DeKalb County, GA Building Safety: Door Locking Hardware (2026)
Key Facts
- Covered properties
- Hotels, motels, extended-stay hotels
- Trigger
- Permitted for construction after March 16, 2018
- Required hardware
- Keycard lock, automatic closure, door alarm
- Locked hours
- 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Exempt
- 24/7 staffed lobby entry points
Summary
Hotels, motels, and extended-stay hotels permitted for construction after March 16, 2018 in unincorporated DeKalb County must fit every public-facing entry point with a magnetic or electronic keycard lock, an operating automatic door closure, and an alarm, and must keep those doors locked at all times between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. An entry point opening into a lobby staffed 24/7 by a bona fide employee is exempt.
For any hotel, motel, or extended stay hotel permitted for construction after March 16, 2018, any public-facing entry points to the premises must require a magnetic or electronic keycard/locking device for access. Public facing entry point doors shall have operating automatic closures, key entry and shall remain locked at all times between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
Full Breakdown
Section 18-133(a) draws its line at the construction permit: any hotel, motel, or extended-stay hotel permitted for construction after March 16, 2018 must comply, while properties permitted before that date sit outside the rule. The obligations attach to public-facing entry points to the premises, the doors through which the public can reach the building. Each of those doors needs a magnetic or electronic keycard or locking device for access, an operating automatic closure so the door shuts on its own instead of drifting or being propped open, and key entry.
An alarm must alert staff when a door is opened or left open. , so overnight access runs through the keycard system rather than an unlocked door. The exemption is narrow: entry points that open straight into a lobby staffed 24/7 by a bona fide employee do not need to follow the rule. The requirement applies only in unincorporated DeKalb County.
Violations & Fines
Noncompliance is a county code violation subject to citation and fine or imprisonment under the Code's general penalty provisions, and each day of continued noncompliance counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do older DeKalb hotels need keycard locks too?
Which doors does the keycard rule cover?
When must the doors stay locked?
Can a hotel skip the keycard rule for its lobby door?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in DeKalb County
Compare DeKalb County to another location·View the Georgia building safety overview
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