Los Angeles, CA Building Safety: Door Locking Hardware (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing division
- LAMC Building Code Division 67, §§ 91.6701-91.6717
- Applies to
- Group B, F, M, S and R occupancies
- Core hardware rule
- Deadbolt + deadlocking latch, § 91.6709.2
- Minimum deadbolt throw
- 1 inch straight / 3/4 inch hook-shaped
- Apartment lighting
- 60-watt bulb or 0.2 footcandles at opening
- Enforcing agency
- LA Department of Building and Safety
Summary
LAMC Building Code Division 67 (§§ 91.6701–91.6717) sets Los Angeles's door- and window-hardware security standards for Group B, F, M, S and R buildings. Every swinging entry door must carry a deadbolt and deadlocking latch that's key-operated from outside but opens from inside without a key, per § 91.6709.2, enforced by the Department of Building and Safety.
SEC. 91.6701. PURPOSE. The purpose of this division is to provide a nominal level of resistance to unlawful entry of buildings by establishing minimum standards of construction and hardware for the closure of openings regulated by this division.
SEC. 91.6709.2. A single swinging door, the active leaf of a pair of doors, and the bottom leaf of Dutch doors shall be equipped with a deadbolt and deadlocking latch. The deadbolt and latch may be activated by one lock or by individual locks. Deadbolts shall contain hardened inserts to repel cutting tools. The lock or locks shall be key-operated from the exterior side of the door and openable from the interior side by a device which does not require a key, special knowledge, or special effort to operate.
Full Breakdown
6702 applies its hardware standards to every 'security opening' in Group B (business), F (factory), M (mercantile), S (storage) and R (residential) occupancies, with narrow carve-outs for detached Group R-3 accessory buildings, unenclosed operations, and sites where an owner substitutes security personnel with the Department's concurrence. 2 footcandles, at the opening. 5). 6703. 6702's exemption option is expressly conditioned on the Certificate of Occupancy.
Violations & Fines
Division 67 ties compliance to the building's Certificate of Occupancy: LADBS conditions any security-personnel exemption under § 91.6702 on the Certificate of Occupancy, and non-conforming hardware is flagged at permit and inspection review. Installing window or door security bars, grilles, or shutters without the mandatory warning label required by § 91.6703, stating a building permit is required and a quick-release latch is needed in sleeping rooms, is itself a violation subject to Department enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of lock does Los Angeles require on entry doors?
Which Los Angeles buildings must follow the door-hardware security code?
Do window security bars need a building permit in Los Angeles?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Los Angeles
California rules heatmap·Compare Los Angeles to another location·View the California building safety overview
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Door Locking Hardware in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle door locking hardware.