Keypads and electric locks on exit doors
Rules vary by place and building. Your local building or fire official decides.
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Check first
Rules for locks on exit doors vary. Before you install one, check with your local building or fire official.
Which doors this means
By exit doors we mean doors and gates people use to leave a building, such as doors in apartments, businesses, and shared hallways, and gates on exit paths. This is our plain description, not a code definition.
Electric strikes and magnetic locks
Makers sell electric strikes and magnetic locks for use with keypads. We do not say what any code allows for them. Use a licensed professional where your state or local rules require one.
What we do not say
We do not say what any building, fire, or accessibility code allows or requires, and we give no code section numbers.
This is general information, not legal or security advice.
FAQ
General information only. No keypad, lock, or code can guarantee that a door will stay secure or that a break-in will not happen. Keep codes private, change any code you have shared, and follow the maker's instructions. Before you put a keypad or lock on a door people use to leave a building, check with your local building or fire official. In an emergency, call 911.
Next: before you install
Manual, exit doors, licensing.
