Champaign, IL Building Safety: Door Locking Hardware (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 22-304.18.2
- Minimum lock throw
- 1 inch, hardened material
- Strike plate penetration
- At least 3/8 inch
- Strike screws
- 2 screws, 2-1/2 inches minimum
- Applies to
- Rented dwelling, rooming units, rooming houses
Summary
Champaign requires deadbolt locks on every swinging door that provides access to a rental dwelling unit, rooming unit or rooming house, under Code Section 22-304.18.2. The deadbolt must throw at least one inch into a reinforced strike plate, turn by key outside and knob inside, and open without any tool or special knowledge from within.
Deadbolt locks shall be required on doors providing access to dwelling units, rooming units, or rooming houses and shall meet the following requirements: (1)Be operated by the turning of a knob or turn piece from the inside only and by a key from the outside.(2)Have a lock throw made of hardened material, not less than one-inch long, which penetrates the strike plate not less than three-eighths-inch. (A sliding bolt shall not be considered an acceptable deadbolt lock.)(3)Have strike plates firmly secured with at least two (2) screws having a minimum length of two and one-half (2-1/2) inches...(5)Be operable from the inside without the use of a key, tool, combination, or any other special knowledge or effort.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
6), which together cover swinging doors, sliding patio doors, windows, basement hatchways and exterior lighting for rented units. The deadbolt itself must be turned by a knob or turn-piece from inside and by a key from outside, and it must have a hardened lock throw of at least one inch that penetrates the strike plate at least three-eighths of an inch; a sliding bolt does not count as a deadbolt under the section. The strike plate has to be anchored with at least two screws at least two and a half inches long that reach into the framing behind the door jamb, not just into trim, and in non-wood construction the manufacturer's own installation specifications control instead.
The lock has to be installed to spec and kept in good working order, and critically it must be operable from inside without a key, tool, combination or any special knowledge, so a tenant can always get out in an emergency even though the deadbolt secures the door from the outside. 1's separate requirements that exterior swinging rental doors swing inward, be at least 1-3/8 inches thick, solid rather than hollow-core, and carry a viewfinder mounted four and a half to five feet above the threshold.
Both sections apply specifically to doors serving dwelling units, rooming units or rooming houses that are rented, leased or let, tying the requirement directly to Champaign's large student-rental market.
Violations & Fines
A rental unit door without a compliant deadbolt, one with a lock throw under an inch, a sliding bolt substituted for a deadbolt, or a strike plate not anchored with the required screws violates Section 22-304.18.2 and is enforced by the Neighborhood Services Code Official as a rental housing security violation, typically surfacing during a rental registration or complaint-based inspection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Champaign require deadbolts on rental unit doors?
Can a landlord use a sliding chain lock instead of a deadbolt?
Must the deadbolt be openable without a key from inside?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Champaign
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