Collier County, FL Building Safety: Door Locking Hardware (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Every dwelling, occupied or vacant
- Standard
- Lockable hardware, weather-tight, good repair
- Vacant buildings
- All openings must stay secured
- Boarding certificate
- Required if boarding replaces hardware
- Boarding time limit
- 6 months, renewable once
Summary
Every window and exterior door in a Collier County dwelling unit must be properly fitted, weather-tight, and provided with lockable hardware in good repair. The same Property Maintenance Code rule covers commercial and nonresidential buildings, which must also keep every entrance and opening secured once a structure sits vacant.
i.WINDOWS AND EXTERIOR DOORS — Every window, exterior door, shall be properly fitted within its frame, provided with lockable hardware, and shall be weather-tight and weatherproof, and maintained in good repair. Every window required for light and ventilation for habitable rooms shall be capable of being opened easily and secured in a position by window hardware. Windowpanes or approved substitutes shall be maintained without cracks or holes. Openings originally designed as windows and doors shall be maintained as such, unless approved by the Building Official for enclosure. ... k.HARDWARE — Every door shall be provided with proper hardware and maintained in good condition.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 126 | Land Development Code: Supplement 33).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 22-231(12)i of the Property Maintenance Code requires that every window and exterior door in a dwelling unit be properly fitted within its frame, provided with lockable hardware, and kept weather-tight, weatherproof and in good repair; windows needed for light and ventilation must open easily and secure in position by window hardware, and windowpanes must be free of cracks or holes. Item (12)k separately requires every door to be provided with proper hardware maintained in good condition. Sec. " Sec. 22-240(2)l goes further for vacant buildings and lots: the owner of any vacant and unsecured building must secure and maintain in secure condition all entrances and other openings, including windows and doorways, and any shattered, cracked, missing or broken ground-floor storefront window must be repaired or replaced.
Where boarding substitutes for working hardware and glazing, Sec. 22-241 requires a boarding certificate from Code Enforcement, limits boarding to six months (renewable once for six more), and Sec. 22-242 makes it a declared public nuisance for an owner to leave a vacant building's doors, windows or other openings broken or missing so that access to the interior is possible.
Violations & Fines
A dwelling, commercial building or vacant structure found with unsecured entrances, missing hardware or broken door/window openings is subject to a written notice of violation under Sec. 22-234 and, if uncorrected, penalties under Sec. 22-247: up to $500 and up to 60 days in jail as a misdemeanor, with each day of continued violation a separate offense. Leaving a vacant building's openings unsecured is independently a declared public nuisance under Sec. 22-242, and the Housing Official may also order the property boarded, secured, or vacated under Sec. 22-238 if the condition is dangerous.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do exterior doors need working locks in Collier County?
Does a vacant commercial building have to stay secured?
Can I just board up a broken door instead of fixing the lock?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Collier County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Collier County to another location·View the Florida building safety overview
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