California Fire Code §1010 (adopted by San Jose through SJMC Title 17 and Title 9) regulates door locking, panic hardware, and electromagnetic locks on egress doors. Public-facing doors in assembly, education, and high-occupancy buildings need single-action egress release.
CFC §1010.1 requires that doors in the means of egress be openable from the egress side without keys, special knowledge, or effort, with hardware mounted 34 to 48 inches above the floor. Section 1010.2 mandates panic or fire-exit hardware on doors serving Group A or E occupancies with 50+ occupants, and Group H. Electromagnetic locks (mag-locks) are allowed only with a sensor or switch that automatically unlocks on power loss, fire alarm, or sprinkler activation, plus a manual release. San Jose adopts these provisions via SJMC Chapter 17.04 and SJFD plan check, with annual fire-prevention inspections for assembly venues, schools, and large retail.
Mag-locks without auto-unlock, deadbolts requiring keys to exit, chained doors, and obstructed egress paths trigger SJFD red-tag shutdown, citations up to $1,000 per day, and revocation of certificate of occupancy.
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