Pool Sign Requirements: What Public Pools and Spas Must Post

Which pools must post signs

Sign rules come from state health and building codes, and local health departments enforce them. They cover public pools, a wider group than many owners expect. Texas counts pools at hotels, motels, apartments, condominiums, RV parks and property owner associations as public pools. California's Title 22 names apartment house, condominium, homeowner association, hotel, motel and health or fitness club pools. Florida's statute includes pools serving subdivisions, health spas and apartment, hotel or townhouse projects of five or more units.

The CDC's Model Aquatic Health Code is a model, not a law. CDC says it is distributed solely as guidance, so it binds a pool only where a state or county has adopted it. Use it as a checklist, then follow the code your health department enforces.

No lifeguard on duty signs

Where no lifeguard is provided, Texas calls for “WARNING-NO LIFEGUARD ON DUTY” in 4-inch letters. It also calls for “PERSONS UNDER THE AGE OF 14 MUST NOT BE IN THE POOL WITHOUT ADULT SUPERVISION” in letters at least 2 inches high. California's building code calls for “NO LIFEGUARD ON DUTY.” with a line, in letters at least 1 inch high, saying children should not use the pool without adult supervision.

Texas requires lifeguards at Class B pools, the ones open to the general public. California requires them at artificial pools that charge a direct fee, and at other public pools it asks for either a lifeguard or a sign saying there is none. Florida's pool and spa checklists do not list a no lifeguard sign, so ask your county health department. The CDC model suggests a sign saying no qualified lifeguard is on duty.

Pool rules signs and letter size

Florida's checklists, which follow section 454.1.2.3.5 of the Florida Building Code, set rules sign lettering at 1 inch or more, legible from the pool deck. The rules include no food or drink in the pool or on the wet deck, no glass or animals in the fenced area, the bathing load, pool hours and “SHOWER BEFORE ENTERING.”

Texas puts 13 messages in one figure. “IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, DIAL 911” takes 4-inch letters, the pool location and hours take 1 inch, and user load, pets, glass, diapers, illness, breath holding and emergency phone directions take 2 inches or more. Texas lets the wording vary only when it is substantially equivalent and local officials agree before the sign goes up.

• Hours of operation (Texas, Florida, CDC model)
• Maximum swimmers (Texas, California, Florida, CDC model)
• Emergency number and pool address (Texas, California, CDC model)
• No glass (Texas, Florida, CDC model)
• Do not swim if ill with diarrhea (Texas, California, CDC model)

No diving signs and depth markers

Texas wants a deck marker at least 4 inches high showing a diver in a circle crossed by a 45-degree slash. It must be permanent, contrasting, slip resistant and within 18 inches of the water's edge. California wants “NO DIVING” signs at pools 6 feet deep or less. Florida asks for “NO DIVING” markings at least 4 inches high on the curb or deck, within 2 feet of the water and no more than 25 feet apart.

Florida's rules sign also carries “NO DIVING” in 4-inch letters at pools of 200 square feet or more without a diving well. Depth markers are a separate item. Florida, Texas and the CDC model all call for numbers and letters at least 4 inches high in a contrasting color.

Spa and hot tub warning signs

Texas lists spa signs in their own figure, and they go inside the spa enclosure. They include “WARNING - NO LIFEGUARD ON DUTY” in 4-inch letters and “DO NOT USE THE SPA IF THE WATER TEMPERATURE IS ABOVE 104 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT” in letters of at least 1 inch. The shutoff sign, emergency phone location and warnings on illness, children under 14 and pets take at least 2 inches.

California requires a spa warning headed “CAUTION” in letters at least 1 inch high. It covers asking a doctor first, adult supervision for children, alcohol and drugs, never using the spa alone, and the risk of nausea, dizziness or fainting. A separate “EMERGENCY SHUT OFF SWITCH” sign goes at the switch.

Florida's spa list adds a 104°F limit, a 15 minute limit and “CHILDREN UNDER TWELVE MUST HAVE ADULT SUPERVISION.” If the spa has an emergency cutoff switch, a sign must read “ALARM INDICATES SPA PUMPS OFF. DO NOT USE SPA WHEN ALARM SOUNDS UNTIL ADVISED OTHERWISE.” The spa rules sign lettering is at least 1 inch.

Home pools, rentals and shared pools

Private home pools sit outside most of these lists. Texas defines a residential pool as one on private property meant for no more than two resident families and their guests, including a single-family home or duplex. Florida defines a private pool as one used only by an individual, family or living unit and their guests, with no cooperative housing of five or more units.

Home pool laws usually deal with barriers, not signs. Florida's residential pool law needs at least one safety feature, such as a barrier 4 feet high with an outward-opening, self-closing gate, a safety cover, door alarms or a pool alarm. Those sections do not mention signs. Ask your health department how a single-house vacation rental is treated.

How to check your rule and order signs

Call the county or city health department, or the building department that signs off on pool permits. Ask for the sign list in writing. Texas applies its sign figures to new pools and to signs that are replaced, so an older pool may follow earlier wording. California's 2025 building code took effect January 1, 2026, and we read the 2022 text, so confirm that the wording has not changed.

Pick a sign size with room for the letter heights in your rule. Browse No Lifeguard on Duty pool signs, no diving signs, pool rules signs and pool hours signs. Add keep pool gate closed signs, no glass containers signs, shower before entering pool signs or hot tub rules signs. See all safety signs. This guide explains the rules in plain words and is not legal advice.

• Which exact words are required, and can they change?
• The minimum letter height for each sign
• Where each sign goes: gate, pool yard or spa enclosure
• Whether an older pool follows the same list

Common questions

Sources

• Florida Department of Health, Pool Checklist for the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (section 454.1, signs and markings)
• Florida Department of Health, Spa Checklist for the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (section 454.1.8)
• Florida Statutes, section 514.011, Definitions (public pool, private pool)
• Florida Statutes, chapter 515, Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act (sections 515.27 and 515.29)
• Texas Department of State Health Services, 25 TAC Chapter 265, Subchapter L, Public Swimming Pools and Spas (section 265.190 and figures)
• Alameda County Environmental Health, Public Swimming Pools and Spas: excerpts of the California Health and Safety Code, Title 22 and the California Building Code, section 3120B (revised Jan. 1, 2023)
• California Building Standards Commission, Codes (2025 Title 24 effective January 1, 2026)
• CDC, 2024 Model Aquatic Health Code, 5th Edition, Code Language (sections 4.5.19, 5.8.5.4, 6.4.2.2)

This guide explains the rules in plain words; it is not legal advice. We read the sources above on October 24, 2026. Rules change and many are set by your state or city: check the current text, or ask your local code official, before you rely on it.