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Carroll County, MD Building Safety: Door Locking Hardware (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Door hardware rule
Exterior door hardware kept in good condition
Lock standard
Locks must tightly secure the door
Coverage
All interior and exterior unit-entry doors
Owner duty
Maintain owner-supplied hardware, § 171.021(E)
Maximum penalty
$500 fine or 3 months jail

Summary

Carroll County requires working locks on every door into a rental dwelling unit: § 171.036(J)(5) of the Livability Code makes exterior door hardware a maintenance duty and requires door locks on all interior and exterior doors entering a unit to be in good repair and able to tightly secure the door.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Carroll County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

(5) Door hardware. Every exterior door and its hardware shall be maintained in good condition. Door locks on all interior and exterior doors entering dwelling units shall be in good repair and capable of tightly securing the door.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-15: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through July 30, 2026).

Full Breakdown

036, Exterior of Building, is the Livability Code's structural-maintenance subchapter, and its windows-doors-and-frames provisions in subsection (J) end with the door-hardware rule at (J)(5): every exterior door and its hardware must be kept in good condition, and every door lock on a door entering a dwelling unit, whether that door is interior or exterior, has to be in good repair and capable of tightly securing the door. The surrounding paragraphs of (J) set the rest of the door-and-window envelope: doors and windows must be maintained to exclude precipitation and rodents under (J)(1)(a), fit reasonably and be weather-tight under (J)(1)(b), and operable windows must have a locking device capable of preventing entry from outside when locked under (J)(3). 021(E), which requires the owner to keep owner-supplied fixtures and equipment in good working order.

Violations & Fines

A door or lock that will not securely close is enforced the same way as any other Livability Code defect: the county can order repairs under § 171.135, and an owner who does not fix it faces the § 171.999 misdemeanor penalty, up to a $500 fine or three months in jail, with the county authorized to make the repair itself and bill the owner under § 171.199.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my landlord leave a broken door lock unrepaired in Carroll County?
No. Section 171.036(J)(5) requires door locks on every door entering a dwelling unit, interior or exterior, to be in good repair and capable of tightly securing the door, and § 171.021(E) makes the property owner responsible for keeping owner-supplied hardware in working order.
Does the door lock rule cover bedroom doors, or just the front door?
Both. Section 171.036(J)(5) applies to all interior and exterior doors entering dwelling units, so an interior bedroom or bathroom door lock is covered the same as the unit's exterior entry door.
What can I do if my Carroll County landlord won't fix a broken exterior door?
File a complaint with the Department of Citizen Services; § 171.120 requires the county to inspect, and if the door hardware violates § 171.036(J)(5), the county can order repairs under § 171.135 or perform them itself and bill the owner under § 171.199.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Carroll County

All Carroll County rules

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