What PAS 24 Means for Your Doors and Windows

If you are choosing a new front door, or wondering whether the one you have is any good, PAS 24 is the name to look for. Police guidance describes PAS 24 doors as tested to British standards and insurance approved, and advises looking for "PAS24" doors and windows because they are harder to break¹. The same standard covers windows, and police say replacement windows should always be a security-accredited product to a standard such as PAS 24:2022³.

The practical point is simple. PAS 24 is a test of a complete door or window set, not a label you can stick on afterwards. If you are buying, ask for the certification and check it. If you already have a door, you can improve its security in other ways, but you cannot usually turn an ordinary door into a PAS 24 one.

This page explains what the standard tells you, how to check a door or window really meets it, where it sits alongside other certifications, what you can and cannot change on an existing door, and where to get advice.

PAS 24: the security standard for doors and windows

PAS 24 is the standard police point households towards when they are choosing doors and windows. Avon and Somerset Police describe PAS 24 doors as tested to British standards and insurance approved, and the same wording is used for windows to PAS 24:2022¹. In Scotland, Police Scotland's break-in advice is to look for "PAS24" doors and windows because they are harder to break².

It helps to understand what kind of standard this is. PAS 24 is not a single product you can buy, and it is not a lock. It is a test applied to a complete door set or window: the door, its frame, its lock and its fittings, assessed together. That is why a good lock on its own does not make a door PAS 24, and why the certification belongs to the whole assembly rather than to one component.

For a household, the value is in what the test represents. A door that has passed has been assessed as harder to break than an uncertified one, which is exactly the quality police advice is pointing at when it says to look for PAS 24². That makes it a useful shorthand when you are standing in a showroom or talking to an installer and do not want to assess hinges, cylinders and glazing yourself.

The standard is also referenced beyond doors and windows. A cylinder maker states that its Fortress 3 Star BS Euro Profile Cylinder meets the requirements of PAS 24 as part of a compliant door set⁴. That phrasing matters: the cylinder contributes to a PAS 24 door set, but it does not make a door PAS 24 on its own.

Where you live does not change what PAS 24 means, but the advice around it is published separately. The standard is the same; the route to official advice differs. Look for "PAS24" doors and windows because they're harder to break, and buy ones certified by Secure by Design². For replacement windows, always use a security-accredited product to a standard such as PAS 24:2022³.

What PAS 24 certification tells you about a door

A PAS 24 certificate tells you that the door set you are looking at has been tested to British standards and is insurance approved¹. In plain terms, it is evidence that the door has been assessed as harder to break than an uncertified equivalent, which is the reason police advice recommends it².

What it does not tell you is everything. A certificate covers the door as tested. If the door is fitted badly, if the frame is damaged, or if the lock is later swapped for something that does not match the tested specification, the door is no longer the door that passed. That is why the certification and the fitting matter together.

It also does not replace basic good practice. Police advise checking all doors and windows for any weaknesses, and fitting window locks to accessible windows will reduce the chances of being burgled by slowing an intruder down³. A certified door is a strong starting point, not a reason to stop looking.

For a household choosing between doors, the certificate is one of the few pieces of information you can check rather than take on trust. A supplier who cannot produce it is asking you to believe a claim. A supplier who can is giving you something you can verify, and something your insurer may ask about later.

How to check a door or window meets PAS 24

Start with the door or window itself. Certification is normally marked on the product, on the frame or the glass, and recorded in the paperwork supplied with it. If you are buying new, ask the supplier or installer for the certificate before you commit, and keep it with your home documents.

Police advice adds a second check: buy doors and windows certified by Secure by Design². That is a police-linked certification scheme, and it gives you a name to look for alongside PAS 24 when you are comparing products.

If you are checking a door that is already fitted, work through it methodically:

• Look for the certification mark on the frame, the door edge and the glass.
• Find the certificate or fitting paperwork that came with the door.
• Check the lock and cylinder against what the certificate describes.
• Look for any damage, movement or wear that would undermine the door's performance.
• Check all doors and windows for any weaknesses, as police advise⁵.

If you cannot find a mark or paperwork, do not assume the door meets the standard. Ask the supplier, the installer or the previous owner. If the answer is unclear, treat the door as uncertified and consider what else you can do to improve it.

For windows, the same approach applies. Police advise using a security-accredited product to a standard such as PAS 24:2022 when replacing windows, and fitting locks to accessible windows to slow an intruder down³. If you are unsure how much locking a window needs, our guide to how many locks a window needs sets out the options.

Where PAS 24 fits with other door security certifications

PAS 24 is one of several certifications you will see on doors, locks and windows, and they do different jobs. Knowing which is which stops you paying for a label that does not mean what you think.

The lock certifications are worth understanding because they are often quoted alongside PAS 24. Ultion states that its ALPS cylinder was the first cylinder to pass the updated PAS24:2022+A1:2024 standard and the Sold Secure Diamond 2024 test, and that it is fully PAS24:2022+A1:2024 compliant and meets the updated Sold Secure SS312 2024 standard⁶. Ultion also states that its 3 Star PLUS lock was the first lock to pass the Sold Secure Diamond 2024 security test, passes the TS007-1:2024 security test, and carries Police preferred Secured by Design accreditation⁶.

Those are maker claims about their own products, and they show how lock testing and door testing interlock. A lock can be tested to a high standard and still only contribute to a PAS 24 door set, as the Fortress cylinder's wording makes clear⁴. The ABS Ultimate Series locks carry Police preferred Secured by Design accreditation⁹.

There are other standards in the same family that households sometimes confuse with PAS 24. Key safes are judged against the British Loss Prevention Standard LPS 1175, with police-approved examples including the C500, P500 and Keyguard Digital XL⁸. Fire doors in buildings with shared access should be British Standard FD30 or FD60 and kept closed, not propped open¹⁰. These are different questions from burglary resistance, and a PAS 24 certificate says nothing about fire performance.

If you want to know whether a product's police approval claim is genuine, our guide to how to tell if a security product is police approved explains what to check.

Existing doors: what you can and cannot retrofit

This is where most households get disappointed. PAS 24 is a test of a complete door set, so an existing door that was not supplied and tested as a PAS 24 door cannot usually be upgraded to meet it by changing a part. The certificate belongs to the assembly that was tested.

What you can do is reduce the risk in the ways police actually recommend. The most specific piece of advice concerns the lock cylinder. Police advise that if the cylinder lock protrudes beyond the frame handle, you should get a member of the Master Locksmiths Association to change it to a shorter, more snap-resistant one¹. This applies particularly to older patio, sliding or bi-fold doors with aluminium frames¹.

Beyond the cylinder, the basics still matter. Check all doors and windows for any weaknesses⁵. Keep access doors secure, particularly in buildings where intruders could otherwise start deliberate fires¹¹. If you are moving into a new home, police say you can change your locks if you want to².

For garden buildings and outbuildings, the Police Service of Northern Ireland advises fitting a closed shackle padlock to the door, with fittings bolted through the door and any screws concealed¹². That is separate from PAS 24 but follows the same principle: make the weak point harder to attack.

If you are weighing up whether to replace the door entirely or improve what you have, our guide to doors and locks covers cylinders, standards and making entry harder in more detail.

Windows, new builds and insurance

Windows are covered by the same standard, and the advice mirrors the door advice. Police say to look for PAS 24 windows because they are harder to break, and to use a security-accredited product to a standard such as PAS 24:2022 when replacing windows². Fitting window locks to accessible windows reduces the chances of being burgled by slowing an intruder down³.

New builds deserve particular attention. Police Scotland notes that a new build home or moving into a new home can be more at risk of break-in, and that housebreaking can happen when new build houses are finished but before anyone has moved in². That is a reason to check the doors and windows on a new property rather than assume the builder's specification covers it, and to change the locks if you want to when you move in².

On insurance, the position is narrower than it first appears. Police describe PAS 24 doors and windows as insurance approved¹. That is a statement about the standard, not a guarantee that your policy requires it. Insurance conditions vary, and our guide to home insurance conditions explains how locks, alarms and unoccupancy clauses typically work. Check your own policy wording or ask your insurer before you rely on a certification to satisfy a condition.

If you are moving, our moving into a new home locks and keys checklist sets out what to check and change in the first days.

Replacement locks on a PAS 24 door

You can change the locks on a PAS 24 door, but the replacement has to keep the door set compliant. A cylinder maker states that its Fortress 3 Star BS Euro Profile Cylinder meets the requirements of PAS 24 as part of a compliant door set⁴. That wording is the key: the cylinder is designed to be part of a compliant door, not to make any door compliant on its own.

Police advice on cylinders is specific. If the cylinder lock protrudes beyond the frame handle, get a member of the Master Locksmiths Association to change it to a shorter, more snap-resistant one¹. Using a qualified locksmith matters here, because the wrong cylinder can leave the door less secure than before, and because the door's certification depends on the parts matching what was tested.

When you are choosing a replacement, look for the certifications that apply to locks rather than doors. Ultion states that its ALPS cylinder was the first cylinder to pass the updated PAS24:2022+A1:2024 standard and the Sold Secure Diamond 2024 test⁶. The ABS Ultimate Series locks carry Police preferred Secured by Design accreditation⁹. These are maker claims about their own products, and they tell you the lock has been tested, not that your door will be.

If you are unsure which way round a cylinder should be fitted, our guide to which way round to fit a 3 star anti-snap cylinder covers the fitting question, and how to measure a euro cylinder explains how to get the size right before you order.

Where to get help and advice

For most households, the first stop is your local police crime prevention advice. Avon and Somerset Police publish door and window security guidance that names PAS 24 directly¹. Police Scotland's break-in and housebreaking advice covers new builds and moving home². The Police Service of Northern Ireland publishes house security and garden security guidance⁵. The Northern Ireland government's own guidance on securing doors and windows names PAS 24 for doors¹³.

If you need a locksmith, police advice points to the Master Locksmiths Association for cylinder replacement¹. Our guide to locked out of your home explains what to do and how to choose a locksmith.

In Scotland, NHS 24 is open to all¹⁴.

If you are renting or in a flat, your housing provider or managing agent must check your flat front door once a year, inspecting it from both sides and making sure it closes on its own and is not damaged¹⁵. If you live above or below a commercial premises, fire doors between the units and homes should be British Standard FD30 or FD60 and kept closed¹⁰. In high-rise buildings, keep access doors secure to prevent intruders starting deliberate fires¹¹.

For the wider picture on securing a home, start with our home security guide, or go straight to how burglars choose a home to understand what actually puts them off.