NFPA 80 Fire Door Hinge Requirements — Complete Compliance Guide

NFPA 80 (Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives) governs the installation, inspection, and maintenance of fire-rated door assemblies. For hinges, NFPA 80 specifies material (steel only), minimum leaf thickness, number of hinges per door height, and mandatory self-closing devices. All fire doors must be self-closing and self-latching, with hinges meeting ANSI/BHMA A156.17 Grade 1 for self-closing applications.

NFPA 80 Hinge Requirements Overview

Fire-rated doors are a critical element of a building’s passive fire protection system. Unlike standard doors, fire-rated assemblies must remain closed and latched during a fire event to contain smoke and flames and allow safe egress. NFPA 80 establishes the minimum requirements to ensure that every component of a fire door assembly — including the hinges — performs reliably under fire conditions.

The key hinge-related requirements under NFPA 80 address four areas:

1. Material and construction — only steel or stainless steel hinges are permitted on fire-rated doors
2. Size and weight rating — hinge leaf thickness must match the door dimensions per the NFPA 80 sizing table
3. Quantity — a minimum number of hinges is required based on door height
4. Self-closing and self-latching function — the door assembly must close and latch automatically from any open position

Non-compliance with NFPA 80 hinge requirements can result in failed annual inspections, insurance coverage issues, and most critically, reduced fire protection for building occupants.

Hinge Material and Size Requirements

NFPA 80 restricts hinge materials on fire-rated doors to steel or stainless steel only. Brass, bronze, and aluminum hinges are not permitted because they may weaken or fail at elevated temperatures reached during a fire. This requirement applies regardless of the aesthetic finish — a steel hinge with a brass-colored coating is acceptable, but a solid brass hinge is not.

Hinge leaf thickness requirements are specified in NFPA 80 Table 6.4.3.1 and depend on door width and height. Heavier doors create greater stress on hinges, requiring thicker hinge leaves to maintain structural integrity:

Heavy-weight hinges with 0.180″ leaf thickness are required for oversized doors because the increased mass and leverage place significantly greater stress on each hinge. Using standard-weight hinges on a wide or tall fire door risks hinge deformation over time, which could prevent the door from closing and latching properly.

Number of Hinges Required

NFPA 80 requires one hinge for each 30 inches (762 mm) of door height, or fraction thereof, with a minimum of two hinges per door. This formula ensures that hinge loading is distributed adequately across the full door height, preventing warping or binding that could interfere with the door’s self-closing function.

Hinge placement should follow standard door hardware placement practices: the top hinge is typically set 5″ from the top of the door, the bottom hinge 10″ from the bottom, and intermediate hinges evenly spaced between them. Exact placement may also be governed by the door manufacturer’s listing requirements — always consult the labeled assembly documentation.

Self-Closing Requirements

NFPA 80 Section 4.8.3 mandates that all fire-rated swinging doors be equipped with an approved self-closing device. The self-closing requirement exists because an open fire door provides no protection — the door must return to the closed and latched position automatically to function as a fire barrier.

NFPA 80 accepts two primary self-closing solutions for swinging doors:

• Listed door closers — surface-mounted, concealed overhead, or floor-mounted hydraulic closers that are UL-listed for use on fire-rated doors
• Listed Grade 1 self-closing hinges — spring hinges or hydraulic closer hinges meeting ANSI/BHMA A156.17 Grade 1, providing the closing function within the hinge itself

When self-closing hinges are used as the sole self-closing device (without a separate door closer), NFPA 80 requires a minimum of two spring or self-closing hinges per door. This redundancy ensures that if one hinge mechanism weakens, the remaining hinge can still close the door reliably.

Additional self-closing requirements under NFPA 80:

• The door must close and latch from any open position — not just from 90°
• Hold-open devices (magnetic hold-opens, door stops) must be connected to the building’s fire alarm system and release automatically upon alarm activation
• Fusible-link hold-open arms that melt at elevated temperatures are acceptable as a fail-safe release mechanism where permitted by the AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction)
• Wedges, rubber door stops, and other unauthorized hold-open devices are strictly prohibited

Self-Latching Requirements

NFPA 80 Section 4.8.4 requires that fire-rated doors be self-latching: the latch must engage the strike automatically when the door closes, without any manual operation by the occupant. A door that closes but does not latch provides negligible fire protection, as positive latching holds the door firmly in the frame and prevents it from being pushed open by pressure differentials caused by the fire.

Key self-latching requirements:

• Roller latches are not permitted on fire-rated doors. Roller latches can disengage under the positive pressure conditions of a fire, allowing the door to swing open.
• Deadbolts used as the primary latching mechanism must engage automatically — manually operated deadbolts do not satisfy the self-latching requirement unless combined with an automatic latching device.
• On pairs of fire doors, the active leaf must have a coordinator installed if both leaves have closers. The coordinator ensures the inactive leaf always closes before the active leaf so that the astragal (overlapping edge) does not prevent proper latching.
• Flush bolts on the inactive leaf of a pair must be the automatic-acting type (not manual flush bolts) unless the door is a rarely used assembly where manual operation is specifically permitted by NFPA 80.

Annual Inspection Checklist

NFPA 80 Chapter 5 requires that fire door assemblies be inspected and tested annually by a qualified person. The inspection must be documented with the date, name of the inspector, and any deficiencies found and corrected. The following checklist covers hinge-related inspection points:

• No missing, broken, or visibly damaged hinges
• All hinge screws present and fully tightened — loose screws can cause the door to sag and fail to latch
• Hinge leaves show no signs of excessive wear, corrosion, or deformation
• Self-closing device is operational — door closes and latches from fully open position
• Self-closing device closes the door from a 1″ open position (NFPA 80 Section 5.2.1.3)
• No unauthorized hold-open devices (wedges, rubber stops, etc.) in use
• Door swings freely without binding against the frame
• No unauthorized modifications to the door, frame, or hardware that could affect the fire rating
• Fire rating labels (UL or equivalent) on door and frame are intact and legible
• Gap clearances around the door perimeter do not exceed NFPA 80 limits (3/4″ at bottom, 1/8″ at top and sides)

Deficiencies identified during inspection must be corrected immediately. A fire door that fails inspection must be taken out of service or repaired before it can be relied upon as part of the building’s fire protection system.

Self-Closing Option Comparison

When specifying fire door hardware, designers and specifiers can choose from several self-closing approaches, each with distinct trade-offs:

Frequently Asked Questions