What is PAS 24 and why does it matter for doors?

PAS 24 is the term you will see attached to secure doors and windows, but it is rarely explained. Here is what the standard actually tests, why it is assessed as a whole door set, and how it connects to the building regulations.

What PAS 24 is and what it tests

PAS 24 is a Publicly Available Specification — a type of fast-track standard published in the UK — that defines the enhanced security performance required of doors and windows. The point of the standard is to set a consistent, independently verifiable bar so that "secure" means something measurable. When a manufacturer has a door tested to PAS 24, an accredited test house puts the product through a defined sequence of attacks and the door either passes or it does not.

The testing combines two broad approaches. Mechanical tests apply measured loads to the door and its hardware to check it resists being forced, sprung or levered. Manual attack tests simulate a determined intruder using a set of tools to try to gain entry within a time limit, targeting the lock, hinges, glazing and the joints between leaf and frame. Crucially, the door is tested as a complete door set — the leaf, the frame it hangs in, the hinges, the locking mechanism and the cylinder are all assessed together. That matters because security is decided by the weakest component: a strong door leaf on a flimsy frame, or with a snappable cylinder, would fail. PAS 24 therefore tells you the whole assembly has been proven, not just one part of it.

Why PAS 24 matters — the regulation link

The biggest reason PAS 24 matters is its place in the Building Regulations. In England, Approved Document Q (Security — Dwellings) requires that easily accessible doors and windows in new homes are designed and installed to resist forced entry. The Approved Document points to PAS 24 (and equivalent standards) as the way to demonstrate compliance — so for new-build and many replacement situations, a PAS 24 door set is the practical route to meeting the security requirement.

Even where Document Q does not strictly apply — for example replacing a door in an existing home, where the security requirement is more limited — PAS 24 remains the clearest benchmark a homeowner can ask for. It also underpins other accreditations: Secured by Design, the official police security initiative, normally requires PAS 24 testing as part of its police-preferred specification. So when you ask for a Secured by Design door, PAS 24 is usually doing the heavy lifting underneath. In short, PAS 24 is the foundation of door security in the UK: it is what regulations reference, what police accreditation builds on, and what gives a homeowner objective proof rather than a sales claim.

How to use PAS 24 when buying a door

For a buyer, PAS 24 turns a vague question ("is this door secure?") into a specific one you can get answered in writing. When comparing doors, ask the supplier three things. First, is the door set tested to PAS 24, and can they provide the certificate or test reference? A genuine certificate names the tested configuration. Second, does the certification cover the configuration you are buying — the same leaf, frame, hinges, lock and, importantly, the same cylinder? PAS 24 is a whole-set result, so substitutions can break it. Third, is there a matching cylinder rating such as TS007 3-star, since the cylinder is a common attack point and a good PAS 24 set will pair with anti-snap protection.

It is worth remembering what PAS 24 does and does not promise. It demonstrates that the door has resisted a defined, realistic attack for a set time using set tools — it is a strong, meaningful bar, not an absolute guarantee against every conceivable method. And it only delivers in practice if the door is installed correctly, because a PAS 24 door fitted into a poorly fixed frame loses much of its tested performance. Specified and fitted properly, a PAS 24 door set gives you a front or back door with independently proven resistance to forced entry — which is exactly what the standard exists to provide.

PAS 24 and the wider security picture

PAS 24 is the cornerstone, but it sits alongside a few related terms that are worth knowing so you can read a specification confidently. The lock cylinder has its own standard, TS007, which grades cylinders and hardware in stars; a good PAS 24 door set is normally paired with a TS007 3-star anti-snap cylinder (or a 1-star cylinder with 2-star security handles), because the cylinder is the part burglars attack most and PAS 24's whole-set result depends on it. Secured by Design then wraps the technical testing in the official police accreditation scheme, using PAS 24 as the basis for its Police Preferred Specification. So when you see PAS 24, TS007 and Secured by Design mentioned together, they are layers of the same picture: PAS 24 tests the door, TS007 grades the cylinder within it, and Secured by Design accredits the result.

It also helps to know what PAS 24 is not. It is not a fire rating — fire resistance is a completely separate matter, certified as FD30, FD60 and so on, and a door can be PAS 24 for security without being a fire door, or vice versa. Nor is PAS 24 a thermal or weather rating; energy efficiency is measured by the U-value under Approved Document L. Keeping these separate avoids confusion: when you want proven security, PAS 24 (with an anti-snap cylinder, ideally Secured by Design accredited) is the thing to ask for, and you specify fire and energy performance separately according to where and how the door is used.

Frequently asked questions

Sources & further reading

• gov.uk — Building Regulations Approved Document Q (security)
• Secured by Design — official police security initiative

Figures on this page are typical UK ranges drawn from published sources and depend on your specific door and opening. They are guidance, not a quotation.