Toilets symbol

A pair of simplified figures marking public toilets.

Also known as: Restroom symbol, WC sign, Bathroom symbol, Two figures sign

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Meanings

Two simplified figures, conventionally read as a man and a woman, mark public toilets. It is a wayfinding symbol rather than a safety sign, so it carries no colour grammar — and its conventions are actively changing.

Common modern usageVerified fact
Identifies public toilets, and by direction the route to them.
Contexts: Public information
Common modern usageVerified fact
Uses a pair of figures distinguished by a triangular skirt shape on one, a convention which conveys nothing about the facilities themselves and is read entirely by learned association.
Contexts: Public information
Common modern usageCommon usage
Is being supplemented in many places by all-gender and accessible variants, so the two-figure form should not be read as the only current convention.
Recorded as a change in signage practice. Symbolwise describes what the symbols are used to mean and takes no position on the policies behind them.
Contexts: Public information
Common modern usageVerified fact
Is a public information symbol rather than a safety sign, so it carries no shape-and-colour safety grammar. It identifies a facility and may be drawn in any colour that suits its setting.
Contexts: Public information

Visual description

Two simplified standing human figures side by side, each a round head above a body, one body drawn as a straight-sided shape and the other widening into a triangle.

A fuller structured visual breakdown is not yet documented for this symbol.

Confidence

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is documented in encyclopedic references, but multiple independent sources agree.
Historical originLow confidence: Low confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but early or supporting evidence is limited, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useHigh confidence: High confidence because the current use is documented in encyclopedic references, but multiple independent sources agree.
Visual matchHigh confidence: High confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references, but multiple independent sources agree.

Sources

Safety sign
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for what the symbol depicts, its shape-and-colour category, and any ISO reference number it reports. The standards themselves are paywalled and were not consulted, so nothing here is treated as an official definition.
ISO 7001
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for what the symbol depicts, its shape-and-colour category, and any ISO reference number it reports. The standards themselves are paywalled and were not consulted, so nothing here is treated as an official definition.
Public toilet
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for what the symbol depicts, its shape-and-colour category, and any ISO reference number it reports. The standards themselves are paywalled and were not consulted, so nothing here is treated as an official definition.

Last reviewed 2026-07-31

Part of

Public information symbols

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Meanings

Common modern usageVerified fact

Identifies public toilets, and by direction the route to them.

Contexts: Public information

Common modern usageVerified fact

Uses a pair of figures distinguished by a triangular skirt shape on one, a convention which conveys nothing about the facilities themselves and is read entirely by learned association.

Contexts: Public information

Common modern usageCommon usage

Is being supplemented in many places by all-gender and accessible variants, so the two-figure form should not be read as the only current convention.

Recorded as a change in signage practice. Symbolwise describes what the symbols are used to mean and takes no position on the policies behind them.

Contexts: Public information

Common modern usageVerified fact

Is a public information symbol rather than a safety sign, so it carries no shape-and-colour safety grammar. It identifies a facility and may be drawn in any colour that suits its setting.

Contexts: Public information

Confidence

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is documented in encyclopedic references, but multiple independent sources agree.
Historical originLow confidence: Low confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but early or supporting evidence is limited, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useHigh confidence: High confidence because the current use is documented in encyclopedic references, but multiple independent sources agree.
Visual matchHigh confidence: High confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references, but multiple independent sources agree.

Sources

Safety sign
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for what the symbol depicts, its shape-and-colour category, and any ISO reference number it reports. The standards themselves are paywalled and were not consulted, so nothing here is treated as an official definition.
ISO 7001
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for what the symbol depicts, its shape-and-colour category, and any ISO reference number it reports. The standards themselves are paywalled and were not consulted, so nothing here is treated as an official definition.
Public toilet
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for what the symbol depicts, its shape-and-colour category, and any ISO reference number it reports. The standards themselves are paywalled and were not consulted, so nothing here is treated as an official definition.

Last reviewed 2026-07-31