Emergency & Exit Lighting Code Requirements
What the codes actually require for emergency egress lighting: 1 fc normal, 90-minute backup, 1 fc average / 0.1 fc minimum under emergency power, where it is required, how to test, and which UL 924 units fit each space.
# Emergency Lighting Requirements: What OSHA, the Building Code, NFPA 101 and UL 924 Actually Require
Emergency lighting rules come from four layers that are often quoted as one. This guide separates them, quotes the numbers that are published, flags the clauses you must confirm in the edition your jurisdiction adopts, and ends with which Auvolar UL 924 products fit each space. Exit *signs* (letter size, visibility, placement) have their own page: LED exit sign requirements.
1. The four layers
| Layer | What it is | What it sets |
|---|---|---|
| OSHA 29 CFR 1910.37 | Federal workplace rule | Exit routes "adequately lighted"; exit signs illuminated to 5 foot-candles; letter size [S1] |
| Building code (2021 IBC §1008; in California the 2022 CBC, Title 24 Part 2, same section numbers) | Adopted by the state/city, enforced by the building official | Normal egress illumination 1 fc; emergency power 90 minutes; emergency levels 1 fc average / 0.1 fc minimum; where emergency illumination is required [S2] |
| NFPA 101 Life Safety Code | Adopted by many fire authorities | Equivalent illumination and duration rules plus testing (clause numbers below are flagged for confirmation in the adopted edition) [S3] |
| NEC (NFPA 70) Article 700 and UL 924 | Wiring of emergency systems; product listing standard | Emergency circuits and transfer; UL 924 is the listing standard for exit signs, emergency luminaires, unit equipment, central battery banks and inverters [S4] |
2. Numbers the codes publish
| Requirement | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Normal egress illumination (occupied) | not less than 1 footcandle (11 lux) at the walking surface | CBC 2022 §1008.2.1 [S2] |
| Exit access / exit stairways and landings, when in use | 10 footcandles (108 lux) | CBC 2022 §1008.2.1 [S2] |
| Emergency power duration | not less than 90 minutes (storage batteries, unit equipment or on-site generator) | CBC 2022 §1008.3.4 [S2] |
| Illumination under emergency power, initial | average 1 fc (11 lux), minimum 0.1 fc (1 lux) along the path of egress at floor level | CBC 2022 §1008.3.5 [S2] |
| Illumination under emergency power, end of duration | may decline to average 0.6 fc (6 lux), minimum 0.06 fc (0.6 lux) | CBC 2022 §1008.3.5 [S2] |
| Uniformity | maximum-to-minimum not more than 40 to 1 | CBC 2022 §1008.3.5 [S2] |
| Group I-2 (hospitals etc.) | failure of a single lamp must not reduce illumination below 0.2 fc (2.2 lux) | CBC 2022 §1008.3.5 [S2] |
| Exit sign illumination (workplace) | surface value of at least 5 foot-candles (54 lux) from a reliable light source; self-luminous signs at least 0.06 footlamberts | OSHA 1910.37(b)(6) [S1] |
| Exit sign lettering (workplace) | "Exit" letters not less than six inches high, principal strokes not less than three-fourths of an inch wide | OSHA 1910.37(b)(7) [S1] |
NFPA 101's emergency lighting provisions (Section 7.9) are the basis most fire authorities cite; state health and fire agencies quote the same 90-minute duration from it [S3]. Confirm the clause text in the edition your authority adopts.
3. Where emergency illumination is required (building code)
Under CBC 2022 §1008.3 [S2]:
- Rooms and spaces that require two or more exits: aisles, corridors and exit access stairways and ramps must be illuminated automatically by the emergency system (§1008.3.1).
- Buildings that require two or more exits: interior exit access stairways and ramps, exit stairways and ramps, exit passageways, exit discharge vestibules and areas, and exterior landings for exit doorways (§1008.3.2).
- Specific rooms: electrical equipment rooms, fire command centers, fire pump rooms, generator rooms, and public restrooms larger than 300 square feet (§1008.3.3).
- Normal egress illumination is required "at all times that the room or space is occupied", with exceptions for Group U, aisle accessways in Group A, and dwelling/sleeping units in certain R and I occupancies (§1008.2).
Whether a particular room on your floor plan is on the path of egress is the building official's call; a lighting layout in LightSpec AI can show the 1 fc / 0.1 fc contours along the path once the emergency fixtures are placed.
4. Testing and records
NFPA 101 Section 7.9.3 is the usual basis for testing battery-powered emergency lighting. The Minnesota Department of Health's guidance sheet, citing NFPA 101 (2012 edition) Section 7.9.3.1, states the requirements as: a functional test monthly, with a minimum of 3 weeks and a maximum of 5 weeks between tests, for not less than 30 seconds; a functional test annually for a minimum of 90 minutes; and, for self-testing/self-diagnostic equipment, an automatic test of not less than 30 seconds with a diagnostic routine at least every 30 days, an automatic annual 90-minute test, and a monthly visual inspection [S3]. Intervals and record-keeping can differ by adopted edition and by state fire code (the same sheet notes Minnesota's fire code sets a 30-minute annual test), so confirm with your fire authority. Self-testing units reduce the labour of the routine tests: the Auvolar A-EP09/15/25S emergency driver is listed on its product page with an automatic self-test function [S10].
5. Choosing UL 924 equipment by space
All units below are UL Listed and provide a 90-minute battery backup according to their product pages [S5]–[S11]. Confirm the listing mark on the specific SKU for your jurisdiction.
| Space | Fixture type | Auvolar product (published data) |
|---|---|---|
| Corridors and exit doors, standard interior | Exit sign with battery backup | EX Series: 120/277 V; 4 W max; 1.2 V NiCd; 24 h recharge; 90 min discharge; ABS UL-94V-0 housing; 0–40 °C; wall mount; UL [S5] |
| Exit door plus the first stretch of corridor | Combo exit sign + emergency heads | EM03 Series: 120/277 V; 0.9 W max standby, 4.8 W head output; 3.6 V NiCd; 24 h recharge; 90 min; 0–40 °C; UL [S6] |
| Jurisdictions or tenants requiring red *or* green legend | Bi-colour exit sign | EX-RG Series: 120/277 V; 1.2 W; 1.2 V NiCd; 24 h recharge; 90 min; UL [S7] |
| Wet or washdown locations (car washes, parking structures, canopies) | Wet-location exit sign | EX05 Series: IP65; "UL 924 (Wet locations)"; 120/277 V; 2.0 W; 3.6 V NiCd; 90 min; wall, end or ceiling mount [S8] |
| Existing 0–10 V dimmable LED fixtures (panels, troffers, downlights, linear, high bay) | Emergency LED driver inside the fixture | A-EP08: 8 W max lamp power; 90 min; Li(NiCoMn)O₂ battery; damp location, UL [S9]. A-EP09/15/25S: 100–347 V input; 90 min; auto self-test; field or factory installation; 5-year warranty [S10] |
| Exterior exit discharge, loading doors, rear exits | Wall pack with integrated battery | EMWP Series: 8/15/25 W selectable; 1,120 / 2,100 / 3,500 lm; 140 lm/W; 120–277 V; integrated emergency battery; wall mount [S11] |
Browse the full range at exit signs.
6. Common inspection failures (and the clause behind each)
FAQ
How long must emergency lights stay on? Not less than 90 minutes under the building code (CBC 2022 §1008.3.4) [S2]; every Auvolar unit above lists a 90-minute discharge or emergency duration on its product page [S5]–[S11]. How bright must the path be during an outage? An average of 1 fc with no point below 0.1 fc at floor level initially, allowed to fall to 0.6 fc average / 0.06 fc minimum at the end of the 90 minutes (CBC 2022 §1008.3.5) [S2]. Does OSHA require emergency lighting? OSHA requires exit routes to be "adequately lighted" and exit signs to be lit to 5 foot-candles [S1]; the duration and emergency-power rules come from the building code and NFPA 101 [S2][S3].Sources
- [S1] OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.37(b) Lighting and marking must be adequate and appropriate, (b)(1)–(b)(7), https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.37 (fetched 2026-10-08)
- [S2] 2021 International Building Code, Section 1008 Means of Egress Illumination, §1008.2, §1008.2.1, §1008.3, §1008.3.1–§1008.3.5 — read on the ICC official public-access site (codes.iccsafe.org, IBC2021P1) on 2026-10-08; the 2022 California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2) carries the same section numbers and text (read via the UpCodes public viewer 2026-10-08)
- [S3] Minnesota Department of Health, "Maintenance of Battery-Operated Emergency Lights" (July 2016, rev. June 2024), citing NFPA 101 (2012) Sections 7.9 and 7.9.3.1 and the Minnesota State Fire Code — https://www.health.mn.gov/facilities/regulation/engineering/lscbatopliting.pdf (text extracted 2026-10-08). NFPA 101 itself is published under licence; confirm clause text in the edition your authority adopts
- [S4] UL 924, Standard for Emergency Lighting and Power Equipment — scope: exit signs, emergency luminaires, unit equipment, central station battery banks, inverters, for unclassified locations on branch circuits of 600 V or less (scope summary from UL Standards & Engagement listing, 2026-10-08)
- [S5]–[S11] Auvolar product pages (EX, EM03, EX-RG, EX05, A-EP08, A-EP09/15/25S, EMWP), specification tables, fetched 2026-10-08
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