The National Fire Protection Code allows for the use of delayed egress doors with a variety of conditions. The area you are exiting from has to have an automatic protection system, it can not be from an area of high risk, they need to unlock immediatly when the fire system is activated (so if somebody pulls an alarm, all the doors unlock), there can only be one of them along the exit path, etc.

I believe the code is for a fifteen second delay unless locally 30 is allowed.

They are marketed mostly to places as a way of theft prevention and used in places like mental hosiptals where you don't want people just wandering off, so that the fifteen or thirty seconds the alarm is going off and the door is locked still, people may notice you taking that TV out or the kid running off.

If they are installed correctly and tied to the other systems, then when the alarm goes off the first person at the door will find it already unlocked. I am not 100% sure, but believe the code also requires pull boxes at all exits, so if you pull the alarm that will open the door immediatly, where if you just use the pushbar on the door without any alarm going off you have to wait for it to release. Code also requires them to be clearly signed in letters at least one inch high stating the delay. They also have to unlock immediatly should power be cut to them.


Personally I hate them. I don't trust they are tested and maintained (their batteries replaced on a regular basis) and don't like electro mechanical things in the way if I ever have to evacuate a building.

But it's not like an alarm will go off and nobody will be able to exit anywhere for 30 seconds, at least it's not supposed to be like that.

They are not generally allowed (unless local code is different) in these areas (from the code definitions)

Areas for uses intended for the gathering together of persons for the purposes such as civic, social or religious functions, recreation, food or drink consumption or awaiting transportation , nor are they allowed in uses intended by 6 or more persons at any one time for educational purposes through the 12th grade. Daycare uses for educational, supervision or personal care services for more than 5 children older than 2 1/2yrs or areas intended for manufacturing, processing, generation or storage of materials that constitute a physical or health hazard in quantities in excess of those allowed by code.

It's why most people don't even know they exist, there aren't many places where code allows them.