2022 California Standards for Accessible Design Guide (effective January 1, 2023)

11B-404.3 Automatic and power-assisted doors and gates.

Automatic doors and automatic gates shall comply with Section 11B-404.3. Full-powered automatic doors shall comply with ANSI/BHMA A156.10. Low-energy and power-assisted doors shall comply with ANSI/BHMA A156.19.

Advisory 11B-404.3 Automatic and power-assisted doors and gates. Automatic and power-assisted doors are often used by designers to provide accessibility when door closer pressure would exceed the allowable opening force for interior or exterior doors. Heavy doors are difficult to open for persons using wheelchairs because holding the door open with one hand requires the user to let go of one wheel – not enough control remains to prevent the chair from twisting out of the intended direction. An automatic door may be used as equivalent facilitation when it is technically infeasible to provide sufficient strike-side clearance for code compliance, but a power-assisted door may not. ◼

11B-404.3.1 Clear width.

Doorways shall provide a clear opening of 32 inches (813 mm) minimum in power-on and power-off mode. The minimum clear width for automatic door systems in a doorway shall provide a clear, unobstructed opening of 32 inches (813 mm) with one leaf positioned at an angle of 90 degrees from its closed position.

[2010 ADA Standards] 404.3.1 Clear Width.  Doorways shall provide a clear opening of 32 inches (815 mm) minimum in power-on and power-off mode. The minimum clear width for automatic door systems in a doorway shall be based on the clear opening provided by all leaves in the open position.

11B-404.3.2 Maneuvering clearance.

Clearances at power-assisted doors and gates shall comply with Section 11B-404.2.4. Clearances at automatic doors and gates without standby power and serving an accessible means of egress shall comply with Section 11B-404.2.4.

Exception: Where automatic doors and gates remain open in the power-off condition, compliance with Section 11B-404.2.4 shall not be required.

11B-404.3.3 Thresholds.

Thresholds and changes in level at doorways shall comply with Section 11B-404.2.5.

11B-404.3.4 Doors in series and gates in series.

Doors in series and gates in series shall comply with Section 11B-404.2.6.

11B-404.3.5 Controls.

Manually operated controls shall comply with Section 11B-309. The clear floor space adjacent to the control shall be located beyond the arc of the door swing.

Advisory 11B-404.3.5 Controls. Where push plates, vertical actuation bars or other similar operating devices are provided, they shall be placed in a conspicuous location. A level and clear floor or ground space for forward or parallel approach complying with Section 11B-305 should be provided, centered on the operating device. Doors should not swing into the required clear floor or ground space for the operating device. ◼

11B-404.3.6 Break out opening.

Where doors and gates without standby power are a part of a means of egress, the clear break out opening at swinging or sliding doors and gates shall be 32 inches (813 mm) minimum when operated in emergency mode.

Exception: Where manual swinging doors and gates comply with Section 11B-404.2 and serve the same means of egress compliance with Section 11B-404.3.6 shall not be required.

11B-404.3.7 Revolving doors, revolving gates, and turnstiles.

Revolving doors, revolving gates, and turnstiles shall not be part of an accessible route.