When does NFPA 101 require doors to swing outward?

NFPA 101 requires doors to swing in the direction of egress travel when the door serves a room or area with an occupant load of 50 or more, or when the door is part of an exit enclosure such as a stairwell.

What is the difference between panic hardware and fire exit hardware?

Panic hardware is listed to UL 305 and is used on non-fire-rated doors. Fire exit hardware is listed to both UL 305 and UL 10C, and is used on fire-rated doors. Fire exit hardware must be self-latching and cannot hold the latchbolt in the retracted position.

What fire rating is required for stairwell doors?

In a 1-hour exit stairwell enclosure, doors require a minimum 60-minute fire protection rating. In a 2-hour exit stairwell enclosure, doors require a minimum 90-minute fire protection rating.

Are delayed egress locks permitted in all occupancies?

No. Delayed egress locks are generally not permitted in assembly or educational occupancies. Where permitted, the building must have automatic sprinkler or fire detection, and the lock must release within 15 or 30 seconds, upon fire alarm, sprinkler activation, or power failure.

Does NFPA 101 require annual inspection of fire-rated doors?

NFPA 101 references NFPA 80, which requires annual inspection of all fire-rated door assemblies to verify labels, hardware function, self-closing and latching, clearances, and absence of unauthorized modifications.

What are the five standard fire protection ratings for commercial doors?

The five standard fire protection ratings are: 20-minute (1/3 hour), 45-minute (3/4 hour), 60-minute (1 hour), 90-minute (1-1/2 hour), and 180-minute (3 hour). Hollow metal drywall frames can be rated up to 90 minutes; 3-hour ratings require masonry frames.

Can a fire-rated door be modified after installation?

NFPA 80 prohibits field modifications to fire-rated door assemblies unless approved by the listing laboratory. Unapproved modifications void the fire rating.

What is the difference between access-controlled egress and delayed egress?

Access-controlled egress doors unlock immediately when force is applied from the egress side. Delayed egress locks impose a delay of up to 15 or 30 seconds. Both must release upon fire alarm activation, sprinkler activation, and power failure.

What Are the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code Requirements for Commercial Doors?

Maintenance

Scott Kincanon - March 29, 2026 - 58 min read

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Scott Kincanon

Director of Sales & Support

Scott Kincanon specializes in commercial door system performance, maintenance strategy, and long-term reliability. With experience across hollow metal doors, frames, and hardware assemblies, he focuses on ensuring commercial openings align with code requirements and real-world application standards. His expertise bridges specification accuracy, installation preparation, and lifecycle performance, helping teams prevent compliance issues and costly failures before they occur.

Corridor Doors	Self-closing, self-latching in fire-rated corridors. 20-min or 45-min rating typical. Must not reduce corridor width below minimum when open.
Stairwell Doors	60-min rating in 1-hour enclosures, 90-min in 2-hour enclosures. Self-closing, self-latching. Must allow re-entry per Section 7.2.1.5.8.
Horizontal Exit Doors	90-min rating in 2-hour barriers. Swing in direction of travel. Pairs must swing in opposite directions.
Exterior Exit Doors	Swing outward for occupant loads of 50+. Hardware must allow single-operation release. No key from egress side.
Hazardous Area Doors	Fire protection rating matches the wall rating. Self-closing, self-latching. Door must swing in direction of egress travel.
Patient Room Doors	Self-closing. Latching may not be required in existing healthcare. Must resist passage of smoke in new construction.
Assembly Egress Doors	Panic or fire exit hardware for 100+ occupant load. Outward swing for 50+. No locks while occupied.

NFPA 101 Scope	Determines where fire-rated door assemblies are required based on occupancy type, wall rating, and location within the means of egress.
NFPA 80 Scope	Governs the installation, inspection, testing, and maintenance of fire door assemblies, fire shutters, and other opening protectives.
Labeling	NFPA 80 requires that every component of a fire-rated door assembly carry a label from a qualified testing laboratory. Labels must remain legible and attached.
Clearances	NFPA 80 specifies maximum clearances for fire-rated doors: 1/8 inch at the hinge edge and top, 1/8 inch at the meeting edges of pairs, and 3/4 inch maximum at the bottom (unless tested for a greater clearance).
Annual Inspection	NFPA 80 requires annual inspection of fire-rated door assemblies. Inspections must verify that labels are present, hardware is functional, clearances are within limits, self-closing and latching devices operate correctly, and no field modifications have been made.
Field Modifications	NFPA 80 prohibits field modifications to fire-rated door assemblies unless the modification is approved by the listing laboratory. Unapproved modifications void the fire rating.
Signage	NFPA 80 requires fire-rated doors to not be blocked, wedged open, or otherwise prevented from closing. NFPA 101 permits automatic-closing devices connected to the fire alarm system as an alternative to self-closing devices.

Immediate Release on Hardware	The door must unlock immediately when a person applies force to the door leaf hardware (sensor, push bar, lever, etc.) from the egress side.
Fire Alarm Release	The lock must release immediately upon activation of the building fire alarm system.
Sprinkler/Detection Release	The lock must release immediately upon activation of the automatic sprinkler system or the automatic fire detection system.
Power Failure	The lock must release immediately upon loss of power to the lock.
Sensor or Switch	A sensor or switch at the door must unlock the door in the direction of egress upon detection of an approaching occupant. The door must remain unlocked for a sufficient duration to allow egress.
Signage	A sign with clear instructions must be posted at the door explaining how to operate the door in an emergency.
No Delay	Unlike delayed egress, access-controlled egress doors must provide immediate release. No time delay is permitted.

Maximum Delay	The lock must release within 15 seconds (or 30 seconds where approved by the AHJ) after a person applies force to the door hardware or after a person applies force for not more than 3 seconds.
Fire Alarm Release	The lock must release immediately upon activation of the building fire alarm system or the sprinkler system.
Sprinkler Requirement	The building must be protected throughout by an approved automatic sprinkler system or an approved automatic fire detection system.
Power Failure	The lock must release immediately upon loss of power to the locking device.
Signage	A sign must be posted on the door reading: "PUSH UNTIL ALARM SOUNDS. DOOR CAN BE OPENED IN 15 SECONDS." (or 30 seconds if applicable).
Irreversible Process	Once the releasing process has begun, the lock must release regardless of whether force is maintained on the door.
Audible Alarm	An audible alarm must sound at the door when force is first applied to the releasing hardware.
Occupancy Restrictions	Delayed egress locks are not permitted in assembly or educational occupancies, unless specifically allowed by occupancy-specific chapters.

Fire Protection Rating	Doors in horizontal exits must have a fire protection rating of at least 90 minutes when installed in a 2-hour fire barrier.
Swing Direction	Must swing in the direction of egress travel. Where doors serve as exits from both sides of the barrier, pairs of doors swinging in opposite directions are required.
Self-Closing	Must be self-closing or automatic-closing. Automatic-closing devices must be connected to the fire alarm system.
Latching	Must be self-latching. Fire exit hardware is required if the occupancy requires panic hardware.
Clear Width	Must provide sufficient clear width based on the occupant load of the area being served. Minimum 32 inches clear width per leaf.
Signage	Horizontal exit doors must be marked with EXIT signs in accordance with Section 7.10.

What Are the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code Requirements for Commercial Doors?

Frequently Asked Questions

Configure Code-Compliant Door Assemblies

Summary: NFPA 101 Door Requirements by Location

How NFPA 101 Interacts with NFPA 80 for Fire-Rated Door Assemblies

Occupancy-Specific Door Requirements

Access-Controlled Egress Doors

Delayed Egress Locks

Horizontal Exit Door Requirements

Stairwell Door Requirements

Corridor Door Requirements

Fire-Rated Door and Frame Requirements

Exit Door Hardware: Panic Hardware and Fire Exit Hardware

Door Swing Direction Requirements

Means of Egress: How NFPA 101 Defines the Exit Path

About This Guide

What Are the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code Requirements for Commercial Doors?

Frequently Asked Questions

Configure Code-Compliant Door Assemblies

Summary: NFPA 101 Door Requirements by Location

How NFPA 101 Interacts with NFPA 80 for Fire-Rated Door Assemblies

Occupancy-Specific Door Requirements

Access-Controlled Egress Doors

Delayed Egress Locks

Horizontal Exit Door Requirements

Stairwell Door Requirements

Corridor Door Requirements

Fire-Rated Door and Frame Requirements

Exit Door Hardware: Panic Hardware and Fire Exit Hardware

Door Swing Direction Requirements

Means of Egress: How NFPA 101 Defines the Exit Path

About This Guide

What Are the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code Requirements for Commercial Doors?

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Fire Protection Rating	Doors in 1-hour stairwell enclosures require a minimum 60-minute fire protection rating. Doors in 2-hour stairwell enclosures require a minimum 90-minute fire protection rating.
Swing Direction	Must swing in the direction of egress travel (into the stairwell landing). The door in the open position must not reduce the required landing width by more than one-half.
Self-Closing and Latching	Must be self-closing and self-latching. Hold-open devices are not permitted on stairwell doors unless the door is equipped with an automatic-closing device connected to the fire alarm system and the smoke detection system.
Re-Entry	Stairwell doors must allow re-entry to the building floors. Doors may be locked from the stairwell side to prevent entry into the building only if specific re-entry provisions are met per Section 7.2.1.5.8. At minimum, every fourth floor and the top and bottom floors must allow re-entry.
Hardware	Lever or panic/fire exit hardware. No special knowledge or key may be required to exit through a stairwell door from the building side. Fire exit hardware is required if the door is fire-rated and serves an occupancy that requires panic hardware.
Landing Dimensions	Minimum landing width must equal the door width. Minimum landing depth must be sufficient to allow the door to swing fully open without reducing the required width.

Corridor Width	Doors must not reduce the required corridor width by more than one-half when fully open. When fully open, a door must not project more than 7 inches into the required width (Section 7.2.1.4.3).
Self-Closing Requirement	Doors in fire-rated corridor walls must be self-closing or automatic-closing. Hold-open devices connected to the fire alarm system are permitted on automatic-closing doors.
Latching Requirement	Doors in fire-rated corridor walls must be self-latching. The latch must be positive-latching (cannot be held in the retracted position).
Smoke and Draft Control	Corridor doors in certain occupancies (especially healthcare) must resist the passage of smoke. Doors must meet the requirements for smoke and draft control per NFPA 105.
Fire Protection Rating	Typically 20-minute or 45-minute, depending on the required fire resistance rating of the corridor wall and the occupancy type.
Undercuts	Maximum undercut for fire-rated corridor doors is typically 3/4 inch unless tested and listed for a greater clearance.

20-Minute (1/3 Hour)	Used in corridor walls in certain occupancies where 1-hour corridor wall construction is required. Also used in smoke partitions. Glass lights are generally permitted with restrictions.
45-Minute (3/4 Hour)	Used in 1-hour fire-rated corridor walls and exit access corridors. This is the most common fire-rated door in commercial construction. Glass lights permitted up to 1,296 square inches with fire-rated glazing.
60-Minute (1 Hour)	Used in 1-hour fire barriers and exit enclosures in buildings up to 3 stories. Also used in horizontal exits in some configurations.
90-Minute (1-1/2 Hour)	Used in 2-hour fire barriers, 2-hour exit enclosures, and stairwell doors in high-rise buildings. Maximum fire protection rating available for hollow metal drywall frames. Glass lights significantly restricted.
180-Minute (3 Hour)	Used in 3-hour and 4-hour fire walls and fire barriers. Requires masonry or concrete wall construction. Not available in drywall frame configurations. No glass lights permitted.

Panic Hardware	Listed to UL 305. Required on doors serving assembly occupancies with an occupant load of 100 or more, and on educational occupancy doors with an occupant load of 100 or more. Actuating bar must extend at least one-half the width of the door leaf and must be mounted between 34 and 48 inches above the floor.
Fire Exit Hardware	Listed to UL 10C and UL 305. Required on fire-rated doors where panic hardware would otherwise be required. Fire exit hardware must not have any device that holds the latchbolt in the retracted position. Must be self-latching.
Single-Operation Release	All egress door hardware must release with a single operation such as turning a lever, pushing a bar, or turning a knob. No more than one releasing operation is permitted (Section 7.2.1.5.2).
No Special Knowledge	Hardware must operate without any key, tool, special knowledge, or effort beyond that required for normal operation (Section 7.2.1.5.2).
Lever Hardware	Lever handles are the most common compliant hardware for means of egress doors that do not require panic or fire exit hardware. Knobs are permitted only where the AHJ has not adopted accessibility requirements prohibiting them.

Occupant Load 50+	Door must swing in the direction of egress travel (outward from the room or space).
Occupant Load Under 50	Door may swing in either direction unless other code provisions require outward swing.
Exit Enclosure Doors	Must swing in the direction of egress travel. Stairwell doors must swing into the stairwell landing without reducing the required landing width by more than one-half during the swing.
Horizontal Exit Doors	Must swing in the direction of egress travel. Pairs of doors in horizontal exits must swing in opposite directions.
Exterior Exit Doors	Must swing in the direction of egress travel when serving an occupant load of 50 or more.
Dwelling Unit Doors	May swing inward in residential occupancies where the occupant load does not exceed 50.

Exit Access	The portion of the egress path from any occupied point to the entrance of an exit. Includes corridor doors, office doors, and doors leading to exit stairwells or exit passageways.
Exit	The protected portion of the egress path between the exit access and the exit discharge. Includes exit stairwell enclosures, horizontal exits, exit passageways, and exterior exit doors at grade level. Doors in exits typically require fire ratings.
Exit Discharge	The portion from the exit termination to the public way. Includes doors discharging to the exterior at grade level or through approved exit discharge lobbies.