Building Code Glossary
Exit Discharge, Level OF: Building Code Definition
How the IBC 2009, IFC 2009 define exit discharge, level of, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.
On this page
Last updated September 7, 2026 · Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.
Direct answer
Exit discharge, level OF is a defined term in the International Building Code (IBC) 2009, in Means of Egress. The code's own words are: “The story at the point at which an exit terminates and an exit discharge begins.” The IFC 2009 carries the same definition word for word, so the term means the same thing in each. The term is used in 10 chapters of this corpus, most often in Means of Egress (IBC 2009), Fire Protection Systems (IFC 2009), Means of Egress (IFC 2009). These pages transcribe the 2009 model text; verify the definition against the edition and amendments your authority having jurisdiction has adopted. Record the jurisdiction, the adopted edition, the application date and any local amendment that rewrites the definition before you use it on a live project, because a term redefined by amendment changes every requirement that depends on it.
Content and cited inputs reviewed by Scott Barrington, Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-09-07.
What does this term mean?
Exit Discharge, Level OF — IBC 2009, Means of Egress:
The story at the point at which an exit terminates and an exit discharge begins.
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Two of the I-Codes in this corpus define Exit Discharge, Level OF, in identical words.
| Code | Where it is defined | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| IBC 2009 | Means of Egress | The story at the point at which an exit terminates and an exit discharge begins. |
| IFC 2009 | Means of Egress | The story at the point at which an exit terminates and an exit discharge begins. |
Where exit discharge, level of is used in the code
The term appears in 10 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.
| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Means of Egress | IBC 2009 | 41 |
| Fire Protection Systems | IFC 2009 | 38 |
| Means of Egress | IFC 2009 | 38 |
| Fire Protection Systems | IBC 2009 | 35 |
| Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy | IBC 2009 | 9 |
| Construction Requirements for Existing Buildings | IFC 2009 | 6 |
| Definitions | IFC 2009 | 4 |
| Use and Occupancy Classification | IBC 2009 | 3 |
| Emergency Planning and Preparedness | IFC 2009 | 3 |
| Definitions | IBC 2009 | 1 |
The term in use
How the code actually writes about exit discharge, level of, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:
In buildings where a required accessible floor is four or more stories above or below a level of exit discharge, at least one required accessible means of egress shall be an elevator complying with Section 1007.4.
For Group A-I, A-2, A-3 and A-4 occupancies, the automatic sprinkler system shall be provided throughout the floor area where the Group A-I, A-2, A-3 or A-4 occupancy is located, and in all floors from the Group A occupancy to, and including, the nearest level of exit discharge serving the Group A occupancy.
Exits shall be so located on each story such that the maximum length of exit access travel, measured from the most remote point within a story along the natural and unobstructed path of egress travel to an exterior exitdoor at the level of exit discharge, an entrance to a vertical exit enclosure, an exitpassageway, a horizontal exit, an exterior exit …
The terms exit discharge, level OF is built out of
The definition above leans on 2 other defined terms. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what exit discharge, level OF covers:
- Exit Discharge — IBC 2009: That portion of a means of egress system between the termination of an exit and a public way
- Story — IBC 2009: That portion ofa building included between the upper surface of a floor and the upper surface of the floor or roof next above (also see "Basement," "Mezzanine" and Section 502.1).
Exit Discharge, Level OF: what to open, and in what order
Every row is a document this term depends on. The ICC code library and the ICC adoption maps cover the middle rows.
| Check | Where | Confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Read the definition in the adopted IBC | Means of Egress | |
| Read the definition in the adopted IFC | Means of Egress | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Means of Egress (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Fire Protection Systems (IFC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Means of Egress (IFC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Fire Protection Systems (IBC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Exit Discharge | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Story | |
| Local amendment to any of the above | Jurisdiction's amendment list |
A research aid, not a code determination. The authority having jurisdiction decides which edition and which amendments apply.
Where can you explore related guidance?
- Explore all glossary guidance
- Exit Discharge: Building Code Definition
- Story: Building Code Definition
Sources and method
Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The ICC code library publishes the current model text and the ICC adoption maps show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.
Source links
Frequently asked questions
What is the code definition of exit discharge, level of?
The International Building Code (IBC) 2009 defines it in Means of Egress as: “The story at the point at which an exit terminates and an exit discharge begins.” The 2009 model text is reproduced here; the definition that binds your project is the one in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted, as amended locally.
Which parts of the code depend on exit discharge, level of?
In this corpus the term is used across 10 chapters, led by Means of Egress in the IBC 2009. Those are the sections whose scope moves if the definition is amended locally, so read them together with Chapter 2 rather than on their own.
What is the difference between exit access and exit discharge?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IBC 2009 states, in Means of Egress: “The story at the point at which an exit terminates and an exit discharge begins.” It is defined in IBC 2009, IFC 2009. It is not the same as Exit Access, which the IBC 2009 defines separately as “That portion of a means of egress system that leads from any occupied portion of a building or structure to an exit.” Because it is a defined term, whatever the adopted edition says it means is what every section using it means — so check Chapter 2 of that edition and any local amendment before relying on this wording.
What is the definition of exit discharge according to the IBC?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IBC 2009 states, in Means of Egress: “The story at the point at which an exit terminates and an exit discharge begins.” It is defined in IBC 2009, IFC 2009. Because it is a defined term, whatever the adopted edition says it means is what every section using it means — so check Chapter 2 of that edition and any local amendment before relying on this wording.
Related pages
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- Exit, Horizontal: Building Code Definition
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