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ADA door width: 32 inches clear, and the rest of an accessible door
An accessible door under the 2010 ADA Standards has at least 32 inches of clear opening. That is the number most people look up, but a door can meet it and still be hard to use: it also needs space to approach, a low threshold, hardware you can work with one hand and a light opening force.
This is a summary. The official 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design are the reference.
32 inches clear, and how it is measured
Door openings must give a clear width of at least 32 inches (815 mm). For a swinging door, it is measured between the face of the door and the stop, with the door open 90 degrees, so the clear width is always less than the width of the door leaf. Openings more than 24 inches (610 mm) deep need 36 inches (915 mm) clear (2010 ADA Standards, 404.2.3). The width of the corridor a door opens onto is in ADA hallway width.
Nothing may stick out into the clear width below 34 inches (865 mm); between 34 and 80 inches (865–2030 mm), projections can be 4 inches (100 mm) at most (2010 ADA Standards, 404.2.3). Automatic doors also need 32 inches clear, in power-on and power-off mode (2010 ADA Standards, 404.3.1).
Space in front of the door
A wheelchair user needs room to pull a door open without the door hitting the chair. The required maneuvering clearance depends on the side you approach from and whether you push or pull (2010 ADA Standards, table 404.2.4.1):
| Approach | Door side | Depth in front of the door | Extra width beside the latch |
|---|---|---|---|
| From the front | pull | 60 inches (1525 mm) | 18 inches (455 mm) |
| From the front | push | 48 inches (1220 mm) | none, or 12 inches (305 mm) if the door has a closer and a latch |
| From the latch side | pull | 48 inches (1220 mm), plus 6 inches with a closer | 24 inches (610 mm) |
| From the latch side | push | 42 inches (1065 mm), plus 6 inches with a closer | 24 inches (610 mm) |
Two doors in a row, as in a vestibule, need at least 48 inches (1220 mm) between them plus the width of any door that swings into the space (2010 ADA Standards, 404.2.6).
Threshold, hardware and opening force
- Threshold: 1/2 inch (13 mm) high at most (2010 ADA Standards, 404.2.5).
- Hardware: handles, pulls, latches and locks between 34 and 48 inches (865–1220 mm) above the floor, operable with one hand without tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist (2010 ADA Standards, 404.2.7 and 309.4). A round knob needs exactly that grip and twist.
- Opening force: 5 pounds (22.2 N) at most for interior hinged doors and for sliding or folding doors, not counting the force to release the latch; fire doors follow the local authority (2010 ADA Standards, 404.2.9).
- Vision panels: where a door has glass to see through, the bottom of at least one panel is no higher than 43 inches (1090 mm) (2010 ADA Standards, 404.2.11).
Entrances
At least 60 % of a building’s public entrances must be accessible (2010 ADA Standards, 206.4.1). Revolving doors, revolving gates and turnstiles cannot be part of an accessible route, so a revolving entrance needs a swinging or sliding door next to it (2010 ADA Standards, 404.3.7).
Where not every entrance is accessible, the accessible ones carry the International Symbol of Accessibility and the others have signs pointing to the nearest accessible one (2010 ADA Standards, 216.6). See accessibility symbols.
Frequently asked questions
How wide must an ADA door be?
It must give at least 32 inches (815 mm) of clear width, and 36 inches (915 mm) where the opening is more than 24 inches deep (2010 ADA Standards, 404.2.3).
How is ADA door clear width measured?
Between the face of the door and the stop, with the door open 90 degrees (2010 ADA Standards, 404.2.3).
What is the maximum ADA threshold height?
1/2 inch (13 mm) (2010 ADA Standards, 404.2.5).
How high should an ADA door handle be?
Between 34 and 48 inches (865–1220 mm) above the floor, usable with one hand without tight grasping (2010 ADA Standards, 404.2.7).
What is the ADA door opening force?
5 pounds (22.2 N) at most for interior hinged doors and sliding or folding doors (2010 ADA Standards, 404.2.9).
More accessibility guides
- ADA ramp slope: the 1:12 rule, width, landings, handrails and edge protection.
- ADA bathroom requirements: toilet height and position, grab bar height, sink height, stall sizes and turning space.
- ADA compliance: a checklist for small businesses, with the 2010 Standards section behind each item.
- Accessibility symbols: what the wheelchair symbol means, where it is required and the other access symbols.
- ADA hallway width: clear width of hallways and corridors, the 32-inch exception, width at turns, passing spaces, floor and slope, and objects that stick out from the walls.
- All accessibility guides
Sources
Every figure in this guide comes from one of these official texts, which we read in October 2026.
- 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. U.S. Department of Justice, published September 15, 2010; required for new work since March 15, 2012.
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