Orlando, FL Building Safety: Door Locking Hardware (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum deadbolt throw
- 1 inch, hardened steel
- Double/dutch door bolts
- 5/8-inch throw, top and bottom
- Governing code
- City Code § 9.15, Building Security Code
- Last amended
- Ord. 2025-41, effective Jan. 12, 2026
- Enforcement
- Building official; penalties under § 1.08
Summary
Orlando's Building Security Code requires every exterior door on a one- or two-family dwelling to carry a single-cylinder deadbolt lock with a hardened-steel bolt and a minimum 1-inch throw. Double doors, dutch doors, and garage doors each carry their own hardware specs under City Code § 9.15, enforced by the city's building official.
(a)All exterior doors shall be equipped with dead bolt type, single cylinder locks. The dead bolt shall be of hardened steel, or have a hardened steel insert to resist cutting, and have a minimum throw of 1″. The dust cover shall be capable of accepting the 1″ throw bolt, excluding sliding glass door(s) or any equivalent.(b)Door locks shall be key operated from the exterior side of the door and engaged or disengaged from the interior side of the door by a device not requiring a key, special knowledge or effort.(c)Exterior double doors shall be equipped with edge-mounted, deadlocking flush bolts with a minimum throw of ⅝″ at the top and bottom of the inactive leaf.(d)Exterior dutch doors shall be equipped with deadlocking flush bolts with a minimum throw of ⅝″ at the top and bottom of the upper leaf.(e)Cylinder guards shall be installed on all mortise or rim type cylinder locks whenever the cylinder projects beyond the face of the exterior door or is otherwise accessible to gripping tools.(f)Overhead garage doors shall be equipped with a interior metal slide bolt, or equipped with an electronic garage door opener with an automatic locking device.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 92).
Full Breakdown
Adopted in 1983 and most recently amended by Ordinance No. 15 sets the physical specifications every exterior door lock in Orlando must meet. Every exterior door on a one- or two-family dwelling needs a deadbolt-type, single-cylinder lock: the bolt must be hardened steel or carry a hardened-steel insert to resist cutting, with a minimum throw of 1 inch, and the strike must accept that full 1-inch throw bolt (sliding glass doors are excluded from this specific rule). The lock must be key-operated from outside but open from inside without a key, special knowledge, or effort, a design choice that keeps residents from being trapped during a fire.
Exterior double doors and dutch doors need edge-mounted, deadlocking flush bolts with a minimum 5/8-inch throw at the top and bottom of the inactive or upper leaf. Any mortise or rim cylinder lock whose cylinder projects past the face of the door, or is otherwise reachable by gripping tools such as pliers, must have a cylinder guard installed. Overhead garage doors need either an interior metal slide bolt or an electronic opener with an automatic locking device. 16.
Violations & Fines
Any person, firm, corporation, or agent who violates the Building Security Code, including installing or maintaining exterior doors without the required deadbolt, flush-bolt, or cylinder-guard hardware, is punished as provided in City Code § 1.08. Section 9.11 makes each day a violation continues a separate offense, so noncompliance found during a permit inspection or complaint investigation can accrue as escalating daily penalties until the required hardware is installed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Orlando require deadbolts on all exterior doors?
What hardware does a garage door need in Orlando?
Do these locking rules apply to apartment buildings?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Orlando
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Orlando to another location·View the Florida building safety overview
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