Aisle accessways for seating at tables shall comply with Section 1029.12.1. Aisle accessways for seating in rows shall comply with Section 1029.12.2.
Where seating is located at a table or counter and is adjacent to an aisle or aisle accessway, the measurement of required clear width of the aisle or aisle accessway shall be made to a line 19 inches (483 mm) away from and parallel to the edge of the table or counter. The 19-inch (483 mm) distance shall be measured perpendicular to the side of the table or counter. In the case of other side boundaries for aisles or aisle accessways, the clear width shall be measured to walls, edges of seating and tread edges.
Exception: Where tables or counters are served by fixed seats, the width of the aisle or aisle accessway shall be measured from the back of the seat.
Aisle accessways serving arrangements of seating at tables or counters shall comply with the capacity requirements of Section 1005.1 but shall not have less than 12 inches (305 mm) of width plus 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) of width for each additional 1 foot (305 mm), or fraction thereof, beyond 12 feet (3658 mm) of aisle accessway length measured from the center of the seat farthest from an aisle.
Exception: Portions of an aisle accessway having a length not exceeding 6 feet (1829 mm) and used by a total of not more than four persons.
The length of travel along the aisle accessway shall not exceed 30 feet (9144 mm) from any seat to the point where a person has a choice of two or more paths of egress travel to separate exits.
Where seating rows have 14 or fewer seats, the minimum clear aisle accessway width shall be not less than 12 inches (305 mm) measured as the clear horizontal distance from the back of the row ahead and the nearest projection of the row behind. Where chairs have automatic or self-rising seats, the measurement shall be made with seats in the raised position. Where any chair in the row does not have an automatic or self-rising seat, the measurements shall be made with the seat in the down position. For seats with folding tablet arms, row spacing shall be determined with the tablet arm in the used position.
Exception: For seats with folding tablet arms, row spacing is permitted to be determined with the tablet arm in the stored position where the tablet arm when raised manually to vertical position in one motion automatically returns to the stored position by force of gravity.
For rows of seating served by aisles or doorways at both ends, there shall be not more than 100 seats per row. The minimum clear width of 12 inches (305 mm) between rows shall be increased by 0.3 inch (7.6 mm) for every additional seat beyond 14 seats where seats have backrests or beyond 21 where seats are without backrests. The minimum clear width is not required to exceed 22 inches (559 mm).
Exception: For smoke-protected assembly seating, the row length limits for a 12-inch-wide (305 mm) aisle accessway, beyond which the aisle accessway minimum clear width shall be increased, are in Table 1029.12.2.1.
TABLE 1029.12.2.1 SMOKE-PROTECTED ASSEMBLY AISLE ACCESSWAYS
For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm.
TABLE 1029.12.2.1 SMOKE-PROTECTED ASSEMBLY AISLE ACCESSWAYS
| TOTAL NUMBER OF SEATS IN THE SMOKE- PROTECTED ASSEMBLY SEATING | MAXIMUM NUMBER OF SEATS PER ROW PERMITTED TO HAVE A MINIMUM 12-INCH CLEAR WIDTH AISLE ACCESSWAY | |||
| Aisle or doorway at both ends of row | Aisle or doorway at one end of row only | |||
| Seats with backrests | Seats without backrests | Seats with backrests | Seats without backrests | |
| Less than 4,000 | 14 | 21 | 7 | 10 |
| 4,000 | 15 | 22 | 7 | 10 |
| 7,000 | 16 | 23 | 8 | 11 |
| 10,000 | 17 | 24 | 8 | 11 |
| 13,000 | 18 | 25 | 9 | 12 |
| 16,000 | 19 | 26 | 9 | 12 |
| 19,000 | 20 | 27 | 10 | 13 |
| 22,000 and greater | 21 | 28 | 11 | 14 |
For rows of seating served by an aisle or doorway at only one end of the row, the minimum clear width of 12 inches (305 mm) between rows shall be increased by 0.6 inch (15.2 mm) for every additional seat beyond seven seats where seats have backrests or beyond 10 where seats are without backrests. The minimum clear width is not required to exceed 22 inches (559 mm).
Exception: For smoke-protected assembly seating, the row length limits for a 12-inch-wide (305 mm) aisle accessway, beyond which the aisle accessway minimum clear width shall be increased, are in Table 1029.12.2.1.