Lower Merion, PA Building Safety: Door Locking Hardware (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- New/altered commercial, multi-family, residential
- Main entrance doors
- Approved lockset or panic device
- Also required
- Self-closing device, cylinder guard
- Tamper guard
- Covers strike and locking device
- Enforced by
- Police, Fire, Building & Planning
- Violation prosecuted under
- Chapter 62, Building Construction
Summary
Lower Merion Township's Security of Buildings code requires new and substantially altered commercial buildings to secure single out-swinging main entrance doors with an approved lockset or panic device, a self-closing device, cylinder guard and door scope under § 123-9, plus a hardened tamper guard on the strike under § 123-15, enforced by the Police, Fire, and Building and Planning Departments.
§ 123-9. Single out-swinging doors. A. Single out-swinging doors of solid construction, when used as main entrance doors, shall be secured by an approved lockset or panic device. These doors shall be equipped with a self-closing device, cylinder guard and a door scope. Occupants must be able to exit through these doors without the use of a key. ... ... § 123-15. Tamper guards on single out-swinging exterior doors. All single out-swinging exterior doors shall be equipped with a hardened and protective tamper guard protecting the area of the strike and the locking device.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 123 sets minimum hardware specifications by building type across separate articles: Article III governs commercial buildings, Article IV governs multiple dwellings, and Article V (§§ 123-42 to 123-51) applies a parallel set of requirements to new or substantially altered residences, including locksets, cylinder guards and door scopes on exterior doors. Detailed definitions in § 123-7 fix hardware performance standards, such as cylindrical locksets that must withstand 300 pound-inches of torque on the knob and 450 pounds of force on the deadlocking latch bolt without failing, and mortise locks that must have a wrought box strike and cylinder guard.
Section 123-2 makes the chapter apply to all new construction and substantial alteration of commercial and residential buildings, plus existing commercial and multiple-dwelling buildings. The Superintendent of Police, the Superintendent of Fire, and the Director of Building and Planning are named as the enforcing authority under § 123-52, and § 123-53 conditions building permit approval on compliance with these hardware specifications.
Violations & Fines
Noncompliance with Chapter 123's door and lock specifications is a violation of Chapter 62, Building Construction, and is prosecuted under that chapter's penalties per § 123-54. All building permit applicants must demonstrate compliance under § 123-53, and enforcement runs through the Superintendent of Police, the Superintendent of Fire and the Director of Building and Planning named in § 123-52.
Frequently Asked Questions
What locking hardware does Lower Merion require on a new building's main entrance?
Do tamper guards apply to my door?
Does this rule apply to houses, not just stores?
What's the penalty for not installing the required hardware?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lower Merion
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