2022 California Standards for Accessible Design Guide (effective January 1, 2023)

907.5.2.3.1 Public use areas and common use areas.

Visible alarm notification appliances shall be provided in public use areas and common use area, including but not limited to:

1. Band rooms
2. Classrooms
3. Corridors
4. Gymnasiums
5. Lobbies
6. Meeting rooms
7. Multipurpose rooms
8. Music practice rooms
9. Occupational shops
10. Occupied rooms where ambient noise impairs hearing of the fire alarm
11. Sanitary facilities including restrooms, bathrooms and shower rooms.

Exception: Where employee work areas have audible alarm coverage, the notification appliance circuits serving the employee work areas shall be initially designed with not less than 20-percent spare capacity to account for the potential of adding visible notification appliances in the future to accommodate hearing-impaired employee(s).

Advisory 907.5.2.3.1 Public and common use areas. This list is not exhaustive. In new construction, all public- and common-use areas shall have visible alarms if audible alarms are provided. ◼