West Hartford, CT Building Safety: Door Locking Hardware (2026)

Chapter 62, the Burglary Security Code adopted January 9, 1973, sets minimum construction standards for newly built multiple dwellings in West Hartford, enforced by the building officials per § 62-4. Section 62-8 governs door and window protection. Exterior doors need rabbeted jambs formed from one piece of metal on in-swinging doors, jambs built to prevent more than a 1/8-inch gap at the strike, nonremovable hinge pins on out-swinging doors, and solid-core wood at least 1 3/4 inches thick or metal meeting the State Building Code.

Exterior corridor doors must have approved self-locking dead-latch mechanisms with a minimum throw of 1/2 inch, and exterior locks must be protected by a metal astragal covering the bolt and strike plate, extending at least five inches above and below the bolt's center line at a minimum 1/16-inch thickness. Interior swinging doors leading to individual units need a self-closing mechanism, one lock unit combining a latch with a minimum 1/2-inch throw and a non-beveled dead bolt with a minimum one-inch throw, both retractable by a single turn of the inside knob, and the owner must rekey the cylinder into a recessed security collar at every change of tenancy.

Sliding patio doors need a key-operated, pin-tumbler mortised dead lock with inaccessible mounting screws and a reinforced strike, and windows must lock so they cannot be lifted from outside the frame, with louvered windows barred within eight feet of ground level or fire escapes. Violators face a fine of not more than $50 or one day's imprisonment under § 62-6, with each day of noncompliance a separate violation, and § 62-7 allows appeal to the Court of Common Pleas for the County of Hartford.