---
kind: "section"
citation: "49 C.F.R. § 38.39"
title: "49"
number: "38.39"
heading: "Destination and route signs."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/49/38.39"
---

# §38.39. Destination and route signs.

- (a) Where destination or route information is displayed on the exterior of a vehicle, each vehicle shall have illuminated signs on the front and boarding side of the vehicle.
- (b) Characters on signs required by [paragraph (a)](#a) of this section shall have a width-to-height ratio between 3:5 and 1:1 and a stroke width-to-height ratio between 1:5 and 1:10, with a minimum character height (using an upper case “X”) of 1 inch for signs on the boarding side and a minimum character height of 2 inches for front “headsigns”, with “wide” spacing (generally, the space between letters shall be 1/16 the height of upper case letters), and shall contrast with the background, either dark-on-light or light-on-dark.

## Notes

### Authority

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 12101-12213; 49 U.S.C. 322.

### Source

Source: 56 FR 45756, Sept. 6, 1991, unless otherwise noted.