stays visible when a vehicle is parked in the space.

The MUTCD agrees and names the signs: the Accessible Parking (R7-8) sign designates the space, and a VAN ACCESSIBLE (R7-8aP) plaque goes below it at van spaces (Section 2B.53). There are two exceptions in ADA 216.5: a site with four or fewer parking spaces in total does not have to sign its accessible space, and residential spaces assigned to a specific unit do not need signs.

How many accessible spaces does a parking lot need?

ADA Table 208.2 sets the minimum by the total number of spaces in each parking facility:

Source: 2010 ADA Standards, Table 208.2 and Section 208.2.4 ("for every six or fraction of six" accessible spaces, at least one is a van space). Van spaces are 132 inches wide with a 60-inch aisle, or 96 inches wide with a 96-inch aisle (Section 502.2).

Each accessible space gets its own sign, so the sign count equals the accessible space count, plus one van accessible plaque for each van space.

Mounting height

The ADA minimum is 60 inches from the ground to the bottom of the sign. The MUTCD adds a rule for signs next to walkways: a sign mounted over a sidewalk needs at least 7 feet of clearance underneath (Section 2A.15), and a lower secondary sign must not stick out more than 4 inches into the walkway. In practice, a post at the head of a stall behind a curb is usually set with the sign bottom between 60 inches and 7 feet; a sign that overhangs a sidewalk goes at 7 feet. Your local building department may set its own number, so check it before you drive posts.

No parking signs: which one to use

The MUTCD covers parking signs in Sections 2B.52 to 2B.54. The rules that matter for a lot:

• Shape. Parking, standing and stopping signs are rectangular or square.
• Color. Prohibitive signs (NO PARKING) have a red legend and border on white, with a black "P" in the symbol version. Permissive signs (time limits, reserved or customer parking) are green on white.
• Order of information, top to bottom: the restriction, the times, the days, any supplementary information, exemptions, and last, any tow-away message.
• Arrows show the zone. A single-headed arrow at the end of a zone, a double-headed arrow in the middle.
• Placement. At the head of perpendicular stalls, face the sign toward the stall. Along a long curb, angle it 30 to 45 degrees to traffic and repeat it at intermediate points.

"No parking," "no standing" and "no stopping" are not the same. The MUTCD defines standing as keeping a vehicle stationary while the driver stays in it, and stopping as any stop other than to avoid traffic or follow an official direction. A no parking zone lets a driver wait at the wheel; a no stopping zone does not.

Prices from ledlighting-solutions.com as of September 2026, for engineer grade sheeting; high intensity prismatic and diamond grade cost more. The stock R7 and R8 signs are 0.080-inch aluminum. The MUTCD minimum for R7 series signs on a conventional road is 12 × 18 inches (Table 2B-1), so all of our R7 sizes meet it. Custom signs take 4 to 6 weeks.

Fire lane signs

Fire lanes are set by the fire department or fire district with jurisdiction, not by the property owner, so start with a call to your fire marshal. They decide where the lane runs and how it must be marked.

California spells out the marking in Vehicle Code 22500.1. A fire lane in a public or private parking facility is designated in one of two ways: a sign next to the place, visible from it, stating in letters at least 1 inch high that it is a fire lane; or the curb or area painted red and marked "FIRE LANE" in a contrasting color. Other states and cities write their own rules, often through the local fire code. Our custom rectangular sign takes whatever legend your fire marshal approves, with red or white sheeting, in sizes from 12 × 24 up to 30 × 36 inches.

Tow-away signs

Towing from private property is governed by state law, and the sign is usually part of it. California Vehicle Code 22658(a)(1) shows how specific it gets. To tow a vehicle from private property without first ticketing it, the owner must display, in plain view at all entrances to the property, a sign that:

• measures at least 17 by 22 inches, with lettering at least 1 inch high;
• prohibits public parking and says vehicles will be removed at the owner's expense;
• gives the phone number of the local traffic law enforcement agency; and
• names each towing company the owner has a written towing agreement with, and gives its phone number.

An 18 × 24 inch custom sign clears the 17 × 22 minimum. Count one per entrance, not one per lot: a property with three driveways needs three. Georgia and other states set their own requirements, so confirm the wording with your towing company or city before you order.

Worked example: signing a 120-space retail lot

Take a 120-space shopping center lot in California with two entrances, a loading zone and a fire lane along the storefront:

1. Accessible spaces. 120 spaces falls in the 101 to 150 row of Table 208.2, so 5 accessible spaces, and at least 1 of them van accessible. That is 5 R7-8 signs at $43.99 each, $219.95, plus a van accessible plaque for the van space.
2. Tow-away. Two entrances means two signs of at least 17 × 22 inches under Vehicle Code 22658. Order two 18 × 24 inch custom signs.
3. Fire lane. Signs or red curb with "FIRE LANE" markings wherever the fire department designates the lane.
4. No parking. Three R7-1 No Parking Any Time signs for the loading zone and the two drive aisles at the entrances: 3 × $43.99 = $131.97.
5. Exits. Two 30-inch R1-1 stop signs at $62.99 each, $125.98.

The stock signs come to $219.95 + $131.97 + $125.98 = $477.90 with engineer grade sheeting, before the custom tow-away and fire lane signs, the van plaque and the posts. Our online catalog does not list a van accessible plaque, so call us for one. For posts, see our sign posts; the 12 ft breakaway post with anchor and hardware is $209.98.

Slowing traffic in the lot

Drivers cut across parking lots faster than anyone likes. A standard speed limit sign is the start; where it gets ignored, a solar flashing speed limit sign adds flashing LEDs drivers notice. Ours come in 5, 10 and 15 mph versions at $899.99, run on a 5 W solar panel with a lithium battery, and can run 24/7 or dusk to dawn. For lots and garages that also need light at night, our solar parking lot lighting guide covers fixtures that need no trenching.

Frequently asked questions