Madison enforces Wis. Commercial Building Code door-locking rules through Ch. 27, requiring single-action egress hardware in assembly and educational occupancies. Panic hardware is mandatory for high-occupancy spaces; barricade devices are barred.
Wisconsin Commercial Building Code (Wis. Admin. Code SPS 362) adopts IBC chapter 10 egress provisions, enforced locally by Madison Building Inspection and Madison Fire Department. Doors in means-of-egress must unlatch with a single operation from inside; panic hardware is required where occupant load exceeds fifty in assembly or educational uses. Classroom locks may have keyed-outside operation but must allow free egress without key, tool, or special knowledge. Aftermarket barricade devices are prohibited. UW-Madison classrooms follow campus standards. Annual MFD inspections verify hardware function; modifications require permits under Ch. 27.
Improper locking devices trigger immediate correction orders and forfeitures around $200-$1,000; ongoing violations endangering egress can lead to occupancy revocation and emergency closure.
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See how Madison's door locking hardware rules stack up against other locations.
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