Vineland, NJ Building Safety: Door Locking Hardware (2026)

Section 537-1 adopts the International Property Maintenance Code, 2024 Edition, for the City of Vineland, and § 537-2.L amends IPMC § 305.6, Interior doors, with a life-safety rule aimed at egress. The amendment requires every interior door to fit reasonably well within its frame and to be capable of being opened and closed, properly and securely attached to jambs, headers or tracks as the hardware manufacturer intended. It then flatly prohibits the use of keyed exterior door locks, deadbolt locks and padlocks on interior doors, the kind of hardware that can trap an occupant, particularly a child or bedroom occupant, behind a locked door during a fire, medical emergency or forced entry.

The rule applies to every interior door in a dwelling covered by the Property Maintenance Code, including bedroom, bathroom and closet doors, and is enforced by the Director of the Department of Licenses and Inspections during property maintenance inspections, including the inspections tied to a continued certification of occupancy required before selling residential property under § 537-10. Landlords converting or re-keying interior doors, or owners who install security hardware meant for exterior use on a bedroom door, are the typical targets of this provision, since it removes the ability to lock someone in or shut occupants out of an interior room using exterior-grade hardware.