Phoenix, AZ Building Safety: Door Locking Hardware (2026)
Key Facts
- Requirement
- Doors, locks, hinges present & properly installed
- Applies to
- All buildings/structures citywide
- First violation
- $100 civil sanction minimum
- Repeat violation
- Up to $2,500, or misdemeanor
- Governing chapter
- Ch. 39, Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance
Summary
Phoenix's Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance requires every exterior door on a building to have a lock and hinges that are present and properly installed, with broken or missing hardware treated as a code violation citywide.
All exposed exterior surfaces, windows and doors shall be maintained so as to be free of deterioration that is a threat to health and safety, impervious to moisture and weather elements, or shall not otherwise present a deteriorated or blighted appearance. Windows, doors, locks on doors, and hinges must be present and installed properly. These items must be free from deterioration or blighting conditions. Any temporary securement of vacant structures must be done in accordance with City specifications. Examples of such deterioration and blight include but are not limited to:
1. Improperly anchored canopies, metal awnings, stairways, exhaust ducts, and overhead extensions;
2. Chimneys that are structurally unsafe;
3. Exterior windows and doors that are not fitted securely in their frames and are not substantially weathertight or have inoperable locks;
4. Paint that is deteriorated, indicated by peeling, flaking, cracked, blistering or mildew, resulting in exposed, bare unprotected surfaces;
5. Window screening, if present, shall be maintained in good condition;
6. Boarded window or door openings on an occupied structure;
7. Secured window or door openings on an unoccupied structure for more than 90 days requires polycarbonate material securement specifications on all openings visible from the street.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance G-7524, passed June 17, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Phoenix City Code § 39-6.A, part of the Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance's exterior-maintenance standards, states that windows, doors, locks on doors, and hinges must be present and installed properly and kept free of deterioration or blighting conditions. The same section separately lists exterior doors that aren't fitted securely in their frames or that have inoperable locks as an example of prohibited blight. Under Sec. 39-4, this maintenance standard applies to all structures and buildings in the City, not just rentals. Code Enforcement inspects for it, and Sec. 39-16 sets a civil sanction starting at $100 (rising to $2,500 for repeat violations within 36 months) or prosecution as a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Violations & Fines
Missing, broken, or inoperable exterior door locks cited under Sec. 39-6.A draw a civil sanction of $100 up to $2,500 (escalating on repeat violations within 36 months), or prosecution as a Class 1 misdemeanor under Sec. 39-16.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to fix a broken exterior door lock in Phoenix?
Does this door-lock rule apply to rental properties?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Phoenix
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