Mobile, AL Building Safety: Door Locking Hardware (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum lock throw
- 1 inch
- Applies to
- Rented, leased, or let units
- Egress side
- No key needed to exit
- Sliding bolts
- Not an acceptable deadbolt
Summary
Mobile requires every rented dwelling, rooming, or housekeeping unit door to have a deadbolt with at least a 1-inch throw that opens without a key from inside.
304.18.1 Doors. Doors providing access to a dwelling unit, rooming unit or housekeeping unit that is rented, leased or let shall be equipped with a deadbolt lock designed to be readily openable from the side from which egress is to be made without the need for keys, special knowledge or effort and shall have a minimum lock throw of 1 inch (25 mm). Such deadbolt locks shall be installed according to the manufacturer's specifications and maintained in good working order. For the purpose of this section, a sliding bolt shall not be considered an acceptable deadbolt lock.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 67).
Full Breakdown
Mobile City Code § 52-1 (Property Maintenance Code § 304.18.1) mandates that doors giving access to a rented, leased, or let dwelling unit, rooming unit, or housekeeping unit "be equipped with a deadbolt lock designed to be readily openable from the side from which egress is to be made without the need for keys, special knowledge or effort and shall have a minimum lock throw of 1 inch." The section expressly excludes sliding bolts from qualifying as an acceptable deadbolt.
Violations & Fines
Deadbolts must be installed per manufacturer specifications and kept in good working order; a sliding bolt does not satisfy the requirement and leaves the unit noncompliant with the Property Maintenance Code.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mobile require deadbolts on rental unit doors?
Can a landlord use a sliding bolt to meet Mobile's rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mobile
Compare Mobile to another location·View the Alabama building safety overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.