Medford, OR Building Safety: Door Locking Hardware (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- IPMC § 702.3, amended by § 9.901
- Core rule
- No key or special knowledge to exit
- Exceptions
- Hardware permitted by Oregon Specialty Codes
- Enforcing agency
- Police Dept. Code Enforcement Division
- Max penalty
- $5,000, or $1,000/day continuing
Summary
Medford requires every means-of-egress door to open readily from the exit side without keys, special knowledge, or effort, except where the hardware is one of the types the Oregon Specialty Codes specifically allow. This amended standard, IPMC § 702.3, was adopted at Medford Municipal Code § 9.901 and is enforced as a Property Maintenance Code violation.
702.3 Locked Doors. All means of egress doors shall be readily openable from the side from which egress is to be made without the need for keys, special knowledge or effort, except where the door hardware conforms to that permitted by the Oregon Specialty Codes.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-32, passed May 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
3, Locked Doors, to state that all means of egress doors shall be readily openable from the side from which egress is to be made without the need for keys, special knowledge or effort, except where the door hardware conforms to that permitted by the Oregon Specialty Codes. The rule targets the classic hazard of a locked or deadbolted exit door trapping occupants during a fire or other emergency: whatever lock or latch hardware is installed on a required exit, an occupant on the inside must be able to open it without a key, a code, or unusual physical effort, unless the installation matches one of the narrow hardware exceptions the state specialty codes carve out.
2's aisle-width standard, both of which also default to the Oregon Specialty Codes rather than a separate local dimension. 3 lives inside Chapter 9's adopted IPMC.
Violations & Fines
An exit door that cannot be opened from the inside without a key or unusual effort violates IPMC § 702.3 as amended at Medford Municipal Code § 9.901, treated as a Property Maintenance Code violation under §§ 9.660-9.662. The Building Official issues a Notice of Civil Violation and may follow with an administrative civil penalty up to $5,000, or $1,000 per day for a continuing violation, appealable to the Unified Board of Appeals within ten business days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Medford landlord put a keyed deadbolt on an apartment's exit door?
What if my exit door is hard to open without a code word or key?
Are electronic access-controlled doors ever allowed on a Medford exit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Medford
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