MUTCD compliance sign requirements for parking lots

Your employees and customers rely on clear signage and markings to navigate your parking lot. They need to see where they’re allowed to go and what safety steps — like stopping at a stop sign — they need to take along the way. Just because most people don’t drive quickly through parking lots doesn’t mean they can’t get into serious accidents. When your customers and employees are confused about how to navigate a lot, they’re at increased risk of auto and property damage as well as injury.

Fortunately, it’s easy to create parking lot guidelines for your organization. Existing safety process standards cover sign requirements and other parking guidelines. And a handy parking lot checklist gives you an easy guide designing your business space. Additionally, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) has several best practices.

Learn more about MUTCD standards, how to comply with them effectively and how they can help your business operations.

What is the MUTCD?

The MUTCD was developed by the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). In 1935, the first official MUTCD was published. Since then, the DOT and FHWA have updated these guidelines based on input from legislatures and car manufacturers across the U.S. The MUTCD covers different types of standards for signs and markings used to direct traffic, including the colors, sizes, shapes and placement of these items.

Does the MUTCD apply everywhere in the U.S.?

The MUTCD is a nationwide set of guidelines. Title 23 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 655.603 stipulates these guidelines cover any streets, highways, interstates and bicycle paths.

However, there are some exceptions where the MUTCD doesn’t need to be followed. These exceptions include, “gated toll roads [and] roads within private gated properties where access is restricted at all times.” Parking areas and driving aisles within parking areas are also not part of this definition.

State-specific standards

While the MUTCD is a national program, there are some state-specific supplements designed for areas with unique needs that cannot conform to the guidelines. The MUTCD website has a map of which states fully conform to the MUTCD, which states have supplements and which states have their own guidelines.

Alaska, for example, adopts the MUTCD guidelines but has supplements for towns with long place names that cannot fit on standard sign sizes with the spacing requirements the MUTCD created. The state standards allow designers to adjust the spacing while still ensuring clarity and readability.

Eighteen states fully comply with MUTCD standards, 22 states plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico have state-specific supplements and 10 states have their own guidelines.

How often do MUTCD standards change?

The MUTCD issues a new edition of the manual once every five years. However, this may change depending on the resources of the organization and extent of updates that need to be made. For example, ahead of the 2023 MUTCD update, advocates tried to lower the difference between the fastest and slowest drivers on the road.

Do MUTCD standards apply to private roads?

MUTCD standards only apply to roads that are open to public travel. Roads within private gated properties are not covered in the MUTCD. Parking areas and aisles within parking areas are also not included.

However, there is an important phrase to remember. The MUTCD specifically uses “open to public travel” to include roads within shopping centers, parking lots, airports, sporting arenas and other private properties where people are allowed to travel with restrictions. While the parking areas themselves are not included in the MUTCD, the roads leading to them and through them are.

Dimensions and other requirements for different types of signs

While the MUTCD covers a wide range of signage requirements, most business owners need to be concerned about parking lot signage and design. Here are a few requirements for parking lot signage, including resources to make sure you have the right dimensions for each sign.

The MUTCD provides explicit guidelines for sign dimensions and requirements for each sign you need.

Compliance dates

The DOT and FHWA understand that it takes time for states and businesses to adjust their designs to meet the latest rules. This is why each new set of guidelines comes with a compliance date. This is the deadline that every state has to meet the new rules. For example, the 2009 MUTCD set a compliance date for plaques for left-hand exits for December 2014. The same MUTCD update for one-way signs was set for December 2019. These dates will vary depending on the scope of the work that needs to be done.

The main penalty for not meeting compliance dates is the removal of federal-aid funds for non-compliant states. This ensures that states work to keep up with the latest MUTCD guidelines.

How to get a copy of the MUTCD

There are multiple ways to secure your copy of the MUTCD to make sure you’re following these guidelines within your organization. Here are a few options available to you.

While the MUTCD guidelines do not change frequently, it helps to stay on top of any changes so your parking lot always stays in compliance.