St. Petersburg, FL Building Safety: Door Locking Hardware (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 20-60(b)(4)
- Locked hours
- 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
- Covered business
- Convenience stores selling groceries/gas
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 918-G, 3-5-2009
- Extra trigger
- CPTED review after a robbery
- Build standard
- Must meet Florida Building Code
Summary
St. Petersburg requires every convenience store, defined in section 20-60 as a business primarily selling groceries or groceries and gasoline, to install an automatic door lock or similar device at its entrance that keeps the door locked between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. unless an employee lets a customer in.
(a)Definition. As used in this section, the term "convenience store" includes any place of business that is primarily engaged in the retail sale of groceries, or both groceries and gasoline, which is not included in the definition of convenience business, and is not exempt pursuant to section 20-59(a)(1), (2), and (3).(b)Security standards. Every convenience store shall be equipped with the following security devices and standards:(4)An automatic door lock or similar security device installed at the convenience store entrance which will require an employee to grant a person access to enter the convenience store between the hours of 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.(e)Conformance to Florida Building Code. All materials and methods of construction required pursuant to this section shall conform to the requirements of the Florida Building Code, as amended, which has been adopted by the City, and shall comply with all permitting requirements as set forth in the Florida Building Code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 54).
Full Breakdown
Section 20-60 folds the door-lock requirement into a six-part package of convenience-store security standards adopted by Ordinance No. 918-G on March 5, 2009, after a wave of predawn robberies. 00 or less with no clerk access to the drop safe, and maintain a drop safe or cash-management device. ," and only requires that an employee affirmatively grant access. " Subsection (e) ties the hardware to state rules: "All materials and methods of construction required pursuant to this section shall conform to the requirements of the Florida Building Code, as amended," and installation must clear the City's normal Building Code permitting process, not a separate security permit.
If a robbery or other violent crime occurs at the store after March 12, 2009, subsection (d) additionally requires the store to contact the Police Department within ten days for a CPTED review and to add at least one further hardening measure, such as a bullet-resistant enclosure or overnight closure.
Violations & Fines
Section 20-60 carries no separate penalty clause, so a violation falls under section 1-7's citywide general penalty: a fine up to $500.00, up to 60 days imprisonment, or both, with continuing noncompliance treated as a separate offense each day. Enforcement runs through the Police Department, which is also the required contact point after a qualifying robbery or violent crime under subsection (d).
Frequently Asked Questions
Which businesses have to lock their doors overnight in St. Petersburg?
What hours does the automatic door lock have to be active?
Does the door lock have to meet a state building standard?
What triggers the extra CPTED security review?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Petersburg
Florida rules heatmap·Compare St. Petersburg to another location·View the Florida building safety overview
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