Australian Signage Standards — AS 1319, AS 1742 & Compliance
Most Australian signs have to comply with at least one standard. Safety signs on a construction site fall under AS 1319. Road and parking signs fall under AS 1742. Heritage overlays, illuminated signage and projecting signs are regulated by local councils. Workplace accessibility signage is governed by the Disability Discrimination Act and the associated Premises Standards.
The good news is that the standards are all publicly documented, and for most common signage, compliance is a matter of using the right colours, the right sizes, and the right pictograms. The bad news is that getting it wrong can invalidate insurance claims, trigger council orders, and in the case of workplace safety signage, expose a business to real liability.
This guide is a plain-English map of the standards that matter most to Australian businesses, plus how we handle compliance at the sign-maker level. Nothing here is legal advice — if you're signing off on a high-stakes install, get a building certifier or WHS consultant involved.
AS 1319 — Safety signs in the workplace
AS 1319 (Safety signs for the occupational environment) is the workhorse standard. It governs the colour, shape, pictogram and text layout for workplace signs — danger, warning, mandatory, prohibition, safe condition and fire equipment. Every category has a specific colour:
| Category | Background colour | Shape | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Danger | Red banner over white | Rectangle | Danger — Asbestos |
| Warning | Yellow with black border | Triangle or rectangle | Slippery Surface |
| Mandatory | Blue circle with white pictogram | Circle | PPE Required |
| Prohibition | White with red circle and diagonal line | Circle | No Smoking |
| Safe condition | Green with white pictogram | Rectangle | First Aid |
| Fire equipment | Red with white pictogram | Rectangle | Fire Extinguisher |
AS 1319 also specifies minimum pictogram sizes relative to viewing distance, text weight, and readability requirements. For common workplace signs, every legitimate Australian manufacturer (Platinum Signs included) ships AS 1319-compliant artwork by default — you don't need to spec it.
AS 1742 — Road and parking signs
AS 1742 (Manual of uniform traffic control devices) governs any sign that interacts with vehicles on a public or private road: parking signs, speed limits, stop signs, give way, school zones, loading zones, and commercial carpark signage. The standard specifies exact sign sizes, colours, reflectivity grades (Class 1, Class 1W, Class 2), mounting heights and setback distances.
For commercial property owners and strata managers, the parts of AS 1742 that matter most are parking signs (who can park where), no-stopping and no-parking signs, and disabled accessibility parking. Reflectivity grade matters — Class 1W (high-intensity prismatic) is required for many road installations, while Class 1 (engineer grade) is sufficient for most private carpark work.
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Parking Signs
AS 1742-compliant parking, no-stopping, loading and disabled accessibility signs — Class 1 reflective standard, post-mounted or wall-mounted.
Bollard and guide signage
Bollards themselves aren't covered by AS 1742 (they're a physical barrier) but the reflective striping and any signage attached to them often is. Carpark entry bollards are usually fitted with Class 1 red-and-white hazard striping, and any vehicular guide signs attached need to meet AS 1742 colour and reflectivity.
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Bollard Signs
Reflective bollard signage and striping — AS 1742-compliant hazard tape, post tops and cap labels for commercial carparks and service drives.
DDA and accessibility
The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability (Access to Premises — Buildings) Standards 2010 govern accessibility signage in Australian buildings. Class 2–9 buildings must provide accessible-route wayfinding, including tactile signage at doorways, braille on toilet doors, and luminance-contrasted directional signage throughout.
Key requirements: braille and tactile characters must comply with AS 1428.1 (General requirements for access), luminance contrast between text and background must be at least 30%, and pictograms used on accessible facilities must match international standard shapes (blue accessible-toilet square, etc).
Illuminated signs and council consent
Any illuminated sign on a shopfront in a City of Sydney LGA needs development approval. The rules vary wildly between councils: most Sydney suburban LGAs are exempt for non-illuminated flat signs under 2m², but illuminated, projecting or roof-mounted signs almost always need a DA. Allow 4–8 weeks and $700+ in application fees.
Real estate signage
For-lease and for-sale signage falls under state-specific real estate legislation rather than AS standards. NSW Fair Trading requires agent licence details on commercial property boards over 1m². VIC CAV has similar provisions. Most of this is handled automatically when you order through a real-estate-aware sign maker.
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For Lease Sale Window Decals
Compliant for-lease and for-sale window decals with agent branding and licence information — pre-configured for NSW, VIC, QLD and WA requirements.
Asset labelling and traceability
Most commercial assets — electrical equipment, fire equipment, testing-and-tagging on portable appliances — require compliant labels. AS/NZS 3760 covers test-and-tag for electrical equipment; various state WHS regs cover fire equipment labelling.
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Asset Labels
Sequential-numbered and barcoded asset labels in polyester and aluminium — compliant with AS/NZS 3760 test-and-tag requirements and general asset tracking.
Full safety sign catalog
Platinum Safety Signs — our dedicated safety signage brand — carries the full AS 1319 catalog plus over 6,000 specific workplace, fire and construction signs. If you need compliant safety signage at any scale, browse the catalog at /safety-signs on this site.
Next steps
For standard safety and road signs, use the product calculators — all standard artwork is AS 1319 and AS 1742 compliant by default. For any sign requiring council approval, heritage overlay sign-off or DDA assessment, reach out before committing to artwork and we'll run through the compliance pathway before fabrication.
Written by
Platinum Signs
Sydney-based commercial signage manufacturer
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