What Color Should Parking Lot Lines Be?

If you have a parking lot painting project in your future, it's critical to understand what colors to use. In this post, we'll review the standard paint colors used to stripe and mark your parking lot or garage and how to implement them for maximum results.

Yellow Paint

Yellow paint is the most commonly used of all colors when striping parking lots. For a good reason, it's evident and is easy to distinguish from other colors. The key is ensuring that they meet industry standards so that your stripes are durable enough for commercial conditions and meet ANSI/MPI specs. That way, you can rest assured that the lines will be visible when you need them to be.

White Paint

The next most popular parking lot paint color is white. White is often used for road markings like crosswalks and stop lines, and handicap ramp striping. White is also a good color choice since it can offer visibility in poor weather conditions.

Blue Paint

Blue is a color typically reserved for accessible and handicapped ramp striping and parking lot lines. It's a clear sign that helps to differentiate reserved spots for mobility-impaired from common areas for the general public.

Under the ADA, commercial property owners must provide access to vehicle parking for mobility-impaired persons. Suppose a commercial owner offers less than the required number of accessible spaces. In that case, they must create additional accessible spaces in an area that is proximate to the original parking area but separate from it. For example, near the lot designated as "van accessible only," and marked with the international symbol of access, which is a blue pentagon.

Red Paint

Red paint is typically reserved to identify "authorized only" or no parking zones, such as spaces near fire hydrants, emergency exits, or other types of restricted areas. Keeping these areas free from general traffic ensures emergency vehicles have clearance and available parking to handle the situation.

White and Yellow Together

White and yellow together often get used to identify "caution" areas in parking lots, such as near utility holes or construction areas where workers may be present. In addition, this color layout can get used for pedestrian walkways through parking lots to ensure visibility.

Green Paint

Green paint can get used for various reasons, ranging from identifying short-term parking for pickups, drop-offs, curbside carry out services, or identifying parking spots for people who drive electric vehicles to charge their cars.

Discuss Your Parking Lot Painting Project With Professionals

Before deciding on your parking lot colors, make sure to contact a parking lot striping professional. In Fort Worth, Texas, commercial property owners can rely on the professionals at Semper Fi Striping for all their parking lot marking needs.