Tag:amenity=toilets

Use amenity=toilets to identify the location of a toilet open to the public.

How to tag

Place a node centrally at the location of the toilet amenities and tag it amenity=toilets. Alternatively draw an area over the toilet area and tag it with amenity=toilets, and if located in a dedicated building with building=toilets.

Following tags maybe useful to mark important properties:

• fee=yes/no - specify whether a fee is required.
• opening_hours=* - specify opening hours of the toilet, especially if not always open opening_hours=24/7.
• wheelchair=yes/no/limited - for wheelchair accessibility.
• changing_table=yes/no/limited - availability of a nappy changing table.

You can tag toilet type with the following tags:

• toilets:disposal
  • toilets:disposal=flush - toilets that move waste away from immediate area using a liquid (usually water).
  • toilets:disposal=pitlatrine - waste falls into a lined or unlined pit. If pitlatrine is composting composting=yes.
  • toilets:disposal=chemical - waste falls into a lined pit filled with a chemical.
  • toilets:disposal=bucket - waste drops into a container which is periodically removed by hand.
  • toilets:disposal=dry_toilet - a device dehydrates waste into dry matter.
• toilets:position=seated/urinal/squat - specify sitting position, use a semicolon to separate multiple values.

Image	Description	Tag
	Only seated toilets	toilets:position=seated
	Only urinal toilets	toilets:position=urinal
	Only squat toilets	toilets:position=squat
	Seated and urinal toilets; i.e., more than one type.	toilets:position=seated;urinal (types listed separated by semicolons)

Toilets can have complex access rules. Those rules useful to toilets include:

• access=yes - explicitly public and open to whoever walks up (a fee=* may still apply).
• access=customers - while open to the public, the clear policy is to require a purchase prior to use. You may need a key or code to get in. Some people also use access=destination, and a few use locked=* for this.
• access=private, access=no Discouraged. amenity=toilets is for toilets "open to the public". Frequently it is used where access=customers should be used.

Useful combinations include:

• description=*
• drinking_water=yes/no - if a drinking water source is immediately associated with (usually outside) the toilet. Note: for micro mapping, it is better to create a separate node with amenity=drinking_water.
• indoor=yes - if the toilet entrance is indoors. Outdoor entrances are otherwise assumed.
• name=*
• operator=* - name of entity responsible for toilet (e.g. "City of X").
• supervised=yes/no/interval - if the toilet is staffed. Note that a cleaner might expect a tip.

The male/female access details might be tagged simply for the overall amenity=toilets object:

• female=yes/no - whether women can use this toilet.
• male=yes/no - whether men can use this toilet.
• See below for unisex=*
• child=yes/no - children (seats and urinals for children).

It can be useful to map entrances or even areas of a toilet separately.

• entrance=yes would typically go on a node on each entrance
• female=yes/no, male=yes/no, unisex=yes/no tags go on the same entrance nodes or even on an area within a building.

Detail like this may be particularly useful for visually impaired users. Individual entrances/areas can also be individually mapped for wheelchair accessibility.

Gender neutral toilets

The OSM community has not settled on one way to map that a toilet is "gender neutral"/"unisex", versus a gender separated toilet.

As of April 2018, the meaning of unisex=yes is unclear, with 2 incompatible tagging schemes in use:

1. unisex=yes always means a gender neutral toilet, gender segregated toilets should be tagged unisex=no+female=yes+male=yes. male=yes+female=yes cannot be replaced with unisex=yes
2. unisex=yes is a shorthand for male=yes+female=yes, and can be used for a unisex, gender neutral toilet, or one with separated female & male sections.

Another idea, suggested on the mailing list, is for gender_segregated=yes/no to unambiguously state whether a toilet is gender segregated or not.

• 
  A unisex, gender neutral, toilet
• 
  A gender separated, non-unisex, toilet

Toilets within places

Facilities such as shops and pubs often have toilets inside them for customers, and sometimes free for the public as part of a scheme (e.g. Richmond Council). On the usual tags of amenity=pub, building=yes, shop=* add the following tags and use the 'toilets' namespace.

• toilets=yes/no - refers to toilets accessible to the public
• toilets:wheelchair=yes/no/limited - refers to toilets accessible to a member of the public in a wheelchair
• toilets:access=* - refers to toilets accessible to a member of the public. Note that for example toilets:access=customers means that a toilet exists but is only available to customers.

Avoid using toilet=* (singular).

In general don't map toilets that are inaccessible to the public. Many buildings have toilets inside for workers or owners, but mapping these could create needless conflict or unrealistic expectations. Use toilets=no for places you might expect to find a usable toilet (e.g. a railway station or trailhead) but no public toilets are made available.

Do not use toilets:access=* on toilets tagged as a separate object with amenity=toilets, use access=* instead.

Toilet equipment

• toilets:paper_supplied=yes/no - Is wiping paper supplied? (Formerly toilets=byop).
• toilets:hands_drying=electric_hand_dryer/paper_towel/towel - What methods are there for drying hands?
• toilets:handwashing=yes/no - Are hand washing facilities provided?
  • handwashing:soap=yes/no - Is there soap (bar, liquid, foam, gel) for washing hands?
  • handwashing:hand_disinfection=yes/no - Is there a dispenser with disinfectant (Alcohol in the gel)? You can find these in public places such as in a toilet, and at an entrance to a store.
  • handwashing:hand_cleaning_paste=yes/no - Is there a dispenser with hand cleaning paste for washing hands covered with lubricants or oils?
  • handwashing:creme=yes/no - Is there a dispenser with hand care cream?
• hot_water=yes/no - Is there hot water in the tap?
• shower=yes - Are shower facilities provided?

Other proposed or emerging tags in combination

• access=customers used if you must be a client of the establishment to access the toilet..
• toilets:access=customers/public/permissive
• toilets:scheme=xxx name or URL of community toilet access scheme.
• toilets:number=* and toilets:num_chambers=* - the number of toilets (these tags were mainly added by imports in 2014 and 2017)

Buildings related to the toilet

• building=toilets - An independent building built to house toilets.
• man_made=septic_tank - Use for a nearby septic tank e.g., under the soil in the garden. The toilet itself is likely a "flush" type.

Examples

• A toilette hidden in an advertising column
  A toilette hidden in an advertising column
• 
  Public toilets
• 
  Clearly marked separate toilets. On the front wall man_made=drinking_fountain
• 
  Mobile toilet - map only ones that are staying in a given place permanently toilets:type=mobile
• 
  Inside a mobile toilet toilets:paper_supplied=yes/no

Possible tagging mistakes

amenity=toilet

		$1%
		$1%
		$1%
		$1%

More details at taginfo

• amenity=toilet

If you know places with this tag, verify if it could be tagged with another tag.
Automated edits are strongly discouraged unless you really know what you are doing!

Related terms: ‹ privy › ‹ head › ‹ restroom › ‹ bathroom › ‹ lavatory › ‹ water closet › ‹ toilets › ‹ latrine › ‹ outhouse ›