Minneapolis, MN Building Safety: Door Locking Hardware (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum bolt penetration
- 3/8 inch into strike plate
- Post-1982 bolt throw
- 3/4 inch minimum
- Strike plate screws
- At least 2 1/2 inches long
- Applies to
- Rentals, rooming houses, hotels
- Governing article
- Building Security, Art. XV
Summary
Minneapolis requires dead bolt locks on entrance doors of rental dwellings, rooming houses, and hotels, with minimum three-eighths-inch bolt throw and reinforced strike plates under the city's Building Security article.
A dead bolt not less than three-eighths inch in its least dimension, which penetrates into the strike plate not less than three-eighths inch shall be deemed to meet the requirements of this section. Further dead bolt locks installed or replaced after July 1, 1982, shall have a bolt throw of at least three-quarters inch and the strike plate shall be secured with steel screws at least two and one-half (2½) inches in length or secured in a manner to provide equivalent security.(c)[Deadlatch, bolt-type locks.] Mortised deadlatch, bolt-type locks, properly installed and maintained, when installed prior to October 31, 1969, may be deemed to provide the security required by this article; however, latch-type locks shall not be approved for new installations.(d)[To be openable without key.] Except as hereinafter expressly permitted in this article, dead bolt locks, as required by this section, shall be of a type openable from the inside without the use of a key or any special knowledge or effort. (Code 1960, As Amend., § 153.020; 78-Or-244, § 58, 11-22-78; 80-Or-052, § 1, 4-11-80; 82-Or-106, § 35, 6-11-82; 85-Or-140, § 1, 7-26-85)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 72).
Full Breakdown
Minneapolis Code of Ordinances Article XV (Building Security) requires dead bolt locks on rental housing entrance doors. A qualifying dead bolt must extend at least three-eighths inch into the strike plate; locks installed or replaced after July 1, 1982 need a three-quarter-inch bolt throw and a strike plate secured with screws at least two and one-half inches long. Multiple dwellings and hotels built after June 1, 1970 must have dead bolts on every unit entrance door, with at least one lockable from outside. Rooming houses need dead bolts on each rooming unit's door, or on exterior doors only if six or fewer units. One- and two-family rentals need dead bolts on all exterior doors.
Violations & Fines
The property owner, operator, or agent in charge is responsible for compliance; noncompliant dead bolts or window locks can trigger housing code violations and licensing inspection failures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all rental units in Minneapolis need dead bolt locks?
What size dead bolt satisfies the Minneapolis code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Minneapolis
Compare Minneapolis to another location·View the Minnesota building safety overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.