Egress Locking Devices
Maglocks, Delayed-Egress & Access-Control Doors

Why This Matters

Doors that are locked against egress are the single deadliest condition in fire events with mass casualties. Historical mass-casualty fires — Iroquois Theatre (1903), Triangle Shirtwaist (1911), Cocoanut Grove (1942), Station Nightclub (2003), Ghost Ship warehouse (2016) — all share the pattern of occupants unable to escape because of locked doors. NFPA 101 §7.2.1.5 and §7.2.1.6 exist to prevent that outcome by strictly governing when and how any door may be locked against egress.

The rule starts at: doors in a means of egress shall be openable without the use of a key, tool, or special knowledge. Every exception is an exception, with specific conditions that must all be satisfied. If your locking arrangement does not cleanly fit one of the four permitted variants below, it is not permitted.

The Four Permitted Locking Arrangements

1. Electrified Hardware (§7.2.1.5)

An electric strike, electric latch retraction, or electrified lever handle that is locked against ingress (someone outside cannot walk in without a credential or key) but always releases for egress by natural operation of the door hardware. The push from inside operates a mechanical linkage that retracts the latch regardless of the electrical state. Considered fail-safe by design because occupants never rely on electrical state to get out.

2. Delayed-Egress Locking (§7.2.1.6.1)

A maglock or electric latch holds the door locked; occupant attempts to exit trigger a local alarm and a 15-second timer (or 30 seconds with AHJ approval). At the end of the timer, the door unlocks. Required features:

• Door unlocks immediately on activation of the fire alarm or sprinkler system, OR on power loss to the lock.
• Signage adjacent to the door: “PUSH UNTIL ALARM SOUNDS, DOOR CAN BE OPENED IN 15 SECONDS” (or 30 as appropriate).
• Permitted only in certain occupancies (business, mercantile, assembly limited to 300 occupants, etc.) — explicitly prohibited in healthcare, detention, and high-hazard occupancies.
• Only one delayed-egress device per egress path.
• Emergency lighting at the door.

3. Access-Controlled Egress Door (§7.2.1.6.2)

A maglock on a door, released automatically when someone approaches from the egress side. The approach is sensed by a request-to-exit (REX) device — typically a PIR motion sensor mounted above the door on the egress side, or a panic-bar integrated switch. Required features:

• REX sensor unlocks the door immediately when motion is detected on the egress side.
• Manual push-button unlock (clearly labeled, within 5 ft of the door, green “PUSH TO EXIT” button) that drops the lock for at least 30 seconds.
• Automatic unlock on fire alarm, sprinkler activation, loss of power, OR loss of power to the REX/unlock circuitry.
• Signage: “PUSH TO EXIT”.

4. Elevator Lobby Egress-Control Locking (§7.2.1.6.3)

A locking arrangement specifically for elevator lobbies in high-rise or compartmentalized buildings where the lobby doors are locked against egress during normal operation. Similar rules to access-controlled egress, but with stricter requirements around stairway access and smoke-detection interlocks.

How the Fire Alarm Drops the Lock

The maglock is wired through a normally-closed contact on a fire alarm relay. The relay is normally energized, which means the contact is held open against a spring — wait, that is backwards. Let me restate: the relay's NC contact is closed when the relay coil is de-energized. In the normal operating state, the relay coil is energized, holding the NC contact open, so power flows through the NO contact (or an intentionally configured circuit) to the maglock.

In practice, the cleanest design is: power to the maglock passes through the relay's normally-open contact and the relay is normally energized. On fire alarm, the relay de-energizes, the contact opens, and the maglock drops. This is fail-safe against wire breaks, relay failure, and panel power loss.

The interconnect between the FACP and the maglock (or access-control panel) must be supervised per NFPA 72 so any wiring failure annunciates as trouble.

Common Violations

• Maglock without fire-alarm release. Security installer wired the maglock directly to a UPS with no FA tie-in. On alarm the door stays locked. Immediate life-safety violation.
• Delayed-egress in prohibited occupancies. Hospital patient-care unit with delayed-egress locks on a corridor exit. Healthcare cannot use delayed-egress per §7.2.1.6.1; must re-engineer with behavioral health locking (§18.2.2.2.5) or access-controlled egress.
• REX sensor on the wrong side. PIR installed on the ingress side — it senses people coming in, not going out. Egress is not free. Relocate to the egress side.
• Missing “PUSH TO EXIT” button. Access-control door with maglock, REX sensor, and fire-alarm release — but no manual unlock button. Required by §7.2.1.6.2.
• Unsupervised FA-to-lock wire. Wiring between FACP relay and maglock not supervised. A broken wire silently removes the FA release. Solution: supervised Style 4 or Style 7 circuit.

ITM

• Monthly — verify every locked egress door releases on fire alarm activation. For delayed-egress, verify timer, local alarm, signage, and fire-alarm release.
• Annual — full functional test including REX sensor operation, manual unlock button, power-loss release, sprinkler-activation release (where applicable).
• After any modification — any change to the access-control system, maglock wiring, or FACP programming requires full retest of every affected door.

Frequently Asked Questions

References