Fire exit sign is a tool in an unrestricted capability that shows where the emergency exit is. This kind of sign, with the word "EXIT" is usually found in colors red or green. An elegant fire exit symbol is simply observed if visibility is reduced. Commonly, an emergency lighting is placed over the sign.

The majority of exit signs around the world are in representation form, by means of or with no text addition. Its function is to direct people to the nearest exit when there is fire or other related disasters. Exit is an English word that comes straight from the Latin word that means "to go out". As visibility might be lessen in a fire due to smoke or breakdown of electric lighting, the sign is frequently and enduringly illuminated, mostly by self-luminous material, where a phosphor covering within a glass tube blaze due to the beta decay. Some are photoluminescent, where light is engrossed from the environs and gradually re-produced while others function as electric light, through a limited rechargeable power source.

In the early times, exit signs are usually made out of metal and lit by an incandescent light bulb. The stuff were little and not bright, making them hard to see in a fire where burning usually lessens visibility. As days gone by, improved signs were developed to look like today's present exit sign, in which the bulb is put inside the box and backlits the word "EXIT" on two sides. And because of this, the upgraded edition of the exit sign answered the problem of visibility. However, the main power should stay on so that the sign could be helpful.

Majority of fire exit signs, excluding countries like the US, Australia, and Singapore are of pictogram style. Some countries including the United States, especially New York City has authorized newer policies involving high rise buildings to obtain glow in the dark signs through a pictogram. Recently, exit signs in commercial buildings, hospitals and department stores that conform to the requirements of fire code can be noticed at every lane to an exit. There are some situations that the owner of the building may steer away yet are not liable from several of these codes. On the other hand, the owner of the structure usually meets the terms concerning the exit signs.

Battery backup systems are the typical method of conforming with modern building codes demanding that exit signs should be enduringly lit. Nowadays, exit signs utilize much less power. Various manufacturers have restore batteries with capacitors. Because this makes the invention environmentally friendly as it holds only conservative electronics. This reduces the regular change of battery since capacitor's duration is equivalent to LED's duration.

Self-luminous exit signs do not need exterior power source since they only use a device similar to fluorescent lighting. As a substitute of an electrical current they use powered Tritium, that are rated to end up to 2 decades.
Mostly areas like Japan, Korea, China and Australia use green color exit signs because they provide the route to go in an emergency. In Virginia, their exit signs must be red, while in Maryland they must be green. This difference in color designation is due to country endorsing building codes which identify the sign colour scheme.