Two oak toilet signs held side by side, engraved with the female and male symbols

Toilet Signs for Businesses: What UK Law Says, and Which Sign Goes on Which Door

We know of no UK law that sets the wording on an ordinary toilet sign. The law decides which toilets you need, and the sign should describe them accurately. At work, men and women need separate toilet rooms unless each toilet is in its own room that locks from the inside. Building guidance, councils and the EHRC code add detail.

Below: the workplace rules, customer toilets, new building work in England, the Supreme Court ruling and the EHRC code, and which sign suits which door. This is a summary of the law in England, Wales and Scotland as at November 2026, written by a sign maker, not a lawyer, and it is not legal advice. Northern Ireland has its own workplace and equality law. Views on single-sex facilities differ sharply and the law is still developing, so take advice before you change your facilities. We are an engraving workshop in Buckley, Flintshire, and we make wooden toilet signs.

Is there a law about toilet signs?

We know of no UK law that prescribes the wording or symbol on an ordinary toilet sign. What matters is that the sign matches the room behind the door. Three things come closest:

  • Building guidance in England. For new building work, Approved Document T asks for clear signs at the entrance door of each type of toilet, and a standard symbol on universal toilets (see below).
  • The EHRC services code. In force since 5 August 2026, it says that in many cases the main way to make lawful single-sex provision work is to communicate clearly that it is for one sex only, and that this may include signs.
  • Public bodies in Wales. Bodies that follow the Welsh Language Standards, such as councils, usually have to show Welsh on new and replacement signs. Flintshire County Council's guidance, for example, says the Welsh text must be placed so it is likely to be read first, and that contractors working for the council must comply with the relevant standards.

Accessible toilets have their own guidance, which our guide to accessibility signs for businesses covers. If your accessible toilet is locked, see our guide to RADAR keys.

Staff toilets: what workplace law requires

Regulation 20 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, which applies in England, Wales and Scotland, says employers must provide suitable and sufficient toilets in readily accessible places. They count as suitable only if:

  • the rooms are adequately ventilated and lit
  • the toilets and rooms are kept clean and orderly
  • there are separate rooms for men and women, except where each toilet is in a separate room whose door can be secured from the inside

In practice, a small business with one or two self-contained toilets that lock from the inside can let everyone use them. Once toilets are cubicles inside a shared room, men and women need separate rooms.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) sets out minimum numbers, based on the most people likely to be at work at any one time:

People at work (mixed use, or women only) Toilets Washbasins
1 to 5 1 1
6 to 25 2 2
26 to 50 3 3
51 to 75 4 4
76 to 100 5 5

For toilets used by men only, HSE's table lets urinals make up part of the count: for example, 1 to 15 men need one toilet and one urinal, and 16 to 30 men need two toilets and one urinal.

In February 2026 the High Court decided a challenge to the EHRC's interim update on the Supreme Court ruling (Good Law Project and others v EHRC [2026] EWHC 279 (Admin)). It held that "men" and "women" in regulation 20 mean biological sex, so toilets that share a room must be separated by biological sex, while toilets in separate rooms that lock from the inside can be used by anyone. The judge also said, in remarks that some commentators treat as non-binding, that employers' duties not to discriminate because of gender reassignment still apply: requiring a trans employee to use the toilets for their biological sex would have to be justified as proportionate, and extra facilities may help. Three individual claimants are seeking permission to appeal. In October 2026 the Court of Appeal ordered an oral hearing of their application, to be held before the end of the year if practicable, and refused Good Law Project's own appeal on standing.

The EHRC's 2026 code covers services to the public, not how employers treat their staff. Law firms advise employers not to assume the services code's approach carries over to staff facilities. The EHRC's employment code is expected to be reviewed, but no timetable has been set.

Customer toilets: do you have to provide them?

There is no general rule that every shop or café must offer customers a toilet. But in England and Wales, section 20 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 lets the local council (in two-tier parts of England, the district council rather than the county council) serve a notice requiring toilets and washbasins for the public at places used for entertainment, exhibitions or sporting events, at betting offices, and at premises selling food or drink to be consumed there. The notice can require the toilets to be free to use.

Councils that use the power publish their own standards. North Norfolk District Council's policy, for example, asks for one shared toilet and washbasin for 1 to 25 customer seats, a male and a female toilet with washbasins for 26 to 50 seats, and a larger table beyond that. Mainly takeaway premises can have up to 10 seats without having to provide free-to-use toilets for customers. The policy also says that where a building has only one toilet, it should be a larger wheelchair-accessible unisex toilet. Check your own council's policy, and any conditions attached to your planning permission or licence.

New building work in England: Approved Document T

Since 1 October 2024, where building work brings Part T of the Building Regulations into play in England, toilets in buildings other than dwellings must be reasonable single-sex provision for men and women, or universal toilets where space does not allow single-sex toilets. Universal toilets can also be provided alongside single-sex ones. Approved Document T, the guidance that goes with it, describes a universal toilet as a fully enclosed room with its own toilet, washbasin and hand drying, intended for individual use by people of either sex.

  • Where it applies: building work, such as new buildings, extensions, material alterations and material changes of use. Existing toilets generally do not have to change unless building work is done. Check with building control.
  • What it leaves out: dwellings, schools, early years settings, custodial cells, and en-suite toilets in individual residential rooms, such as hotel bedrooms and care home rooms.
  • Signs: it asks for clear and appropriate signs at the entrance door of each type of toilet, wayfinding signs on each floor, and, on a universal toilet, the standard symbol PI PF 003 from BS ISO 7001.
  • Alongside it: Approved Document M still expects a wheelchair-accessible unisex toilet in buildings other than dwellings.

Wales and Scotland have their own building rules, and Approved Document T does not apply there.

The Supreme Court ruling and the EHRC code

On 16 April 2025, in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16, the Supreme Court decided that "man", "woman" and "sex" in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological sex. Its press summary lists separate spaces and single-sex services, including changing rooms, among the parts of the Act that need that reading to work. It also says trans people are protected from discrimination on the ground of gender reassignment, and can rely on the Act's provisions on direct discrimination, harassment and indirect sex discrimination.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission's updated Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations came into force on 5 August 2026, replacing the 2011 code. It applies to organisations that serve the public, such as shops, cafés, pubs and hotels. The code does not itself create legal obligations, but courts and tribunals must take it into account where it is relevant. Its main points on toilets are:

  • Single-sex means one biological sex. A women's toilet that men may not use but trans women may use is not single-sex under the Act.
  • Single-sex toilets must be proportionate. They are lawful where they are a proportionate way of meeting a legitimate aim, such as privacy, dignity or safety. The code says that in many cases it will be proportionate to take a holistic approach, offering a mix of single-sex and mixed-sex services.
  • Mixed-sex only carries its own risk. The code says a provider that decides to offer a service only on a mixed-sex basis could be discriminating, directly or indirectly, against women who use it.
  • Nobody should be left without a toilet. For services everyone needs, such as toilets, the code says it is very unlikely to be proportionate to leave a trans person with no service they can use. One of its examples adds toilets in individual lockable rooms with handbasins, which can be used by people of either sex.
  • Say who each toilet is for. The code says a written policy on whether and how single-sex services are provided will usually be helpful and often necessary, and that clear communication, which may include signs, is in many cases the main way to make single-sex provision work.
  • Questioning people is rarely appropriate. For facilities such as toilets, the code says approaching an individual to ask about their sex is unlikely to be either practical or appropriate.

The code and the court rulings are read very differently by different groups, the High Court decision may yet go to appeal, and the EHRC's employment code has still to be reviewed. This is the position as it stands in November 2026, and it may change.

Which sign goes on which door

Start from what the room is, then choose the sign that says so.

The room What the sign needs to tell people Our sign
A room for women, with or without cubicles It is for women: "Ladies" or "Women", or the female symbol Women sign (style 4), or the male and female pack of two
A room for men, with or without cubicles It is for men: "Gents" or "Men", or the male symbol Men sign (style 3), or the male and female pack of two
A self-contained toilet that locks from the inside, for anyone Anyone can use it: "Toilet" or "WC" WC sign, circular Toilet door sign or Toilets sign
A self-contained wheelchair-accessible toilet, for example where it is a building's only toilet Anyone can use it, including wheelchair users Male, female and accessible sign or the accessible toilet sign
A toilet for staff only Who may use it: "Staff toilet" Toilets sign with your own wording

The words used for a self-contained toilet open to anyone vary. Building guidance calls it a universal toilet, the EHRC code describes some toilets as mixed-sex or usable by people of either sex, and many venues simply write "Toilet". Whichever you choose, the sign should describe the room accurately. For a new universal toilet in England, check the symbol Approved Document T asks for with your designer or building control before you order.

Oak toilet sign held in a hand, engraved with female, male and wheelchair symbols separated by vertical lines

Where to put them. Fix each sign on the door at a consistent height, and add a sign with an arrow at any junction where the way to the toilets isn't obvious. Our wooden toilet signs include left and right arrow versions. For a sign read from across a room or down a corridor, our free sign text size calculator gives the minimum letter height for the viewing distance.

Our toilet signs

All are laser engraved on FSC-certified 4mm oak veneered MDF and made to order in our workshop in North Wales.

  • Wooden toilet signs: 14 styles in four sizes, from 102 × 74mm to 270 × 190mm, including men only, women only, accessible only, combined, left and right arrows, and your own mix. Supplied flat with Command Strips recommended; holes on request.
  • Male and female toilet sign: one panel with both symbols, in four sizes. A plain panel with no holes that fixes flat with sticky pads (not supplied).
  • Male and female pack of two: one male and one female sign, both the same size, in four sizes. Plain panels with no holes that fix flat with sticky pads (not supplied).
  • Male, female and accessible toilet sign: all three symbols on one sign, in four sizes.
  • Accessible toilet sign: the wheelchair symbol only, in four sizes. A plain panel with no holes that fixes flat with sticky pads (not supplied).
  • WC sign: four sizes. A plain panel with no holes that fixes flat with sticky pads (not supplied).
  • Circular Toilet door sign: 100mm or 150mm across, fixed flat with sticky pads (not included).
  • Toilets sign with your own wording: a slim sign in four sizes, engraved "Toilets" as standard or with your own wording, such as "Staff toilet" or "Toiledau / Toilets". Fixes with sticky pads (not supplied).

Our signs are laser engraved, not tactile or Braille. Where tactile signage is needed, use a specialist supplier. For indoor use only, and not inside wet rooms. Bulk discounts apply automatically at checkout, per product: 10% off 20 or more, rising to 35% off 1,000 or more.

All items are made to order. Dispatch time is shown at checkout. UK orders via Royal Mail Tracked 24. International via Royal Mail International Tracked.

See all our toilet and bathroom signs.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a legal requirement for toilet signs in the UK?
We know of no law that sets the wording or symbol on an ordinary toilet sign. The law decides which toilets you need, and the sign should describe them accurately. The EHRC's services code says that in many cases the main way to make single-sex provision work is to make that clear, for example with signs, and Approved Document T asks for clear signs in new building work in England. This is general information, not legal advice.

Do I need separate male and female toilets at work?
Under regulation 20 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, men and women need separate toilet rooms, unless each toilet is in a separate room whose door can be secured from the inside. In February 2026 the High Court held that "men" and "women" here mean biological sex, and that self-contained toilets that lock from the inside can be used by anyone. Employers' duties not to discriminate because of gender reassignment still apply. Three of the claimants are seeking permission to appeal.

Can a small café have one toilet for everyone?
Often, yes. For staff, workplace law allows a shared toilet in a self-contained room that locks from the inside. For customers there is no national rule on numbers, but councils that use their section 20 powers set their own standards: North Norfolk's policy, for example, allows one shared toilet for up to 25 customer seats, and says that where a building has only one toilet, it should be a wheelchair-accessible unisex one. Check your own council's policy.

Do shops and cafés have to provide customer toilets?
There is no general rule that they must. In England and Wales, local councils can require toilets for the public at places of entertainment, betting offices and premises selling food or drink for consumption there, under section 20 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.

What did the Supreme Court decide?
In April 2025 it decided that "man", "woman" and "sex" in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological sex. It also said trans people are protected from discrimination on the ground of gender reassignment, and can rely on the Act's provisions on direct discrimination, harassment and indirect sex discrimination.

Does the EHRC code apply to staff toilets?
No. The services code that came into force on 5 August 2026 covers organisations serving the public, not how employers treat staff. Staff toilets are covered by regulation 20 of the 1992 Workplace Regulations, which the High Court interpreted in February 2026. Where the same toilets also serve customers, the services code applies to customers' use of them. The EHRC's employment code is expected to be reviewed, but no timetable has been set.

Also see: which accessibility signs a business needs, RADAR keys explained, toilet and bathroom signs and accessibility signs.

Sources

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