What Is PAS 24? Requirements, Testing and Security Limitations
A secure-looking door or window is not automatically a secure product. Locks, glazing and frames may appear robust separately, yet perform differently when assembled and exposed to an attempted break-in.
So, what is PAS 24? It is a recognised UK specification for assessing the enhanced security performance of complete doorsets and windows against attacks associated with casual or opportunistic burglars.
It provides a useful benchmark for dwellings and other buildings exposed to a comparable level of risk. However, it does not create a resistance-time rating or prove that a product is suitable for every property, threat or high-risk environment.
PAS 24 in 60 Seconds
The current edition is PAS 24:2022+A1:2024. It applies to new doorsets and windows as manufactured and before installation.
Question | Practical answer |
What is assessed? | The complete doorset or window configuration |
What threat is represented? | Casual or opportunistic burglary |
Is the standard material-specific? | No, although supporting material-specific requirements may still apply |
Is there a security-rating ladder? | No, the applicable criteria are pass or fail |
Does a pass state a resistance time? | No |
Does it prove the site installation is secure? | No |
Is it a universal high-security standard? | No |
The current BSI overview of PAS 24 confirms that the specification covers doorsets and windows intended to resist methods associated with opportunistic burglary.
It also makes clear that PAS 24 applies before installation and does not independently test individual components or site installation requirements.
Why PAS 24 Assesses the Complete Assembly
PAS 24 assesses the doorset or window as an assembled product. This provides more meaningful evidence than judging security from a single lock, hinge or pane of glass.
For a doorset, the evidenced configuration may include:
The leaf and frame
Locks, cylinders and handles
Hinges and hinge protection
Glazing and infill panels
Letterplates and other apertures
Integral side panels or fanlights
For a window, the frame, opening light, locking points, glazing and hardware work together as one system.
An offender may target whichever part appears easiest to manipulate or displace. A strong cylinder offers limited reassurance if the frame can be spread, the glazing can be removed, or an infill panel can be displaced.
Component standards and certificates may still be relevant, but they do not replace evidence for the complete doorset or window.
Evidence Must Cover the Product Being Supplied
A PAS 24 claim should be supported by a report or certificate covering the relevant product configuration.
Check the:
Dimensions
Construction material
Opening arrangement
Glazing specification
Locks and cylinders
Hinges and handles
Side panels and fanlights
Other hardware or apertures
A variation should not be assumed to retain the same evidence simply because it shares a product name.
For example, a certificate covering a single-leaf doorset with specified maximum dimensions, glazing and lock hardware should not automatically be treated as evidence for a larger double-leaf arrangement with substituted components.
The certificate scope should take precedence over a general marketing claim.
How Doorsets and Windows Are Assessed
The applicable test programme depends on the product type and configuration. It can include prescribed mechanical loading, impact and manual intervention procedures intended to examine the security performance of the complete assembly.
Mechanical Loading
Controlled forces are applied at relevant points to examine whether the product can be displaced, deformed or opened.
This helps assess how force is transferred through the leaf or sash, frame, locks, hinges and other hardware.
Impact Procedures
Prescribed impacts may be applied to areas such as the leaf, glazing or infill system.
These procedures examine whether an opening can be created or whether a vulnerable part can be displaced sufficiently to undermine the product’s security.
Manual Intervention
An operative uses the tools and methods permitted by the specification to work on potential attack points.
These procedures reflect the standard’s casual or opportunistic burglary threat model. They should not be interpreted as testing against every tool or technique available to an organised or heavily equipped attacker.
The police security initiative Secured by Design publishes a list of UKAS-accredited PAS 24 test facilities. This provides a more reliable way to check testing capability than relying on an unsupported supplier statement.
What a PAS 24 Result Actually Proves
A successful test shows that the specimen and configuration assessed met the applicable acceptance criteria.
It does not prove that:
Every version sold under the same name is covered
The completed site installation will perform identically
The product will resist attack for a stated number of minutes
The product is suitable for every property or threat
Individual locks, hinges or glazing products are independently PAS 24 approved
A test report records the outcome for the specimen and configuration assessed.
Third-party product certification can provide further assurance under the certification body’s accredited scheme, but the certificate’s scope, conditions and covered product variations should still be checked.
PAS 24 and Building Regulations
PAS 24 is closely associated with security requirements for new dwellings, but it should not be described as universally mandatory across the UK.
In England, Requirement Q1 addresses reasonable provision to resist unauthorised access to new dwellings. The government’s Approved Document Q guidance for England explains the expected performance of relevant doors and windows, including the need for suitable robustness and hardware.
Wales publishes separate Approved Document Q guidance for Welsh dwellings. Scotland and Northern Ireland operate under their own building-control frameworks.
For an individual project, confirm:
Which national regulations apply
Whether the work falls within their scope
Which edition of the guidance is relevant
What evidence the building-control body will accept
Whether another client, insurer or police-led requirement applies
A PAS 24 certificate should not be described as a universal guarantee of Building Regulations compliance. Compliance depends on the project, applicable rules, product evidence and completed work.
Five Common Ways PAS 24 Is Misread
1. “PAS 24 Means High Security”
PAS 24 represents enhanced resistance to opportunistic burglary.
“High security” is too broad to be useful without defining the attacker, tools and protective objective. A higher-risk site may require a standard covering more capable tools or measurable delay.
2. “The Product Will Hold for a Set Number of Minutes”
PAS 24 does not give a doorset or window a resistance-time rating.
It cannot be used directly to calculate how long responders have to detect and intervene in an attack.
3. “The Lock Is PAS 24 Approved”
PAS 24 assesses complete doorsets and windows.
A lock may be included within a tested configuration, but the whole-product result should not be converted into an independent PAS 24 claim for that component.
4. “The Certificate Proves the Installation”
The standard applies to products as manufactured and before installation.
It does not assess the workmanship, wall opening, fixings or surrounding construction at a particular site.
A well-evidenced doorset can still be weakened by:
Unsuitable fixings
Poor frame packing
An inadequate supporting substrate
Incorrect installation
Unauthorised alterations after delivery
The frame-to-wall junction deserves particular attention because the product can only perform as intended when installed into suitable construction and in accordance with the relevant instructions.
5. “PAS 24 Covers Every Other Performance Requirement”
A PAS 24 result does not automatically demonstrate:
Fire or smoke performance
Blast, ballistic or vehicle-impact resistance
Thermal or weather performance
Accessibility or safe emergency egress
All aspects of long-term durability or continued performance in service
Suitability for a site-specific threat
Security measures must be coordinated with fire safety, accessibility, building performance and operational requirements.
When PAS 24 May Provide an Appropriate Baseline
PAS 24 may be suitable where the protected building is exposed primarily to casual or opportunistic burglary and the evidence covers the required product configuration.
Situation | What to consider |
New dwelling or comparable-risk building | PAS 24 may provide an appropriate enhanced-security baseline, subject to the applicable rules |
Repeated targeting or attractive assets | Additional controls or a more demanding forced-entry requirement may be proportionate |
Critical or high-security enclosure | PAS 24 is unlikely to be sufficient as the sole forced-entry benchmark |
Modified product or unclear paperwork | Confirm the evidence before accepting the security claim |
Strong product in weak surrounding construction | Review the complete attack path, not the product in isolation |
PAS 24 remains relevant where opportunistic burglary is the appropriate threat model.
The issue arises when it is used to answer a different security question, such as whether a barrier can withstand a determined attack involving powered tools or provide a specified delay before responders arrive.
A Procurement File That Can Withstand Scrutiny
Before approving a product, record the answers to the following questions.
1. Which Edition Is Specified?
Confirm the applicable PAS 24 edition and amendment.
Older evidence should not automatically be treated as equivalent to a current project requirement.
2. What Exact Configuration Is Covered?
Check dimensions, material, opening arrangement, side panels, fanlights and glazing.
3. Which Hardware Formed Part of the Evidence?
Verify locks, cylinders, handles, hinges, letterplates and other relevant components.
4. What Type of Evidence Has Been Provided?
Distinguish between:
A test report
Accredited product certification
A supplier declaration
General marketing literature
These documents do not all provide the same level or scope of assurance.
5. What Installation Conditions Apply?
Check the approved fixing methods, substrate requirements and manufacturer instructions.
6. Have Substitutions Been Proposed?
Review any change to hardware, glazing, construction or dimensions against the evidenced scope.
A visually similar product may use different internal reinforcement, hardware or frame construction.
7. Does the Threat Match PAS 24?
Escalate the requirement where more determined attack methods are credible or where measurable delay is needed.
A polished brochure is no substitute for the correct certificate.
PAS 24 Evidence Is Only Part of the Site Picture
A secure doorset or window can be undermined by its surroundings and by the way the building is used.
Approach routes, visibility, lighting, landscaping and boundary definition can affect whether an offender can reach and work on an opening without being noticed. Our Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design service considers how the layout and management of the built environment can support physical protection.
Behaviour also matters. Doors may be propped open, faults left unreported or access procedures bypassed during busy periods. Our guide to human-centric security examines how routines and staff behaviour can strengthen or weaken security controls.
These factors do not replace PAS 24 evidence. They determine how much value the evidenced product provides within the wider site.
Reviewing Doors, Windows and Access Arrangements in Context
A certificate cannot decide which threat your organisation should design against.
Our published work includes physical security risk assessments and independent scrutiny of design specifications across complex and multi-site environments. This should not be read as a claim that we test or certify products to PAS 24.
Our Physical Security Assessment reviews physical infrastructure such as doors, glazing, locking mechanisms and access points alongside procedures, behaviours and the wider risk profile.
The agreed scope can help identify where existing defences may not align with the threat and where further investigation or improvement may be proportionate.
Product conformity should always be confirmed through the applicable test report or accredited certification.
If you need to review how your doors, windows and access arrangements contribute to the wider protection of your premises, visit our Physical Security Assessment service page to see how we can help identify vulnerabilities and prioritise practical improvements.
Match the PAS 24 Requirement to the Property and Threat
PAS 24 provides a recognised enhanced-security benchmark for complete doorsets and windows exposed to casual or opportunistic burglary.
Its whole-product approach is valuable, but its boundaries are equally important. A pass does not provide a resistance time, verify the completed installation or prove suitability for every site.
Check the current edition, certificate scope, product configuration and installation requirements. Then consider the evidence alongside the protected asset, surrounding construction, likely attacker and wider security arrangements.
PAS 24 can show that a product met a defined requirement. It cannot decide whether that requirement is sufficient for what you need to protect.
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