Bellingham, WA Building Safety: Door Locking Hardware (2026)

Bellingham adopted the 2021 International Fire Code, including Washington's amendments in Chapter 51-54A WAC, at BMC 17.20.010, then layered its own local changes onto Chapter 36, Marinas, at BMC 17.20.060. That chapter covers individual boathouses (independently floating structures enclosing one vessel) and multi-party boathouses and covered boat moorage, which need an operational permit under Section 105.6.51. The means-of-egress rules for those structures sit at Sections 3603.10.1 through 3603.10.7. Section 3603.10.3.7 states the baseline rule that, except as specifically permitted, egress doors must be readily operable from the egress side without the use of a key or special knowledge or effort.

Section 3603.10.3.7.1 bars hardware requiring tight grasping, pinching or twisting, and Section 3603.10.3.7.2 sets door handles, pulls, latches and locks between 34 and 48 inches above the finished floor, except that security-only locks not used for normal operation may sit at any height. Section 3603.10.3.7.3 then departs from the no-key baseline for this occupancy type, allowing single-cylinder keyed deadbolts. Doors must also meet a 32-inch minimum clear width and 80-inch minimum height under Section 3603.10.3.1, and at least one exit door is required per 50 lineal feet of the longest exterior wall under Section 3603.10.3.8.

Every multi-party boathouse must have an approved key safe holding keys to all exterior and interior doors under Section 3603.10.6, so responders can get past a keyed deadbolt in an emergency.