A 2025 Florida law authorizes classrooms to have secondary locks to use in the event of a school shooting and other active assailant events.
But a lock company is accusing the state Department of Education of overstepping its authority and undercutting the Legislature with additional restrictions.
"They couldn't reverse the state statute," said Jack Taylor, co-owner of NIGHTLOCK. "So what they're trying to do is maybe overregulate."
NIGHTLOCK, which makes temporary barricade devices, has filed an administrative challenge against the restrictions. A virtual administrative hearing will be held on Aug. 21.
Taylor said more than 250 Florida schools — mostly private ones — already use NIGHTLOCK temporary locks. Hundreds of other schools in the state use similar ones, according to an estimate in the complaint.
"They're a simple device, very economical," Taylor said. "It goes down at the bottom of the door, and if there's an armed intruder alert, the teachers or the students can lock down."
But, during the 2026 legislative session, the Department of Education pushed multiple proposals that would've repealed the previous year's lock statute. Lawmakers ultimately didn't go for it.
After the session, the department developed a rule to implement the law. Before voting to approve it, the chair of Florida's Board of Education admitted it was adding "onerous restrictions."
"Any district that's considering using these temporary door locks needs to carefully consider how they're going to comply with each and every one of these rules," said Chair Ryan Petty. "If you choose to use these [locks], which I would ask you again to reconsider whether or not you do this, but if you do, these restrictions and rules will minimize the loss of life."
Petty said the additional locks could slow down first responders trying to provide aid to people in classrooms. He added he only knows of one school district that implemented the locks.
"I would dissuade, if I could, as strongly as I can, from any other districts putting these temporary door locks," he said.
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One of the requirements, if the administrative judge OKs the rule: Every potential first responder who could respond to an active assailant event would have to get master keys.
Taylor said this would create security risks and high costs for schools.
"They want the schools to hand out the master keys to hundreds of first responders, and no school in their right mind is going to hand out all their master keys," he said.
Taylor also disagreed the locks would delay first responders. He pointed out classroom doors would be locked — and would have to be unlocked — anyway amid an attack. Even beyond emergency situations, Florida law requires public classrooms to be locked when students are inside.
"Doors can be breached, usually through an open window, [and] having a second layer of security away from the window and down near the floor is an essential piece of equipment during that type of event," Taylor said. "These temporary door locks are like fire extinguishers; you never use them. You only use them if you have to."
The 2025 law says secondary locks can be put on instructional spaces that have a "permanently installed door lock." It says the additional locks must be easy to engage and unlock from inside the room without a key, while allowing someone with a key to unlock them from outside.
The Department of Education didn't respond to a request for comment from WUSF.
But the department did agree to pay a law firm, GrayRobinson, up to $150,000 to represent it in the case, according to the Florida Accountability Contract Tracking System.
The top attorneys involved will get paid $450 an hour, according to the June contract, with more than $17,000 paid out to date.
What NIGHTLOCK is alleging
In its filing, NIGHTLOCK claims state education officials are exceeding their rulemaking authority.
"None of these provisions grant this rulemaking authority, nor do any of them contemplate the Department imposing additional conditions or requirements on schools’ use of temporary door locks beyond those set forth in statute," the company wrote.
Beyond that, NIGHTLOCK said the rule improperly modifies state law and violates Florida's rulemaking procedures. It also said it imposes arbitrary and irrational requirements.
It argues that, as written, the rule would require every first responder to have not only a key to remove the secondary lock but also a key to unlock the classroom’s existing permanent lock. NIGHTLOCK says there is no comparable requirement for classrooms that only have permanent locks.
"It irrationally requires the widespread distribution and proliferation of classroom door keys," it reads.
And, in a new Thursday filing, NIGHTLOCK says the state disputes the company's interpretation of how broadly the rule's key requirement would apply. The company says the rule is "vague" as a result.
Any school district or charter school governing board that authorizes the installation of a temporary door lock as defined in Section 1006.07(6)(f)2.a., F.S., must comply with the following requirements and shall certify by attestation to the Office that all the following have been met, before use in a student occupied classroom:
- Every individual first responder, including but not limited to law enforcement, fire and EMS personnel who provides services or are included in a mutual aid agreement to respond to emergencies at a school where a temporary door lock is installed must be equipped with a key or other credential to access the classroom door from the ingress side of the door. Additionally, if the school uses guardians in any capacity, each guardian shall be equipped with the same key or other credential as all first responders.
- Upon installation of any temporary door lock, the school must conduct training with all school staff and first responders on the use of the locking system, from the egress and ingress side of the door. This training requirement shall be conducted at least once per school semester.
- Provide attestation of approval from the district or county fire official certifying the temporary door lock is fire code compliant; attestations are required to be provided to the Office at SafeSchools@fldoe.org.
- The school district or charter school governing board must create a policy outlining the use of the temporary door lock and the integration of the locks into their active assailant response plan.
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This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
