Tallahassee, FL Building Safety: Door Locking Hardware (2026)

The security-hardware standards sit in Article IX, Division 3 of the Land Development Code (LDC §§ 3-506 to 3-511), which applies to new construction of single-, two-, three- and four-family and multifamily dwellings and mobile/manufactured homes, plus existing buildings undergoing reconstruction, rehabilitation, alteration or repair that exceeds 50 percent of the building's assessed value in any 12-month period (LDC § 3-507); hotels and motels are excluded. LDC § 3-509 requires every exterior door except sliding glass doors to carry a deadbolt lock plus a second key-operated exterior lock, with the door jamb solid-backed for six inches above and below the strike so there is no void a burglar could exploit.

Hinged exterior doors must be solid-core and at least 1 3/4 inches thick, though 24-gauge steel doors meeting ANSI/ASTM F476-76 are an approved alternative, and any glass-paneled door must be secured with a deadbolt. Front doors need a wide-angle door scope or sidelight window so an occupant can see who is outside without opening the door. Sliding glass doors must be installed with the moving panel on the inside track, no exposed mounting screws, and construction that prevents the panel from being lifted out of the track.

Garage doors need steel locking bars penetrating at least three-quarters of an inch into the jamb, or an automatic lock if the door has an electric opener, and jalousie doors are barred outright as exterior doors (LDC § 3-510 covers windows; § 3-511 requires exterior lighting at every door, mounted at least eight feet up). LDC § 3-508 lets the building inspector approve alternate hardware only if the applicant proves it meets or exceeds these standards; the burden and cost of any testing falls on the property owner.