Bergenfield, NJ Building Safety: Door Locking Hardware (2026)

Article IV of Chapter 239, Prohibited Items, was adopted 9-16-2025 by Ord. No. 25-2651 alongside the companion tenant-relocation article, Article V. Section 239-19, Locked interior doors, states that interior doors are not permitted to have keyed door knobs or deadbolts, and that interior doors servicing bedrooms, bathrooms, and other livable spaces must be readily openable without the need for keys. The provision states its own rationale: keyed door knobs can impede entry in an emergency, potentially resulting in demolition of the door, and a keyed interior lock can also be an indication of illegal 'boarding,' the subdivided rooming arrangement the Borough treats as an illegal occupancy under Article II of the same chapter.

The section spells out what remains acceptable: privacy door knobs (the push-button type common on bathroom doors), passage door knobs (no lock mechanism at all), and dummy door knobs (non-turning, decorative hardware). Article IV carries no penalty section of its own, so a violation falls back to the Borough's Code-wide default in § 1-4: a fine of up to $500 or up to 90 days' imprisonment, or both, and every day the noncompliant hardware stays installed can count as a separate violation under § 1-4B.